Introduction
- Term: Fall 2007
- Class: Design 3
- Section: 3680 - PUDM 2002 - G - Monday 3:00 pm - 5:40 pm Sep
10, 2007 - Dec 17, 2007
Building: Union Square 79 5th / 8 E16th 701
- Section: 4341 - PUDM 2002 - I - Monday 6:00 pm - 8:40 pm Sep 10,
2007 - Dec 17, 2007
Building: Arnhold Hall 55 W13th 422
- Professor: Andrew Robinson
- Email: robinsoa@newschool.edu
- Office hours are by appointment only. If you would like to schedule
an appointment, please send me a request via email.
I will do my best to accomodate time with you after or just prior to
our class.
This course is an introduction to Visual Organization and Information
Design. Students will explore different types of information and the modes
of visual organization and representation that are appropriate to them.
The class involves a studio and will draw upon previous design and technology
skills.
Learning Outcomes and Objectives:
- Develop a conceptual understanding of visual organization;
- Develop an ability to apply this conceptual understanding to the development
of practical skills;
- Develop a repertoire of strategies for the visualization of a variety
of kinds of information;
- Understand the implications that visual organization skills hold for
the practice of design management;
- Prepare students to apply their knowledge of visual organization to
their upper-level classes (Design Research Methods, Design Development,
Senior Seminar and Thesis).
Additional web resources
Syllabus
A note about this site and Syllabus
This site and syllabus are subject to change at the discretion of the
instructor. Material included is intended to provide an outline of the
course and rules that the instructor will adhere to in evaluating the
student's progress. However, this syllabus is not intended to be a legal
contract. Questions regarding the syllabus are welcome at any time and
may be directed to the instructor.
The website will be updated with supporting information as the class
progresses through the semester.
Class Journal
Sketchbooks allow a conceptual, verbal, and visual journal of your process
and progress in the course. The process/progress for each assignment should
be evident in your sketchbook, as well as documentation on the choices
made while designing. If you do not feel comfortable drawing you may photograph
or describe verbally your process.
This includes but is not limited to images and examples of good and bad
design. Notes explaining your interest or criticism of design. And notes
and/or concepts discussed in class and about the assigned readings and
research.
You should also keep notes and plans for your final projects in your
journal.
In some instances some home work will be assigned which includes visiting
a public space, museum or gallery. These experiences should also be documented
in your journal.
Your Journals are 25% of your grade for this class and will be reviewed
at mid term and at the conclusion of the course.
Materials List
Essentials
- Journal / Sketch Book (which may be a 1.5 inch metal three ring binder
with blank notebook filler paper or 9 x 12 inch hard cover sketchbook)
- 18 or 24 inch metal straight edge ruler (calibrated for both pica
and inches)
- Triangles (adjustable or one each: 30/60, 45)
- X-acto knife with package of #11 blades
- Utility knife and blades
- Artist pens with acid free india ink.
Get the following pen tip sizes: Brush, Fine, Medium and Superfine tipped
pens.
(Note a good brand is Black PITT which you can get at just about any
art supply store. )
- Architect's compass with adapter to hold technical pen/knife or plain
pencil compass
- Rubber cement (no spray mount in class)
- Rubber cement pick-up
- White vinyl or pink pearl eraser
- Scissors
- Burnisher (an old soup spoon works best)
- 12 x 17 inch pad of sketch paper
- 12 x 17 inch pad of 4-ply white bristol paper, smooth finish
- Tracing paper, pad or roll
- White art tape
- Hot press illustration board
- Black and White Gouache paint. Medium or large tubes. (Suggested brand:
Winsor & Newton Designer)
- Black India Ink
- Quill Ink pen holder and at least 3 ink nibs to go with your pen (fine,
super fine and medium nib points)
- Water color brushes (type Round, size #1, #3, and one 1" wash
brush)
- 12"x18" (or larger) Cutting Mat
Suggested additional materials may be required for specific projects
- Three hole paper punch
- 18 x 24 inch drawing board (or larger)
- T-square
- Large tweezers
- Drafting tape
- Rubber cement thinner
- Spotting brushes
- White opaque
Presentation Guidelines
Execute all assignments in a professional manner: clean, neat, well
presented. This is taken into consideration when evaluating your work
it will impact your grade.
With the exception for work done in your journals, all other assignments
are to be mounted on illustration board with a neatly cut mat and even
boarder around the face of the work.
For most (but not all) of the projects we will be working in a 10x10"
format. Mount work vertically on an 14x17" piece of illustration
board. Provide for a 2" margin on the top, left and right and a 4"
margin on the bottom. See specific projects for dimensions of mounted
work.
Tip: A good rule of thumb for mounting art work for
presentation is to center have equal margins of your matt on the top,
left and right side of the art work and double that margin measure on
the bottom of the matt. eg. 2" margins on the top, left and right,
and a 4" margin on the bottom.
Cover the face of the work with a protective flap of Tissue (glassine,
or tracing paper). Create a label with your name, date, instructor and
project name and attached it to the back securely.
Example below shows the BACK view of the board which includes the
label.
Class Policies and Expectations
- This website will updated through out the course with information
related to our in work together in class, readings, research and assignments.
Check back each week.
- If there is something imperative that I wish to communicate to you
outside of class, I will use email to communicate with you outside of
class. Please make sure to check your New School GroupWise email accounts.
- Students are responsible for all assignments, even if they are absent.
Late projects, failure to complete the readings assigned for class discussion,
and lack of preparedness for in-class discussions and presentations
will jeopardize your successful completion of this course. It is extremely
important that you not fall behind in your work, given the rapid pacing
of this course.
- Occasionally optional assignments will be provided through out the
semester. Extra credit can be gained for successful completion of these
optional assignments.
- In the working world of design, deadlines must be met. All assignments
will have due dates. Late projects will be marked down one letter grade
for each day they are late. This includes non-class days and weekends.
Projects are due at the beginning of class. No excuses please. As with
any rule, there are exceptions. A written doctor's explanation is required
if a due date is missed due to illness. Discuss problems with instructors
in advance to anticipate a problem and offer solutions. Organize your
time and plan ahead.
- Projects may be re-done for a higher grade at the discretion of the
instructor. Students are encouraged to try the assignment again if they
did not do well - for the purposes of improving their portfolio and
grade.
The guidelines for resubmitting a homework assignment for re-grading
are as follows:
- The original assignment must have been submitted on time.
- The revision to the assignment can only be re-submitted one week
after the origianl assignment's due date.
- Which ever grade is higher will be recorded in the roster.
- NOTE this policy does not apply to final projects because you
will be given ample time to revise and improve your final project
in the latter half of the semester. This policy pertains to homework
assignments only.
- This is a discussion/workshop class rather than a lecture course.
Therefore, participation is an essential part of this class and includes:
keeping up with readings, contributing meaningfully to class discussions
and critiques, active participation in group work, and coming to class
regularly and on time. Excessive or repeated instances of lateness will
be counted as absences.
- Regular, on-time class attendance is extremely important. Students
with repeated absences and/or lateness for any reason risk a substantial
negative impact to their grade, including failure. Students who have
three or more absences will fail the course.
- Collegiate behavior is expected and required. The goal of in class
activities is to provide the greatest educational benefit to all students.
Class participants should expect and provide mutual respect and consideration
in words and actions. The use of active pager phones, beepers, portable
music devices and other gadgets that may disturb others is not permitted
during class. So turn them off and put them away.
Evaluation and Grading
Class Participation - 12.5% How much did you contribute to class
discussion, lectures, and critiques? Were you a valuable asset to your
fellow students?
5 = always contributed valuable information and critique during each
class session
4 = usually contributed valuable information and critique during most
class sessions
3 = sometimes contributed valuable information and critique during class
sessions
2 = infrequently contributed valuable information and critique during
class sessions
1 = never contributed valuable information and critique during class sessions
In-Class Work -12.5% Did you make significant progress in your
in-class assignments? How well did you complete the assignments? Did you
surpass the requirements and push the boundaries of the assignment?
5 = always completed in-class assignments, surpassing the requirements
4 = usually completed in-class assignments, surpassing the requirements
3 = sometimes completed in-class assignments, surpassing the requirements
2 = infrequently completed in-class assignments
1 = never completed in-class assignments
Homework - 25% + Final Projects - 25% Did you complete your assignments?
How well did you complete the assignments? Did you take care in the craft
and presentation of your assignments? Did you surpass the requirements
and push the boundaries of the assignment?
5 = always completed assignments, surpassing the requirements
4 = usually completed assignments, surpassing the requirements
3 = sometimes completed assignments, surpassing the requirements
2 = infrequently completed assignments
1 = never completed assignments
Class Journal - Sketchbook - 25%
How dedicated were you to your journal/sketchbook? Did you keep a consistent
index of your work? Can you track your process with your sketchbook?
5 = always kept track of conceptual and visual process in sketchbook
4 = usually kept track of conceptual and visual process in sketchbook
3 = sometimes kept track of conceptual and visual process in sketchbook
2 = infrequently kept track of conceptual and visual process in sketchbook
1 = never kept track of conceptual and visual process in sketchbook
Excerpts of School Policies
GRADING
Faculty members determine the grades that each student will receive for
work done under their instruction. Depending on the character of the class,
grades reflect the degree of accomplishment in some or all of the following
elements: concept, technical facility, and execution, preparation for
class, individual progress, class participation and attendance. Instructors
discuss their grading practices with students during the first class session.
UNDERGRADUATE GRADE DESCRIPTIONS
A Work of exceptional quality, which often goes beyond the stated
goals of the course.
A- Work of very high quality.
B+ Work of high quality that indicates substantially higher than
average abilities.
B Very good work that satisfies the goals of the course.
B- Good work.
C+ Above average work.
C Average work that indicates an understanding of the course material;
passable. Satisfactory completion of a course is considered to be a grade
of C or higher.
C- Passing work but below Good Academic Standing.
D Below average work that indicates a student does not fully understand
the assignments. Probation level though passing for credit.
F Failure, no credit.
W Withdrawal. This grade can only be assigned by the Registration
Office. If a student withdraws from a course during the add/drop period,
the course is deleted from his or her permanent record. If a student withdraws
between the fourth and seventh weeks and completes an Add/Drop form, obtaining
advisor approvals and submitting it to the Registration Office, he or
she will receive a grade of W, assigned by the Registrar. A blue receipt
provided by the Registration Office to the student confirms that a withdrawal
has been made. This should be kept with other personal records. No withdrawals
are allowed after the seventh week of classes. There is no penalty for
a grade of W.
WF Withdrawal Failing. Instructors may assign this grade to indicate
that a student has unofficially withdrawn or stopped attending classes.
It may also be issued when a student fails to submit a final project or
to take an examination without prior notification or approval from the
instructor. The WF grade is equivalent to an F in calculating the grade
point average (zero grade points) and no credit is awarded.
RESPONSIBILITY
Students are responsible for all assignments, even if they are absent.
Late papers, failure to complete the readings assigned for class discussion,
and lack of preparedness for in-class discussions and presentations will
jeopardize your successful completion of this course.
PARTICIPATION
Class participation is an essential part of class and includes: keeping
up with reading, contributing meaningfully to class discussions, active
participation in group work, and coming to class regularly and on time.
DELAYS
In the rare instance that I am delayed arriving to class. If I have not
arrived by the time class is scheduled to start, please wait a minimum
of thirty minutes for my arrival. In the event that I will miss class
entirely, a sign will be posted at the classroom and an email will be
sent to you indicating the next week's assignment.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Every student at Parsons signs an Academic Integrity Statement as a part
of the registration process. Thus, you are held responsible for being
familiar with, understanding, adhering to and upholding the spirit and
standards of academic integrity as set forth by the Parsons School of
Design Student Handbook.
STUDENT DISABILTY SERVICES
In keeping with the University's policy of providing equal access for
students with disabilities, any student with a disability who needs academic
accommodations is welcome to meet with me privately. All conversations
will be kept confidential. Students requesting any accommodations will
also need to meet with Tava Kestenbuam in the office of Student Disability
Services, who will conduct an intake, and if appropriate, provide an academic
accommodation notification letter to you to bring to me. At that point
I will review the letter with you and discuss these accommodations in
relation to this course. Ms. Kestenbaum's office is located in the Graduate
Faculty building at 65 Fifth Avenue - Room #410. Her direct line is (212)
229-5626. You may also access more information through the University's
web site.
ATTENDANCE
Full participation in the studio and classroom experience is essential
to the educational process. Students are expected to attend classes regularly
and promptly. Faculty members are expected to fail any student who is
absent for a significant portion of class time. A significant portion
of class time is defined as three absences for classes that meet once
per week and four absences for classes that meet two or more times per
week.
Students must immediately inform the major department Chair of a potentially
lengthy absence and must explain the extenuating circumstances in writing.
Students must receive advance approval for the absence in order to ensure
successful completion of the course. A Leave of Absence or Withdrawal
from Program will be recommended if the absence would compromise the student's
ability to meet course requirements and standards. Individual faculty
members may, at their discretion, set attendance standards that are more
stringent than those described above. Such standards will be made clear,
in writing, at the beginning of the semester.
Lateness or early departure from class may also translate into one full
absence.
Religious Observance
Students will not be penalized for absences due to religious observance.
However, the student still may not miss a significant portion of class
time as defined in "Attendance" above. It is the student's responsibility,
prior to registering, to assess the number of holidays that will arise
during a given semester and their impact on attendance. The student, in
consultation with the major department, should make a determination as
to whether or not the given semester is the appropriate time to take a
particular class. Accommodations may include make-up sessions in a different
section of the class and/or independent projects. The student must inform
the instructor at the beginning of term of any anticipated absences due
to religious observance.
ACAMDEIC STANDING AND PROGRESS
Students must earn a satisfactory grade C in each required course to
remain in Good Academic Standing. Students who do not satisfactorily complete
a required or sequential course, but who are otherwise in Good Academic
Standing, are subject to Curricular Probation. Students on Curricular
Probation may be ineligible to continue in portions of their academic
programs until the deficiency is resolved. Students on Curricular Probation
who fail to make satisfactory progress will be subject to Dismissal.
|
