Advanced Studies in Typography

This course is an advanced study in the craft of typography. The typography skills of a graphic designer are critically important, and this class is an opportunity to stretch your abilities.

Materials

• Use a cloud-based storage backup account (Adobe, Google Drive, Microsoft, Dropbox, etc.). Please use a cloud-based storage for your file archives; don't rely on flash drives — eventually they break and then you cry.
• Always archive your work in two separate places — hard drive and cloud storage. It is recommended to back up at least once a week.

• Gain professional level skills at using typography as a powerful design and creative tool — in and of itself.
• Learning to create typographic imagery by hand.
• Be skilled of communicating large amounts of information and data in clear effective ways. This skill is essential in your preparation to be a professional graphic designer.
• Increase knowledge of the history, anatomy, craft of typography.
• Understand and be skilled at balancing the use of imagery and typography in a design project.
• In depth studies of typography masters.
• In depth InDesign skills to manage and use type effectively.
• Type is rarely intuitively understood and applied, as it takes thought, study, time and effort — but the rewards are tremendous.

Grading procedure is based on:

• Completion of all assignments as specified and within given time frames is strictly required.
• Regular studio work habits and personal discipline relative to assigned problems are essential — in other words YOU MUST PUT IN THE TIME. Even though we are not face to face, work each class period to keep up.
• Time expectations: Generally, you should build into your weekly schedule 6 hours of “class” plus another 6 hours for “outside class” work. This kind of scheduling will give you the time you really need to excel.
• The instructor is committed to being accessible every day via Canvas, Zoom, or other tools to help you solve problems in your project.
• Individual work reflected in thumbnails or preliminary sketching.
• Final solutions to visual problems assigned.
• Participation in discussions and critiques as assigned.

Evaluation process

• Did you put in the time? The instructor can quickly tell if your work didn’t have the time put into it.
• What were your working methods and procedures during design stages and in the finished project?
• How did you apply specific concepts presented (for each problem) leading to a final solution?
• What was your solution to the problem within specific limitations?
• What was the overall solution in terms of sensitivity to design principles, use of art elements, sophistication of presentation, and craftsmanship?

As the semester continues, evidence of progressive integration and understanding of concepts introduced sequentially throughout the course becomes more critical in evaluating finished work. In other words, show that you understand all previous projects in your current project. Verbal/digital critiques of assignments by the instructor and other students in critiques will add to this total process.

Keep an active sketchbook. Use it faithfully to record both in image and word what and how you are doing, both in this class and in others. Use this as a valuable tool in helping you work out the visual problems you are facing. Keep it with you everywhere you go. It will become a valuable partner in your quest to become a visual thinker.

Project grading scale (each design project is worth 10 points)

• A = 10 points: Strong work — professional quality.
• A– = 9 points: Pretty strong work; needs a little more to reach professional level.
• B = 8 points: Average student level work; with more effort and quality it can move up.
• C+ = 7 points: Struggling and poor quality; needs more to reach average student level.
• C– = 6 points: Serious deficiencies in effort and quality; see instructor ASAP.
• D = 5 points: Needs lots of help; see instructor ASAP.
• F: Did not complete or a wasted effort.

Methods of Instruction

• Lectures/demonstrations
• Visual problem solving — studio time
• Discussions/critiques

Final exam policy

If an emergency occurs that prevents the administration of a course-scheduled final examination, the final course grades will be calculated based on the work in the course completed to that point in time and the faculty member’s considered judgment. Final exams will not be rescheduled, and a grade of “I” will not be given as a result of an institutional cancellation of a final examination. This final exam policy does not apply to online courses.

Throughout the class we will be spending time on the following:

• How to research, plan and design a complex design system.
• Design for multiple channels: Print, web, mobile, signage, etc.
• Design trends, issues, philosophies.
• Adobe Creative Cloud skills.
• Making a living as a designer.
• Presentation skills.

As with their previous design studio courses, students will develop their presentation skills. Verbal skills are extremely important in the workplace. Individuals are considerably more valuable to employers if they can express themselves clearly and confidently. Clients often need help in understanding artwork. They look to designers for that help. By being able to present concepts and their resulting executions, designers make it possible for a client to understand the work in front of them and evaluate its effectiveness more accurately.

Late work and redo policy: Assignments may be submitted late but will be marked down a full grade or more depending on how late; the instructor reserves the right to determine the deduction. “REDO’s” are accepted for on-time projects only. No redos are allowed for late work unless ill or for major conflicts (e.g., a death in the family). The project will be considered late after roll is called. You will have one week to redo the work, not the whole semester.

Late submission policy (restated): Projects submitted late will be marked down accordingly; the final judgement depends on the quality of the work and how late it is submitted.

Make-up work / Extra credit: There is no make-up work or extra credit. Finishing the projects on time is key.

Artificial Intelligence: Unless given specific approval by the professor, artificial intelligence or generative tools are not allowed to be used in your projects. If AI tools are discovered to have been used in the creation of a project, this will be cause for failure on the project and possibly the course. Final grading decisions are at the discretion of the professor.

Attendance will be taken each class. You have 3 free absences, after which each additional absence will result in your final grade possibly being significantly deducted at the instructor’s discretion. Please communicate with the instructor if you are having issues that prevent you from attending class.

A student who misses more than 25% of scheduled class time (including unexcused absences and tardiness) will receive a final grade no higher than a “C–”, and may fail the course, regardless of performance on assignments.

You are expected to stay (except for breaks) the entire class period. Unless you have a good excuse the instructor may record you absent if you leave before class is over.

Studio courses are experiential in nature and rely heavily on in-class instruction, collaboration, and critique. As such, attendance is mandatory.

Excused absences—such as those due to documented illness, university-sponsored activities, or other legitimate circumstances—may be made up with appropriate documentation (e.g., a doctor's note or official university communication). It is the student's responsibility to inform the instructor before the absence when possible and to make arrangements to complete missed work promptly.

Consistent attendance and active participation are essential to your success in this course and in your development as an artist/designer.

Finances are an integral part of maintaining your wellbeing. If you are struggling financially or wish to know more about budgeting, please visit the Financial Wellness Center in room 201C in the Sharwan Smith Center, contact Ashleigh Zimmerman at (435) 865-8436, or text the Financial Wellness line at 435-708-1952.