Undergraduate Course: Graphic Design 1A: Introduction to Graphic Design (DESI08104)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | What is Graphic Design?
A core element of graphic design is the arrangement of graphic elements, in 2D, 3D or virtual formats. This course introduces this principle over a series of project-led exercises. Students will be guided by their instincts and personalities in their first productive encounter with Graphic Design. |
| Course description |
This course introduces the students to concept of the graphic designer as an observer, thinker and visual translator. It will introduce graphic design as a medium of dialogue and visual translation.
Students will work individually, exploring creative research methods that will inspire and trigger their curiosity, derived from everyday objects, materials and events. This research will form the content from which they will respond to a series of short set project briefs. Each task will ask students to communicate a message stemming from a combination of objects, using a spectrum of graphic design formats, for example: a poster, a protest banner, a short film, a way-finding system, etc. Each project will culminate with a presentation of students work for formative feedback/feed-forward.
This course will comprise multiple projects, leading to a final, summatively assessed submission of preliminary work (approx. 1-2 sketchbooks); final resolved piece(s) (approx. 3-5); and a presentation both verbal and digital. This course encourages students to, first of all enjoy the design process, to think freely and instinctively, make random or considered associations, to experiment with form, function and meaning all of this to be filtered through a range of visual graphic formats. Each project will last between one and two weeks.
The course structure is presented as follows:
Wks 1-5 - Theory and Practice of Graphic Design
Lectures: Workshops/Projects
Observation: Looking and Seeing
Communication
Wks 6 - Mid-Course Formative Review and Feedback
Wks 7-10
Lectures: Workshops/Projects
Practical Projects in Graphic Design:
Visualisation Techniques
Presentation of Work
Wk 11-End of Course Summative Assessment and Feedback
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | If this course is core to your programme you will be automatically enrolled. For all other students, including Design students, the course is open on a first come first served basis until the course is full. Where a course depends on some technical proficiency, PTs are encouraged to help students check with the appropriate Course Organiser regarding suitability, e.g. if student has previous external practical experience. The course will be open to enrolments from Monday 28th September at 10.00 am. Please sign up for the course through your own School (they will advise if this is done via your PT, SSO or Teaching Office). We do not currently keep a waiting list. |
| Additional Costs | £50 for:
Studio Costs; Basic Graphic Materials: Pens Pencils, cutting tools, paper, ruler, sketchbooks, Portable USB Stick
Printing Costs; Print Workshop Materials (depending on specific project) |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 19 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 2,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 6,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 26,
External Visit Hours 2,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 6,
Formative Assessment Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
150 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Formative Assessment
Mid-way through the Course, students will submit development work to date (submission will be a multi-page assessment document [pdf format]) and an accompanying 250-word self-reflection statement.
Summative Assessment
At the end of the Course students will submit a multi-page assessment document (pdf format). This assessment document will comprise 100% of the final course summative grade and will contain:
Development of sketch and workbooks showing all experimentation.
Evidence and documentation of field visits, skills and technical workshops.
Presentation of graphic design solutions.
Worksheets or sketchbooks which show evidence of workshop experience, documentation of research themes, evaluation and critical analysis, illustrating their approach to the design process.
A 250-word self-reflection statement
Summative assessment document is assessed against all three course Learning Outcomes. Each Learning Outcome is equally weighted, and therefore comprises 33.33% of overall final course grade. |
| Feedback |
Formative Feedback
Mid-way through the Course students will be given verbal and written feedback plus indicative grades.
Summative Feedback
At the end of the Course students will be given verbal feedback plus summative grades. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Respond creatively to graphic design project briefs through research and design development.
- Experiment with a range of graphic design formats for an intended audience.
- Translate ideas into visual form to communicate key graphic design concepts.
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Reading List
Fletcher, A. (2001) The art of looking sideways. New York: Phaidon Press.
Bastian, H. (2002) Andy Warhol, retrospective. Tate Gallery Pubn.
de Bono, E. (2009) Lateral thinking a textbook of creativity. London: Penguin Group UK.
Munari, B. and Caleffi, I. B. (2004) Bruno Munari: Drawing A tree (about the workshop series). 5th edition. United States: Edizioni Corraini.
Archiv, B. and Droste, M. (1998) Bauhaus. Germany: Benedikt Taschen Verlag.
Berger, J. (2009) Ways of seeing. London: Penguin Group UK.
Wilcox, D. (2014) Variations on Normal. London: Square Peg |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Thinking making free associations and connections
Versatility develop a multi-disciplinary approach to Graphic Design and beyond
Pitching talking about ideas confidently and clearly |
| Keywords | Thinking,Associations,Translating,Dialogue,Personality,Instinct,Foundations,Visual,Format,Play |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Ms Mary Asiedu
Tel: 0131 221 6110
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Georgia Dodsworth
Tel: (0131 6)51 5712
Email: |
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