QUICK TEST APPLICATIONS
in class
- discuss "c/id" reading
- “readability vs legibility” lecture + other type detail tidbits
- review test applications in small groups
- work time / individual crits
your identity elements and the conceptual approach should, at a minimum, draw heavily from your experiments. an ideal scenario is for them to be a direct result of new experiments rooted in your theme. now that you know how to ask questions and explore those questions, you should be able to do some small experiments rather quickly as form generation exercises. don't worry about how they look -- worry about whether your questions are interesting and your are pursuing them whole-heartedly.
homework [due mon april 5]
- continue developing more design work for process critique on monday april 5
- browse through “designing brand identity” on my reserve shelf for process ideas on approaching identity design
- post to your blog valuable things you learned from this book [required post]
3.29.2010
3.26.2010
week 8C
TIMELINE / IDENTITY TALK
in class
review timelines and concept maps as a group
guest lecture: tad carpenter on k.c. design week identity design
required artifact categories for final critique
your work needs to encompass a range of approaches to demonstrate your ability to successfully address a variety of typographic problems. make sure your final set of pieces covers the following areas:
1) emotional/brand-centric pieces
2) rational/info-centric pieces
3) print media
4) screen media (linear or non-linear, interactive or not)
obviously the first two are different comparisons than the last two. you could have a print piece that is emotionally based and a screen piece that is rationally based, or vice versa.
homework [due monday march 29]
- further ideation/visualization of theme typography, colors, formal processes, etc.
- quickly develop three test applications (ex: name tag, directional sign, 1” button, 5-frame 5-second logo animatic, etc). these can be loose, but are meant to force you quickly into making. we will look at your messes in class, so have something to show.
in class
review timelines and concept maps as a group
guest lecture: tad carpenter on k.c. design week identity design
required artifact categories for final critique
your work needs to encompass a range of approaches to demonstrate your ability to successfully address a variety of typographic problems. make sure your final set of pieces covers the following areas:
1) emotional/brand-centric pieces
2) rational/info-centric pieces
3) print media
4) screen media (linear or non-linear, interactive or not)
obviously the first two are different comparisons than the last two. you could have a print piece that is emotionally based and a screen piece that is rationally based, or vice versa.
homework [due monday march 29]
- further ideation/visualization of theme typography, colors, formal processes, etc.
- quickly develop three test applications (ex: name tag, directional sign, 1” button, 5-frame 5-second logo animatic, etc). these can be loose, but are meant to force you quickly into making. we will look at your messes in class, so have something to show.
3.25.2010
week 8 B
THOUGHTS ON CONFERENCES
as we've moved forward in this process, i've begun to think maybe i'm jumping the gun in having you think about the visual identity of the conference. seems like more thought needs to happen in terms of creating effective interactions between people, and let the designed objects assist that. so friday our discussion on the design of the timeline/concept map will be brief. we will focus mostly on the issues outlined below so be pondering those hard.
interactions
to my mind, this is the core issue, but is tempered by the kinds of participants, their interests/skill levels, etc. it is also tempered by the settings people will be in. interactions will be occurring on every imaginable level -- between conference volunteers and attendees; students and professionals; old schoolers, no-schoolers, and new-schoolers; speakers and attendees; and on and on...
what kinds of interactions do you want people to have? what will be the most effective and gratifying interactions for your audience? how can you make that happen and what kinds of design artifacts should be made to support those interactions?
just like we encourage you to think "beyond the format" (poster, brochure, website, etc), think "beyond the lecture" here. maybe a lecture is perfect, but why? can it be improved upon? viewed critically, a lecture implies that only one person is worth listening to. is that okay?
settings
how can you take full advantage of the setting as a way to orchestrate these interactions? do you need large open spaces? work rooms? virtual spaces? do interactions happen in a dark room with a projector or over a small table at the lunch room? are they outside on the lawn or over dinner at night?
artifacts
this will come last, after you devise -- at a basic level -- a range of interactions you want to occur at your conference. it can be anything and everything, really, as long as it smartly facilitates communication between human beings with shared interests.
participants
it's important to recognize the range of interests, abilities, backgrounds, and knowledge embodied in all of the people involved. this goes beyond their generic title of "volunteer" or "student".
all of this thinking should be done in light of your stated conference theme. is there a way the interactions, settings, and artifacts can embody the values implicit in your theme? for example, if your theme is about guerrilla typography, it seems silly to stay cooped up in a room theorizing about it because guerrilla typography (or anything "guerrilla") is about getting out there in small groups and gettin' it done, grassroots style. it's about action and energy. so think about what values are part of your conference theme and if it's possible to reinforce those through your designerly designing.
as we've moved forward in this process, i've begun to think maybe i'm jumping the gun in having you think about the visual identity of the conference. seems like more thought needs to happen in terms of creating effective interactions between people, and let the designed objects assist that. so friday our discussion on the design of the timeline/concept map will be brief. we will focus mostly on the issues outlined below so be pondering those hard.
interactions
to my mind, this is the core issue, but is tempered by the kinds of participants, their interests/skill levels, etc. it is also tempered by the settings people will be in. interactions will be occurring on every imaginable level -- between conference volunteers and attendees; students and professionals; old schoolers, no-schoolers, and new-schoolers; speakers and attendees; and on and on...
what kinds of interactions do you want people to have? what will be the most effective and gratifying interactions for your audience? how can you make that happen and what kinds of design artifacts should be made to support those interactions?
just like we encourage you to think "beyond the format" (poster, brochure, website, etc), think "beyond the lecture" here. maybe a lecture is perfect, but why? can it be improved upon? viewed critically, a lecture implies that only one person is worth listening to. is that okay?
settings
how can you take full advantage of the setting as a way to orchestrate these interactions? do you need large open spaces? work rooms? virtual spaces? do interactions happen in a dark room with a projector or over a small table at the lunch room? are they outside on the lawn or over dinner at night?
artifacts
this will come last, after you devise -- at a basic level -- a range of interactions you want to occur at your conference. it can be anything and everything, really, as long as it smartly facilitates communication between human beings with shared interests.
participants
it's important to recognize the range of interests, abilities, backgrounds, and knowledge embodied in all of the people involved. this goes beyond their generic title of "volunteer" or "student".
all of this thinking should be done in light of your stated conference theme. is there a way the interactions, settings, and artifacts can embody the values implicit in your theme? for example, if your theme is about guerrilla typography, it seems silly to stay cooped up in a room theorizing about it because guerrilla typography (or anything "guerrilla") is about getting out there in small groups and gettin' it done, grassroots style. it's about action and energy. so think about what values are part of your conference theme and if it's possible to reinforce those through your designerly designing.
3.22.2010
week 8 A
VISUAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
in class
- discuss “crystal goblet” reading
- review conference titles and descriptions (read aloud). make decisions about conference titles.
- lecture: principles of information graphics
- lecture: type identity
- review timeline revisions individually, as time allows
homework (in this order)
- post your final theme title, written description, and designer bio to your blog.
- read: “c/id: visual identity and branding for the arts” pp 68-73, 96-105, 153-157, 166-171, on my library reserve shelf.
- begin concepting visuals for your theme. your process for doing this is totally up to you. just keep in mind that you are in the initial stages of building a visual system that will be applied across a wide range of materials. also keep in mind that i expect to see progress during each class session. the next class is the beginning of a long period of making stuff. yay!
in class
- discuss “crystal goblet” reading
- review conference titles and descriptions (read aloud). make decisions about conference titles.
- lecture: principles of information graphics
- lecture: type identity
- review timeline revisions individually, as time allows
homework (in this order)
- post your final theme title, written description, and designer bio to your blog.
- read: “c/id: visual identity and branding for the arts” pp 68-73, 96-105, 153-157, 166-171, on my library reserve shelf.
- begin concepting visuals for your theme. your process for doing this is totally up to you. just keep in mind that you are in the initial stages of building a visual system that will be applied across a wide range of materials. also keep in mind that i expect to see progress during each class session. the next class is the beginning of a long period of making stuff. yay!
3.12.2010
week 7B
THEME DEVELOPMENT
in class
homework
read “The Crystal Goblet, or Printing Should Be Invisible” by Beatrice Warde (1900 - 1969)
brainstorm a list of theme names and decide on a few favorites to share with the class on monday. if your name is esoteric in some way, consider a descriptive tagline that aids understanding.
write a concise and clear paragraph describing what your theme encompasses -- about three or four sentences. this will appear on major conference materials and should be written in a way that generates excitement about the event. be creative, energetic, smart, and sophisticated. consider your audience.
refine your designer and bio from a few weeks ago. this person(s) will serve as your keynote speaker(s) for the conference. you can use the bio as content for your conference materials.
in class
- review conference themes as a group. read statements (or a synopsis) aloud and consider the following questions:
-- as a designer, would you pay money to attend this conference? why or why not?
-- does the theme invite multiple interpretations and an interesting range of possible talks, workshops, etc?
-- is the theme suitable for contemporary and forward-looking design practice?
-- what could improve the theme? - review timelines as time allows, in pairs or in small groups.
homework
read “The Crystal Goblet, or Printing Should Be Invisible” by Beatrice Warde (1900 - 1969)
brainstorm a list of theme names and decide on a few favorites to share with the class on monday. if your name is esoteric in some way, consider a descriptive tagline that aids understanding.
write a concise and clear paragraph describing what your theme encompasses -- about three or four sentences. this will appear on major conference materials and should be written in a way that generates excitement about the event. be creative, energetic, smart, and sophisticated. consider your audience.
refine your designer and bio from a few weeks ago. this person(s) will serve as your keynote speaker(s) for the conference. you can use the bio as content for your conference materials.
3.08.2010
week 7A
TIMELINE+CONCEPT MAP+THEME
in class:
- review tiled out concept maps as a group. post a screenshot of your concept map to your blog for documentation purposes.
- review timelines as a group, looking on everyone’s blogs. make sure you have a good quality image (fairly large) of your timeline posted to your blog.
- discuss “experience” reading.
- concept map lecture.
homework:
- continue to refine both the timeline and concept map, adding and reorganizing as needed.
- final concept map is due friday march 26, as a carefully tiled color printout, roughly 34" by 22".
- determine a conference theme based on your type experiments. the theme must be flexible enough to generate a decent amount of interest and attendance, so carefully consider the interest level of your previous research topic and how it might be expanded or contracted slightly. you want to attract more than ten people, but you also want something to focus the dialogue. a good theme can be interpreted and expressed in many ways, and opens up dialogue on the topic. here are some examples:
bad: type made of cubes; good: dimensional typography
bad: typographic optical illusions; good: type and visual perception
bad: handwriting fonts; good: type and the hand
the theme needn’t have a snappy title yet. we’ll worry about that later. just have the subject matter figured out at this point.
a written paragraph about your conference theme is due next class period. define/describe the depth and breadth of your typographic focus as well as its importance to the field.
group work: you are encouraged to work with other students who have similar themes if you want to make this into a group project. you have three options for group work:
one: co-development of theme only, based on the similarity of your experiments.
two: shared theme + shared visual identity, but divide up artifacts you want to make.
three: you could work together on everything, including co-creating artifacts.
however, once you make a commitment to a group project, you are stuck with it. no quitters.
grading criteria for concept map and timeline
due friday march 26 as tiled color prints -- 90% size is fine
- clarity and logic of spatial organization
- typographic craft
- breadth and depth of insights
- craft of presentation
in class:
- review tiled out concept maps as a group. post a screenshot of your concept map to your blog for documentation purposes.
- review timelines as a group, looking on everyone’s blogs. make sure you have a good quality image (fairly large) of your timeline posted to your blog.
- discuss “experience” reading.
- concept map lecture.
homework:
- continue to refine both the timeline and concept map, adding and reorganizing as needed.
- final concept map is due friday march 26, as a carefully tiled color printout, roughly 34" by 22".
- determine a conference theme based on your type experiments. the theme must be flexible enough to generate a decent amount of interest and attendance, so carefully consider the interest level of your previous research topic and how it might be expanded or contracted slightly. you want to attract more than ten people, but you also want something to focus the dialogue. a good theme can be interpreted and expressed in many ways, and opens up dialogue on the topic. here are some examples:
bad: type made of cubes; good: dimensional typography
bad: typographic optical illusions; good: type and visual perception
bad: handwriting fonts; good: type and the hand
the theme needn’t have a snappy title yet. we’ll worry about that later. just have the subject matter figured out at this point.
a written paragraph about your conference theme is due next class period. define/describe the depth and breadth of your typographic focus as well as its importance to the field.
group work: you are encouraged to work with other students who have similar themes if you want to make this into a group project. you have three options for group work:
one: co-development of theme only, based on the similarity of your experiments.
two: shared theme + shared visual identity, but divide up artifacts you want to make.
three: you could work together on everything, including co-creating artifacts.
however, once you make a commitment to a group project, you are stuck with it. no quitters.
grading criteria for concept map and timeline
due friday march 26 as tiled color prints -- 90% size is fine
- clarity and logic of spatial organization
- typographic craft
- breadth and depth of insights
- craft of presentation
week 7
EXPERIMENTATION PROJECT DELIVERABLES
due wednesday march 10
blogs:
- any and all process work
- label all posts T4, type 4, or similar (as long as it's consistent)
hard copy:
- books, printouts, and any physical artifacts should be left in an obvious place on your desk
digital work:
- put everything into a folder labeled with "T4-yourlastname" and place in my CAS drop box.
- include a designalogue banner if you made one. i heard/saw lots of ideas, but actually received only a few banners.
due wednesday march 10
blogs:
- any and all process work
- label all posts T4, type 4, or similar (as long as it's consistent)
hard copy:
- books, printouts, and any physical artifacts should be left in an obvious place on your desk
digital work:
- put everything into a folder labeled with "T4-yourlastname" and place in my CAS drop box.
- include a designalogue banner if you made one. i heard/saw lots of ideas, but actually received only a few banners.
3.05.2010
week 6
CONCEPT MAPS / COMMUNICATIONS TIMELINE
for monday, have your concept map tiled out full size black & white and posted for review. i think if you print it at 90% actual size, you can fit it on four 11 x 17 sheets.
also for monday: based on your accumulated knowledge thus far, begin brainstorming a digital timeline of communications touchpoints for potential conference attendees.
- what all artifacts should be produced in support of the conference?
- how far out from the conference does this need to begin?
the purpose is to identify every point of contact the conference needs to have with attendees, from letting people know the conference is coming up, to helping them find their way while there. this communication process over time will intersect with the various contexts you’ve identified in your concept map. together, they set up the framework in which the design system can happen. at each touchpoint, identify whether the communication should be predominantly poetic, persuasive, or practical.
read for monday: “having an experience” by john dewey
for monday, have your concept map tiled out full size black & white and posted for review. i think if you print it at 90% actual size, you can fit it on four 11 x 17 sheets.
also for monday: based on your accumulated knowledge thus far, begin brainstorming a digital timeline of communications touchpoints for potential conference attendees.
- what all artifacts should be produced in support of the conference?
- how far out from the conference does this need to begin?
the purpose is to identify every point of contact the conference needs to have with attendees, from letting people know the conference is coming up, to helping them find their way while there. this communication process over time will intersect with the various contexts you’ve identified in your concept map. together, they set up the framework in which the design system can happen. at each touchpoint, identify whether the communication should be predominantly poetic, persuasive, or practical.
read for monday: “having an experience” by john dewey
3.01.2010
week 6
CONFERENCE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
for the remainder of the semester, we will be examining the idea of “typographic systems” using a more holistic approach. the specific object of study will be a typography conference, but the concepts learned about typography and communication design should be generalizable to a range of communications problems. we will be conducting a lot of background research and identifying a range communications problems based on this theme.
this week: develop a digital concept map identifying various aspects of what a “conference” is. as starting points on the map, identify the conference’s setting(s), artifacts/objects involved, interactions, and participants. use indesign or illustrator with a page size of 3 ft by 2 ft. text and image are acceptable.
i encourage you to consider working in groups for this project, based on similarity of experiment areas. you need to be able to justify how your themes relate. for the concept map, i'd like for the final form to be worked on individually, but ideas can be shared if you find that hepful.
concept mapping links:
wikipedia
a link to skim through, from the man that invented concept maps
a great example of an image-oriented concept map
the concept map will be a quick two-week graded project, due monday march 24. it will serve as the origin for the remainder of your project work, so work to make it a thorough and all-inclusive idea space, but remember it is subject to revision as you learn more about your project and conferences in general.
for the remainder of the semester, we will be examining the idea of “typographic systems” using a more holistic approach. the specific object of study will be a typography conference, but the concepts learned about typography and communication design should be generalizable to a range of communications problems. we will be conducting a lot of background research and identifying a range communications problems based on this theme.
this week: develop a digital concept map identifying various aspects of what a “conference” is. as starting points on the map, identify the conference’s setting(s), artifacts/objects involved, interactions, and participants. use indesign or illustrator with a page size of 3 ft by 2 ft. text and image are acceptable.
i encourage you to consider working in groups for this project, based on similarity of experiment areas. you need to be able to justify how your themes relate. for the concept map, i'd like for the final form to be worked on individually, but ideas can be shared if you find that hepful.
concept mapping links:
wikipedia
a link to skim through, from the man that invented concept maps
a great example of an image-oriented concept map
the concept map will be a quick two-week graded project, due monday march 24. it will serve as the origin for the remainder of your project work, so work to make it a thorough and all-inclusive idea space, but remember it is subject to revision as you learn more about your project and conferences in general.
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