vasi 2015 curriculum
DESCRIPTION
Proposed curriculum for Boston University Visual Arts Summer Institute, Graphic Design track.TRANSCRIPT
VASI / DESIGN
Visual Arts Summer Institute at Boston University
/ DESIGN
A three-day lesson plan to introduce
VASI student to the study of Graphic
Design. The curriculum aims to touch
on production methods as well as
Design Thinking and theory.
SKILLS
Binding
Book Design
Typography
Design Basics
Critique
LESSON 1Design is Everywhere
Students will be introduced to design
through a 30 minute visual lecture
presenting design as an occurrence in
every day life.
The class will then join in a thirty-
minute off site investigation of design
in our environment. Students will be
asked to document 10 examples of
typographic design through photo-
graphing examples.
LECTURE TOPICSItems to be introduced in lecture will include Typography through found
way finding and environmental signage, advertising (i.e. billboards and signs),
warning signage and other examples found in the built and designed
environment.
Visual examples will be from a local and global context and will feature both
‘good’ and ‘bad’ examples of design in our daily lives.
Upon returning from the off site walk, a brief 30 minute lecture will be
provided on the basics of typography based on tools in the Elements of
Typographic Style. (Serif vs sans-serif, Kerning, leading, etc.) Video will be
watched https://vimeo.com/forrestmedia giving 7 minute overview of
history of typography and classifications.
IN CLASS ASSIGNMENTStudents will make 3 of their own notebooks using provided supplies. They
will be asked to use these notebooks to record their experiences while at
VASI. One notebook will be used for their design course and the rest should
be used as a place to document things around them. Students will be asked
to draw one letter a day in one of their notebooks to be shared and turned
into a stop-motion video at the end of the program.
HOMEWORKStudents will be given an assortment of neon colored paper. They will be
assigned 10 letters and will have to draw cut out the letters by the next class
in either lowercase baskerville or helevetica. (These letters will be used to
make a sentence that will be hung on the wall the following class and will
precede the lesson on manifestos).
SKILLS
Illustrator
Basics of Typography
Laser Cutting
Design Thinking
Manifesto
LESSON 2Design and Voice
Students will be introduced to the
‘Manifesto’ using lesson plan advice
from Project H’s open source design
teaching tool kit.
The goal of this lesson is to iterate
the importance of understanding
ones own voice as a designer and to
introduce the students to the basics
of typographical design.
LECTURE TOPICSWhat is a manifesto? By using the lesson guide by Emily Pilloton and
Project H, we will present students with a variety of designer manifestos.
The students will be asked to assess these manifestos and to pick out
the most important aspects of the pieces.
IN CLASS ASSIGNMENTStudents will be asked to make 3 lists of 25 words each. The first of nouns
of people, places, things or concepts present in their life. The second of
adjectives that describe them. The last is a list of verbs for actions they
participate in, experience or feel passionately about. Using these 75 words
the students will be asked to develop a manifesto. Using a process of
reduction, students will them be asked to revisit their manifesto and cross
out any words that they find unnecessary. This will continue until each
student is left with 6 words. This does not need to be a full sentence but
will be the foundation of what the students believe in.
After a short lesson on the basics of typography including Kerning, leading
and justification, the students will layout their manifestos in illustrator. They
will be given a type size and face. The students will then visit EPIC where we
will cut out our manifestos from assorted neon paper to the students liking.
The finalized manifestos will be glued to a large board in the classroom.
SKILLS
Design Activism
Social Impact Design
Typography
Layout
InDesign
LESSON 3Say Something
Students will be asked to sum up their
personal experience and reaction to
their experience at VASI and in Boston.
LECTURE TOPICSWhat is design activism? Students will be shown several examples of
how design can exist outside the traditional parameters of graphic
design. Examples to be shown will be from Candy Chang, Sagmeister,
John Bielenberg and other designers who use design as a way to
spread a message.
IN CLASS ASSIGNMENTEach student will be asked to write a 140 character reaction of their
experience in Boston and at VASI.
These experiences will be formatted in InDesign and printed on neon
paper of their choosing. These posters will then be brought by students
to the public wall on Newbury Street where they will hang and photograph
their reactions.