GRDSN 101: Design Process I
Course Syllabus

Greg Stiles, Instructor

Phone: (509)533-3708
Office: Applied Visual Arts- Bldg. 19, Rm. 229
Office Hours: Click to view my schedule
Mailing Address: MS 3190
3410 W Fort George Wright Dr
Spokane, WA 99224-5288
Web Site: http://graphicdesign.sfcc.spokane.cc.wa.us/gstiles
Email: gregs@spokanefalls.edu

Program Quiz Program

Philosophy Video

Prerequisites:

None, concurrent Enrollment: GRDSN 101, 102, 104 and 105 or permission of instructor

Course Description:

Students in this course design and produce basic-level design projects. Projects are assigned, assessed at midpoint and critiqued when finished. The design process, technology and lab time for these projects are delivered in GRDSN 101, 102 and 104. Students become familiar with the Graphic Design profession, job opportunities, requirements, income ranges, talents and skills necessary to be competitive in the field. Students study graphic design and explore the nature of today's professional environment.

Required Textbooks for the Graphic Design Program:

Graphic Design Solutions by Robin Landa
Illustrator for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide
by Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas
InDesign for Windows and Macintosh (Visual Quickstart Guide Series)
by Sandee Cohen
Photoshop for Windows and Macintosh (Visual Quickstart Guide Series)
by Elaine Weinmann, Peter Lourekas

Activities include but are not limited to:

This information is tentative and may change as the course proceeds. Activities may include lectures, demonstrations, research, written papers, exams, and studio projects. Students will compare job positions, tasks, employers, salaries, benefits, job security, technology, competitiveness, job outlooks, pressures of deadlines/stress, working with others, personal involvement, geographic locations of employment, and advancement opportunities.

At the completion of this course, students will:

Understand the kinds of projects, responsibilities, and salaries of various job titles within the Graphic Design profession, e.g., art director, designer, production artist, illustrator, photographer, sales representative, graphic arts vendor/supplier.
Understand the designer's responsibility to ascertain and accurately communicate the client's message to a specific audience.
Respect the importance of meeting professional deadlines with the work of the highest quality standards.
Have a basic understanding of the tools and technologies of the design profession.
Be able to make an informed and responsible commitment to successfully complete the graphic design program with an understanding of requirements of the profession, or redirect his/her course of study to a more appropriate program or major.

Evaluation

Grading is based on moving control of learning from the "instructor" to the "learner." This competency based educational approach considers "time" a variable and "mastery" a constant. On any given project the student will receive either a "3.0" which indicates adequate completion of the criteria and competency list. If the student does not meet these industry standards they will receive an "I" for incomplete which means the student needs more time to achieve mastery. Mastery levels are determined by industry entry level requirements. To obtain a "4.0" student must exceed expectations in either work ethic, artistic ability, production skills, writing skills, computer skills, people skills or idea development.

The attendance policy is as follows:

Projects Course: More than 2 absences = 0.0 grade point
Process Course: More than 4 absences = 0.0 grade point
Technology Course: More than 4 absences = 0.0 grade point
If you are absent you must make up the work by: a) collecting the class notes, b) doing any missed work and c) coordinating with your instructor. Any work you do not make up due to your absence will lower your grade one full grade (Ex: 3.0 turns into a 2.0). Two late attendances or two early departures equal one absence. Working on projects for another class during class time will result in absence.Be prepared: You need to create a binder that contains your class handouts, competency listings and sign off sheet. This should be with you at all times. It is recommended that you make multiple backups of your work. Backup disks do fail. All courses are in sequence. If you receive a failing grade in any course, you may have to come back the following year to complete the SFCC Graphic Design or Web Degree.

Communication:

Email is required for this course. If you do not have an email account at home, you can sign up for free email using:http://mail.yahoo.com
http://www.hotmail.com
or any other free email clientYou may access your email using the lab, however please do not use the lab for "chat" or general web surfing. Email is checked by the faculty Monday thru Friday. Please allow 24 hours for your instructor to reply to your email.

Note: This course syllabus is only for the quarter listed above and appropriate changes may be made by the faculty. Also, future syllabi for this course may be different.

GRDSN 101: Design Process I Course Syllabus