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Course Description
A studio course for beginners. Using various media, students explore the basic elements of design such as line, color and form. [3 credits]
Course Introduction
Objectives
- Build a working vocabulary of art, design, and visual communication terminology.
- Produce the best possible design solutions within given limits of time and resources.
- Apply visual design principles in projects.
- Be able to justify design choices/solutions relative to project’s posed problem.
- Practice and extend creative problem-solving skills by exploring, presenting and evaluating a multiplicity of ideas for each project.
- Be able to effectively apply valid design principles to a variety of visual expressions and communication problems.
- Become familiar with the process of design, design analysis, and creative problem-solving.
- Gain an awareness of artists and designers who are, or were, remarkable for their designs.
- Practice and develop presentation techniques in design presentations.
- Express an understanding of design issues in oral presentations, class discussions and critiques.
Attendance
Attendance is not required in this course; however, as per SUNY regulations, attendance will be taken in each class and is available to College PD, Registrar's office, Financial Aid, and other offices. Big Brother is watching and your attendance (or lack thereof) may affect your financial aid, guilt or innocence, etc.
Evaluation
The projects and exercises in this course will begin with descriptions of the goals, limitations, requirements and priorities. In most cases, assignment parameters leave latitude for creative solutions. Some exercises emphasize technical control of color and refined visual discrimination between varied aspects of color. Other projects emphasize creative/expressive concerns. Your job will be to identify and understand the varied goals and limits, to create a formal solution (e.g., a color design) that best solves that problem in an aesthetically justifiable manner.
Work that successfully meets the all stated requirements of an assignment, without violating specifications, with conscientious craftsmanship and presentation, on time, will generally earn an 85%(B).
In order to attain or exceed an “A-” or an “A”, excellence must be demonstrated: graphic impact must be strong, a surprising and/or efficient solution must be devised, insight into the effectiveness or power of design elements and relationships must be demonstrated, or superior control of the design elements demonstrated.
During general class and lab periods
DO NOT allow your cell phones, pagers, PDAs or other audible devices to make noise during class.
Either don’t bring them to class (lol) or turn them off (omfg). You may be asked to leave the class and take an unexcused absence if your device interrupts class. If disruption occurs during an exam, you may receive a zero on the exam.
DO NOT take or make phone calls, msgs, nor send or receive emails or other digital messages during class. Do not view Face Book or other web media during class.
You may use your laptop during class IF:
a) you are using it for class notes or class work,
b) your mouse, keyboard and system sounds are either off, or so quiet as to not disturb your peers (or your professor) (note that loud typing IS a problem… that means that even if you are not intending to bug someone else, you may have to stop typing.)
Do not play games or listen to music during class. (Exception: during lab/studio periods, you may, at the teacher’s discretion, listen to music as long as it does not disturb others, it does not inhibit your ability to interact with the instructor and other students, and it does not diminish concentration on your assignment.)
During exams
All electronic devices must be turned off and out-of-reach.
Ideally, do not bring them to the exam at all. If in class, put them in back packs or book bags — out of sight, out of reach and turned off. Or, if necessary, leave them at the front of class. Any phones or other digital devices within sight, at hand OR in pockets during an exam will be interpreted as evidence of cheating.
Students with disabilities
It is the policy of SUNY Cobleskill to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law. Therefore, any student with a documented disability condition (e.g. physical, learning, or psychological) who needs to arrange reasonable accommodations must contact the instructor and the Disabilities Support Services Office at the beginning of each semester. (If the diagnosis of the disability occurs during the academic year, the student must self-identify with the Disabilities Support Services Office as soon as possible in order to get academic accommodations in place for the remainder of the semester.) The Disabilities Support Services Office is located in the Van Wagenen Library; phone: (518) 255-5282; fax: (518) 255-6430; tty: (518) 255-5454
Color blindness: partial or complete color blindness is not usually recognized as an academic disability. However, in art and design courses, color blindness can affect performance. Thus, if you know, suspect or discover that you have some form of color blindness, please tell the professor so that adjustments can be made.
Most forms of color blindness are partial, involving only diminished color discernment, rather than complete color blindness. It is entirely possible to succeed as an artist or designer with total or limited color discrimination.
Academic policy
Academic dishonesty will result in penalties up to and including dismissal from the class with a failing grade and will be reported to the department Chair and the appropriate administrators. All instances of dishonesty will be handled according to the procedures delineated in the SUNY Cobleskill catalog.
In the fields of visual art and design, plagiarism includes copying images, forms and designs created by others. On the other hand, artists develop imagery by building on the work and ideas of others. Current copyright law is, at best, hazy, but infers that original creative work must involve, at least, substantial change, revision or editing; the essence of a work must be original. Your practice, and my policy, is that any existing artworks and designs that are used in your coursework, must be acknowledged — the original artist, designer or photographer will be clearly and explicitly credited when used in your own designs. You will create works relying primarily on your own designs and imagery. You will present and claim designs as your own, only when your original concept and your creative selection and arrangement of form justifies the claim. Whenever you present work for a course assignment, you are asserting that the work is your own unless explicitly labeled otherwise. Written and creative content is to be the original work of the student submitting the work for grade.