GRPH 221: Graphic Design I

FALL 2016

This three-credit hour studio course focused on the creation of meaning through visual form. Students explored the relationships between form, process, perception and intention while investigating meaning through typography, image generation and manipulation, sign/symbol/icon, and visual contrasts. Principles of composition, expression and spatial relationships were addressed. Through design research, independent project work, and collaborative exercises; students produced design solutions to applied and experimental problems. Lectures, readings, one-on-one design reviews and guided discussions supplemented project work. 


Project: Logo design & Identity package

The class was given an opportunity to create a logo and brand identity for a real client, the Nebraska Craft Brewery Board. The assignment included nearly a month of development time, and was broken into two components, the logo design and the brand identity development. Each component asked students to break down the design process further into smaller steps and establish a timeline to guide time management. The evaluation sheets were provided at the time the project was assigned so students would have a clear sense of my expectations.


Lecture: Logo Design

This lecture prepared students for their initial client meeting with the Nebraska Craft Brewery Board, and served as a guide for their project development. A video with renowned designer Aaron Draplin was shown in class to help create excitement for the project’s possibilities, as well as to provide another voice to reinforce the importance of sketching and methodology.


Lecture: Message & Hierarchy

This lecture utilized design examples and a TED talk by Chip Kidd to illustrate the idea of balancing visuals and typography to convey a message. Students studied the various cover designs and dissected how every aspect of the design was thoughtfully constructed to convey meaning, while avoiding repetition or creating a “see-say.” Copywriting tips helped to further the discussion and provide a guide as students wrote headlines for their projects.


Lecture: Controversy

This lecture aided an important class discussion about the role of intent and message responsibility in the design process. Examples of work from George Lois’s Esquire covers to local design activists illustrated a range of conscientious design and encouraged discussion of the impact design has on culture, and vice versa.


Activity: Creative Brief to Concept

This presentation introduced students to the design process, from the basics of building a creative brief to ideating based on that brief. Using a personal story of my dog Linus’s love of the dog park, and my need to bathe him immediately following that visit, I introduced a client (the Canine Scrub), and their communication challenge (recently moved locations). Students in the class were split into teams that collaborated on mind mapping, word association, and headline writing, as well as conceptualizing sophisticated visuals to communicate that message.