GAMES-UT 201: Intro to Visual Communication

Tisch School of the Arts • Game Design Department

Winnie Song • [email protected] • Fall 2016
Tuesday • 4:55-7:35PM • Room: 2MTC MAGNET 830
Office hours by appointment or directly before class 
Office: MAGNET • Phone: 347 988 5185

Prerequisite: None

Course Management Site

http://vizcomm1.slack.com

Intro to Visual Communication

This course allows students to harness the power of visual language in order to convey messages and meaning. The elements of visual foundation that will be covered include components (color, texture, image and typography), composition, and concept.

Although the class takes place in the Game Design department, we will be less concerned with visuals as they are applied to games and instead will look at visual communication across a wide range of disciplines, from visual art to graphic design to web and interface design.

Although non-digital mediums will be addressed, the understanding and use of industry-standard software is also a primary goal.

The class is about the importance of visual design, how it shapes our culture. The students will learn about and discuss widely-practiced methods of visual communication, and then find their own voice through developing their own works, driven by a clearer understanding of their own tastes and interested fields.

PROGRAM GOALS

1 – Students will develop conceptual thinking skills to generate ideas and content in order to solve problems or create opportunities.
- Students will develop a research and studio practice through inquiry and iteration.
2 – Students will develop technical skills to realize their ideas.
- Students will understand and utilize tools and technology, while adapting to constantly changing technological paradigms by learning how to learn.
- Students will be able to integrate/interface different technologies within a technological ecosystem.
3 – Students will develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to analyze and position their work within cultural, historic, aesthetic, economic, and technological contexts.

COURSE GOALS

This course will reinforce or introduce students to:

Increased visual awareness and vocabulary through research and observation
Language with which to engage in discourse on visual culture and the design practice
Increased competency in visually communicating ideas and meaning through practice and iteration
Linking the principles of the course to computer and video games on a variety of platforms.
Portfolio pieces or self-branding products that will go on to represent the student's abilities and goals after the course
An introduction to Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Photoshop

COURSE STRUCTURE

Class will be comprised of lectures, class exercises, screenings, show & tells, demos, and studio critiques.

Critiques are the best way to articulate your ideas to others and get immediate feedback. During the crit, the professor and your classmates analyze and suggest ways to increase the visual and conceptual effect of each existing idea.

Take notes when your work is being critiqued whether you agree with them or not. Review your crit notes and reflect upon what was said. Ask yourself how you could combine, transform, or expand the ideas that show the most promise. However, resist the temptation to incorporate all suggestions and comments. Only utilize the ones that work for you and your project.

Rules of the Critique:

Be Present and Engaged
Give respectful feedback to your classmates
Do not take feedback personally

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

Come to class on time and participate (be present and engaged)
Devote at a minimum 4 to 8 hours per week outside of class, fulfilling homework assignments and readings
Consult Slack at least once a week for up to date info
Complete all assignments by due dates
Download and read all assigned readings before they are due
Talk to me in person about issues and problems well in advance of relevant deadlines. If under academic strains or if a scholarship is at stake, do not wait until it's too late.
Speak openly and candidly about ideas, concerns and your peers' work
Take risks & be fearless in your projects

RELIGIOUS OBLIGATION

A student who foresees a conflict between a religious obligation and any scheduled class assignments, including final exams or critiques, should notify the instructor in writing and, in the case of final exams or critiques, must make a written request to the appropriate Faculty Office within three weeks of the first class.

CODE OF CONDUCT

Discrimination or hatespeech/crime of any kind towards another person or group will be met with immediate dismission from the class.

EVALUATION & GRADING

Attendance

Attending and arriving on time to all class sessions is required and expected. This includes all labs, recitations, and critiques. If you will be missing a class due to illness, or unavoidable personal circumstances, you must notify your professor in advance via email for the absence to be excused.

Unexcused absences and being late to class will lower your final grade. Three unexcused absences lower your final grade by a letter. Each subsequent unexcused absence will lower another letter grade. Two tardies will count as one unexcused absence. Arriving more than 15 minutes late to class will also count as an unexcused absence.

Your final grade will be based on a synthesis of quantitative & qualitative rubrics:

Quantitative Grading Overview

•    10% elements exercises
•    10% reading responses
•    5% logo study
•    10% designer show and tell
•    15% logo project
•    20% interface project
•    20% final project
•    10% attendance and participation

Qualitative Grading Overview

Each student will be judged on the quality, experimentation, and improvement that their work shows.

A (85-100)

Performance, participation, and attendance of the student has been of the highest level, showing sustained excellence in meeting course responsibilities. Work clearly differentiates itself from other work, has memorable impact, pursues concepts and techniques above and beyond what is discussed in class. The student thoroughly understands the theory and practice behind visual foundation.

B (75-85)

Performance, participation, and attendance of the student has been good, though not of the highest level. Work demonstrates a better than average understanding of visual foundation theory & practice.

C (65-75)

Performance and attendance of the student has been adequate, satisfactorily meeting the course requirements. Work is average and competent, showing a basic understanding of visual foundation theory & practice.

D (60-65)

Performance and attendance of the student has been less than adequate. Work is lacking in many or most areas that show any understanding of visual foundation. Problems may include lack of interest, procrastination, poor planning and poor craft.

F (59 & Below)

Performance and attendance of the student has been such that course requirements have not been met. Work shows no overall understanding of the course material on many levels or either a lack of interest.

Mid-term Standing

Students in danger of failing will be given a written warning prior to the final deadline for withdrawal from the course without academic penalty.

TECHNOLOGY USE IN THE CLASSROOM

This class is about visual foundation principles first and foremost & technology second. Through lectures & demos, we will cover many important technical issues, but—as in the professional world—the burden of technology will always lie squarely on the designer’s shoulders. Community tech sharing is highly advised as well. In this syllabus and on github, I have listed several helpful resources to help you get up to speed with technology.

Laptop computers and other mobile devices are invaluable tools for artists, designers, and students when used responsibly. However, this technology can also be incredibly distracting, especially in the classroom. When in class, you may use your laptops and other devices for any activities pertaining to the course: taking notes, researching material relevant to our readings and discussions, doing homework, making class presentations, etc. However, the following uses are prohibited: instant messaging, texting, using social networking sites such as facebook, etc. Also, during class screenings or discussions, your devices should not be used.

READINGS

There are two types of reading in this course: technical and theoretical. The former will offer practical exercises and explanations designed to teach production skills you will need for assignments. The latter provide conceptual, historical, and cultural background that will allow you to understand visual foundation principles.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

All work for this class must be your own and specific to this semester. Any work recycled from other classes or from another, non-original source will be rejected with serious implications for the student. Plagiarism, knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own work in any academic exercise, is absolutely unacceptable. Any student who commits plagiarism must re-do the assignment for a grade no higher than a D. Please use the MLA style for citing and documenting source material.

ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS

Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please contact New York University’s Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at 212-998-4980 or [email protected]. You must be registered with CSD to receive accommodations. Information about the Moses Center can be found at www.nyu.edu/csd. The Moses Center is located at 726 Broadway on the 2nd floor.

PRINTING

Students, in addition to their regular NYU allotment, also have available to them $5 in printing credits for use at the Dibner Library. Credits are issued by the MAGNET Managers in Rm 809 and must be signed for before the credits can be used. Once signed for, students will be issued a username and password which can be used at any of the printer stations at Dibner Library. Print jobs can be sent to the printer from any computer station at the Librarysee the Library staff for further assistance.

REQUIRED SUPPLIES

Laptop

REQUIRED SOFTWARE

Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Indesign

http://www.adobe.com/creativecloud/buy/students.html http://www.adobe.com/downloads.html

RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES

Mark-making Utensils (pencils, pens, brushes, charcoal, etc.)
Sketchbook

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

These books (*) are available for purchase in the NYU bookstore, however are not necessary to purchase for the completion of the program.

Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Lupton *
Type On Screen by Ellen Lupton

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

See Appendix

PROJECTS & ASSIGNMENTS

All due dates can be found in the calendar. This is just an overview and description of all the projects for the course.

Syllabus