SECTION8556

ROOMFF062

TIMEMTWR 12:30-2:50

INSTRUCTORSteve Layton

stlayton@indiana.edu

OFFICEFF M030E

OFFICE HOURSW 11-12

(and by appointment)

PHONE847/502-7053

OR SO YEARS AGO, when I was hired as a graphic artist at a small-to-medium-sized newspaper in southern California, there

was talk of a revolution taking place in the world’s media compa-nies — a revolution driven by rapid changes in technology. The advent

of the desktop computer meant that the products produced by these companies had a new and different focus on graphic design — and its possibilities. And this, it was felt, would forever change the industry. Suddenly, presentation skills were in great demand, and creative people flocked to news companies to fill newly created or expanded newsroom roles: designers, graphics specialists, art directors.

This “revolution,” of course, was merely the beginning of something much larger: seismic, unimaginable shifts in technology, in the everyday habits of people and, slowly and somewhat reluctantly, the complete transformation of media companies themselves. Revolution is usually painful: just ask any editor at any city newspaper. But it also brings opportunity. And in spite of the upheavals that continue to shape so many aspects of journalism today, the opportunity for designers to thrive in the modern media landscape has never been greater.

The ongoing revolution represents a shift from one to several specializations. The demand for high-quality graphic design in newspapers, magazines, online and beyond has grown and will continue to grow. And companies now actively seek employees that possess a wide range of skills and talents — especially the ability to think, create and communicate in a visual way.

Successfully completing J463 means:■ You will achieve a solid understanding of the principles of visual design — using space, creating visual flow and developing an active awareness of spatial relationships within your work. ■ You will learn to create strong visual focus to achieve maximum impact, choose typography that speaks to the reader and use color to effectively convey your message. ■ You will learn to present stories in innovative ways that attract readers. You will learn how to be loud and obnoxious, and you will learn to be quiet and restrained. (In your designs, that is.)

Along the way, you will learn to create layout and design assets in Adobe InDe-sign, illustrations in Illustrator and Photoshop, and employ basic HTML and CSS to build compelling Web pages. Perhaps you already have vast experience in such environments; perhaps all are completely new to you. The first doesn’t guarantee your success, and the second in no way inhibits your possibilities. We will seek a pace that will benefit everyone in the class, and because every class is different, I ask for your help in determining what that pace is.

Learning any skill, from playing an instrument to speaking a language, requires practice. Sometimes a lot of practice. To truly incorporate a skill means you must practice it to the point that it can be performed without your thinking about it. Mastering computer skills in this way removes the barrier of your being concerned with making a program behave the way you want it to, and you can devote your full intellectual capacity to creativity. As a designer in any medium, this is your ultimate goal. Unfortunately, fifteen weeks is not long enough to quite get there, but we will take purposeful strides in that direction. And I trust your learning will continue beyond this class.

A brief word of caution, however, about these magnificent machines: learning computer skills is not the primary goal of this course. Virtually nothing I learned in 1988 about how to use Micrografx Designer is any use to me today, at least from a technical standpoint. What I learned at that time about how to think and communicate in a visual way, however, remains vitally important. While we will spend a good deal of our time learning how to use computers and software to execute our vision, it is learning and using the principles of design — composi-tion, typography, color, etc. — that you will ultimately find most valuable, along with learning how to learn new applications, which you will likely be doing for the rest of your career.

GOODDESIGN

IS A LOT LIKECLEAR

THINKINGMADE

VISUAL.

EDWARD TUFTE

This is a hands-on, skills-oriented class. You will be responsible for creating a good deal of work in this class. Specifically:

Sixty percent of your grade in this class will be determined by your creative work on our three projects. All three are equally weighted. Each will require you to use the software and apply the principles we are studying at the time, and each will require a good amount of your own creativity. The magazine project will involve your using material I will provide, but your poster project will be completely your own work. The web design project will showcase your creative work for the summer. With each project, you will post your work, along with an analysis/re-flection, on the class’s website ( http://j463summer.com/ ).

We will be engaging in a series of short exercises and tutorials that will help you develop your visual creativity and/or become proficient with the software. For creative exercises, you will sometimes work in teams; tutorials will generally involve my providing you with step-by-step instructions to help you reproduce a design or illustration. Your completion of these materials will determine 20 percent of your grade — the “participation” score. We will also have four short quizzes at various points in the semester to make sure you are understanding the key concepts of the class as well as how to use the software. Quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. If you miss one with an excused absence, we can schedule a make-up. The quizzes are worth the final one-fifth of your grade.

Grades are a fact of our lives, and even in a creative course we must have them. Here then, is breakdown of how your final grade will be determined:

PROJECTS

IN-CLASS EXERCISES, TUTORIALS and QUIZZES

PROJECTSMagazine (May 28)Poster (June 6)Website (June 15)

Quizzes (four throughout the semester): 20%Participation (completion of exercises and tutorials): 20%

DESIGNIS THE

APPLICATION OF

INTENT:THE OPPOSITE

ANTIDOTEAND AN

ACCIDENT.

HAPPENSTANCE,OF

TO

ROBERT L. PETERSCIRCLE DESIGN

To be a successful designer, or indeed a successful anything, you must learn to separate yourself from your work, consider it objectively, determine ways in which it is “not working” and ways in which it you can improve it. In this class, the design process is as important as the finished piece, and I’m interested in knowing how you arrived at your final designs. So, with each major assignment, I require a written analysis of your own work — and the process you took to get there. The quality of this analysis — its thoroughness as well as the effectiveness of the writing — will be factored into each project grade.

Your grade on each assignment will be a numerical score based on your creativi-ty, technical execution, the effectiveness of your design and the overall aesthetic quality of your finished work. Each project will have differently weighted parameters, which will be spelled out clearly when the assignments are given.

My goal is to create an environment where you feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback during the creative process and immediately before and after handing in a project. In a creative endeavor, learning to consider your work and the work of your peers objectively is a critical skill, one you will be developing over the course of the semester. For now, I want to stress the importance of your remaining forever open to ways you can improve your work.

Before each project is due, we will spend class time looking at our works in progress. I believe you will find that the suggestions and reactions you get from your classmates (and me) will help you produce stronger work. The old adage is that everyone needs an editor, and I have found that this, like many old adages, is actually true. I strongly encourage you to work enough in advance that you can take advantage of the opportunity to put your work in front of people to gain a better understanding of what is and isn’t working in your design, and whether your design is conveying the message you intend.

DESIGN

DESIGN,DECORATION.

IN THE ABSENCE OF

IS NOT

IT’S

CONTENT

JEFFREY ZELDMANHAPPY COG

There are a vast number of graphic design books available, and many of them are excellent resources. My belief is that this class will benefit from not tying itself to a single book, so to that end I do not require you to buy a textbook. I do recom-mend, however, that you seek out readings that will help develop your knowl-edge and skills, and I can suggest resources. I will be assigning a series of short readings from a variety of sources that will help you understand some of the basic concepts of this course. Don’t worry — all are brief and pretty visual. They will be available, in PDF form, from the Files section of Canvas, and will cover such general topics as typography, color use and effective web design.

As for learning computer skills, please take full advantage of Lynda.com, which has thousands of online tutorials that will help you learn to do just about anything with just about any commercially available software on the planet. Sadly, Lynda is no longer available to you directly as an IU student, but don’t despair: you can get full access to Lynda videos and exercise files if you have a Monroe County Library card. Access Lynda through the library’s website: mcpl.monroe.lib.in.us.

Later in the semester, when we are learning HTML and CSS, I strongly recom-mend you get yourself a reference book or two. There will be readings and handouts, but you’ll find that having a “go-to” resource nearby will be very helpful if you are writing code for the first time. Among the books I have found useful are Jon Duckett’s “HTML & CSS,” Jason Cranford Teague’s “Speaking in Styles” (for CSS) and any number of “Pocket Guides” for HTML and CSS (I like the Peachpit editions). Bookmark this site: www.w3schools.com. It includes easy-to-find step-by-step reference to help teach you HTML, CSS and virtually any programming language you would like to learn.

CREATEVISUAL

STYLE…

IDENTIFIABLEFOR OTHERS.

YOUR OWN

FOR YOURSELF

LET IT BE

AND YETUNIQUE

ORSON WELLES

ATTENDANCE: Every class is important to your learning and mastering skills, and your attendance is mandatory. You are here to learn, and I trust you will find a way to make it to class. I will not, however, take attendance. Please keep in mind that you must be in class to take the quizzes; no make-ups will be given.

FOOD AND DRINK IN CLASS: Sorry, you can’t have them. No, not even water.

DEADLINES: Deadlines are the lifeblood of journalism, and blowing deadlines in this business is simply not tolerated. I am, however, aware that university life sometimes places additional pressures on students, and that it is not inconceiv-able that some assignments, once in great while, may have to be handed in late. If this should happen to you, and I hope it doesn’t, I will accept late assignments for the first five calendar days after deadline. I will take off 10 percent per day, though, so it’s in your interest to be on time. (An exception to this is the final project, which is due the Friday after class ends and cannot be turned in late.) If you are having problems meeting a deadline, please let me know ahead of time. There will be a one-week grace period for all participation exercises and tutorials.

INTEGRITY: Design is almost always a collaborative process, and I encourage you to seek the advice and input of others — classmates, friends, etc. — along the way. But in this class, all the graphic design material — anything drawn or rendered, any piece of design work — must be 100 percent your own. While I hope you will find influence in many areas, please understand that stealing another person’s ideas or artwork is wrong, it will get you fired in the real world and will not be accepted in this class. (You may reuse your own materials from other classes in the form of stories or photographs, but NOT any graphic designs.) This extends to the proper use of imagery as well. During class, we will go through ways in which you can obtain copyright- and royalty-free images to use within a design. It is not accept-able to simply take an image from a Google image search. Be certain at all times that you are obeying copyright laws and licensing agreements.

THIS SYLLABUS: I have mapped out what I believe to be an achievable schedule for this course that will keep everybody working at a steady and challenging pace. Because there are wide variations in your experiences coming in and because we will cover a lot of ground in this class, I reserve the right to amend this syllabus to reflect any shifting realities we may encounter. I will be certain to let you know in advance if and when there will be any changes.

CREATIVITY

WHICH ONES TO

KEEP.

IS ALLOWING

TO MAKEYOURSELF

MISTAKES.

IS KNOWINGART

SCOTT ADAMS

SAVING YOUR WORK: On the first day of class, you will create a folder for your use in our class’s IU Box folder. I recommend that you use this folder throughout the semester to save any and all in-class work so that you can access it outside of class. The IU Box folder is accessible from anywhere as long as you have an Internet connection (and DUO log-in credentials). Organization of your work is important, and once we get to Web design, keeping your files together will become absolutely essential.

SUBMITTING: All exercises, tutorials and projects will be submitted online via Canvas (in the Assignments tab). Please upload a compressed (zipped) folder of your work for each project; if necessary, you can submit more than once. You will also post your project work to the class website, with your written reflections for each project. Hard-copy versions of the first two projects must also be submitted in (color) printed form. Color printing is available at various locations in Frank-lin Hall. The web design project will not be printed, but it will be published. CREATIVE CLOUD: As an IU student you have access to Adobe Creative Cloud and the latest versions of the Adobe software. We will use these programs extensively during class sessions, and you can download the software (in either Mac and Windows) at no charge on your own computer. There are more than a dozen software packages available through CC, and you can install as many or as few as you would like. To download your applications, go to iuware.iu.eduand follow the instructions there. We will be staying current with the latest updates throughout the semester. It’s free, so take advantage!

In J463, you should expect to make significant progress in mastering the following areas, based on the core values and competencies articulated by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications :

• Understanding concepts and applying theories in the use and presentation of images and information• Demonstrating an understanding of professional ethical principles• Thinking critically, creatively and independently• Evaluating your own work and that of others critically• Applying tools and technologies appropriate for the communications professions

LEARNING FOR MEDIA CAREERS

NOVELTY

MATTERS

CREATE

IS HARDLY EVER

TO THE VERY

WHAT

IS TO PENETRATE

IMPORTANT.

OF THE THING, AND

IT BETTER.

HEART

HENRI DE TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

Q

WGBH

This course is divided into three units: layout, illustration and web. Keep in mind, however, that this schedule is subject to change should the need arise. (I will inform you of any changes in advance and update this syllabus.)

TUE.

WED.

THU.

MON.

TUE.

WED.

THU.

MON.

TUE.

WED.

THU.

UNIT ONE: LAYOUT You’ll use InDesign to format text, manage threads, create style sheets and master pages, import and control images and graphic elements, and manage color.

Scheduled quiz days

Introductions

10 Rules of Good Design

Typography ABCs

Grid

Magazine Design

Principles of Design

Speaking with type

Using color

Working with images

Alternative Story Forms

Magazine review

Overview of course /exploring InDesign

InDesign building blocks

Fundamentals of type use

Creating modular design

Creating visual identity

Composition strategies

Expressive typography

Mixing and applying themes

Cropping and sizing

Case studies

Works in progress

MAY 8

MAY 9

MAY 10

MAY 14

MAY 15

MAY 16

MAY 17

MAY 21

MAY 22

MAY 23

MAY 24 Q

DESIGNNARROW

SKILLS,APPLICATION OF

IT IS AWAY OF

IS NOT THE

CHRIS PULLMAN

THINKING.

Q

DUE: Magazine project

UNIT TWO: ILLUSTRATION The third unit will provide you with instruction on basic drawing and imaging skills using Illustrator and Photoshop, respectively. You will

learn to use Illustrator’s drawing tools, create effects and illustrate with type. In Photoshop, we will learn to use layers, masks and filters.

The Poster

Drawing in Illustrator

Process

A moment to review

Textures

Poster review

Publishing your reflection / Photoshop layers and filters

Using the Pen Tool

Sketching, building, refining

Poster composition

Advanced techniques

Works in progress

MON.

TUE.

WED.

THU.

MON.

TUE.

MAY 28

MAY 29

MAY 30

MAY 31

JUNE 4

JUNE 5

I BEGIN

BECOMESELSE.

WITH AN

AND THEN IT

SOMETHING

IDEA,

PABLO PICASSO

UNIT THREE: WEB DESIGN In our final unit, you will learn basic HTML coding for your content and use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to style your final project: a personal web page, featuring your

work in J463. You will publish your site through IU’s Pages service.

This is my eighth year teaching graphics and

design courses at IU SOJ/MSCH. Before teaching, I worked for

almost 20 years in newspaper graphics

departments, 16 of them at the Chicago Tribune, where I was Graphics

Editor and later Senior Artist.

I have won numerous awards for my graphics

and design work, which I keep in a drawer some-

where, and in 2004 I was a small part of a large

project on airline gridlock that was awarded that

year’s Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism.

During my time at the Tribune, I took part in

three major redesigns and witnessed firsthand and

on a day-by-day basis the accelerating pace of

change that continues to transform the world’s

media companies. I am a graduate of the University of Florida.

Web design basics

Markup

Structural CSS

Presentation CSS

Advanced CSS

Website review

DUE: Website project (5PM)

Building and saving assets

Understanding HTML

Creating structure

Using typography on the Web

Responsive design

Works in progress

WED.

THU.

MON.

TUE.

WED.

THU.

FRI.

CSSHTML

JUNE 6

JUNE 7

JUNE 11

JUNE 12

JUNE 13

JUNE 14

JUNE 15

DUE: Poster project

DUE: May 28 DUE: June 6 DUE: June 15

WATERLOO SUNSET: The city at night

LIKE A NATIVE: Avoiding tourist traps

IN FOR A POUND: The best pub lunches

GOING UNDERGROUND:The Iconic Tube Map

Q