Design II:
Intro to Graphic Design
EXERCISE: FORM STUDY
This course begins with an exercise in form. Inspired by Martin Venezky’s form studio at California College of the Arts, random everyday objects such as combs, pencils or rubberbands are distributed in paper bags for students to take home and explore its formal properties through photography, drawing, or mark making. Instruction is given to approach the object as if you have never encountered it before and even break, melt, or deconstruct it however you see fit. This exploration forces students to experiment with techniques they may otherwise not of thought of using in design and discover formal properties through the act of a process.
ZINE PROJECT
On the first day of class students were given a random object and asked to explore its formal properties. In this project, students were asked to revisit that object in the format of the zine. Using the mediums of photography, mark making, or vector illustration students construct a visual sequence that tells a particular narrative derived from the given object. This could be as simple as demonstrating the objects function (how does it work, why do we use it?) to a narrative loosely linked to the object in someway (who is using it, how is it being used?). That said, we are also interested in capturing a deeper narrative. Are there cultural, historical, geographic, or personal connections that could be layered into the more literal story?
SOCIAL ACTION
POSTER
Our final project of the semester has a long and illustrious history within our field—the poster. Students were tasked with creating a poster that addresses a social, political, or cultural issue that they consider important. The choice of how to communicate the issue was entirely up to the student. In Spring 2020, the COVID-19 crisis hit right as the project began. Many of the students chose to tackle this timely topic.