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Week 1: The Freehand MX Interface
In class exercise: The wrench.
Assignment- Create a simple personal geometric logo using circles, squares and lines. (10%)
Week 3- Functional design : Symbols and Instances:
Assignment: Using paper, create a linear drawing of your personal home page.(10%)
Week 4- Functional Design: Importing bitmaps into FreeHand MX
Assignment: Create a comp of your personal Home Page in FreeHand MX (10%)
Assignment: Locate a logo that is particularly effective and be prepared to present it to the class.
Explain why it is so effective.
What message does it convey?
Are there any potential design issues involving its use in web media and what would
you do to resolve those issues. (5%)
Week 6- Dimensions of design: Logo creation in FreeHand
Assignment: Create a personal set of letters in FreeHand spelling out your last name. The largest inside square can be no more than ΒΌ of the full size letter and the maximum number of inside squares is 3.(10%)
Assignment: Create a personal typographic logo. (10%)
Week 9- Form and Structure: Grid-based interface design.
Assignment: Create an MP3 Player(10%)
Week 10- Icons and Symbols: Developing iconic interfaces for use in web pages and mobile devices.
Week 11- Interface elements
Pop down menus and gif animations in Fireworks.
Week 12- 13- The Email Interface project
Linears: 10%
Comprehensive: 15 %
Weeks 14 and 15 will be presentations of presentations of project work done in class. 20%
An introduction to the principles of visual design and layout, including but not limited to: Functional design, natural mapping, the hierarchical presentation of information, the use of negative and positive space in both spatial and temporal dimensions, unit forms and super-units, grids, iconography, typography, perspective, recognition of form, colour theory, illustration and motion design.
The process will include the deconstruction of professional and student work. Projects developed for this course will be examined in class and students will be taught to review and critique work objectively and professionally. The vehicles for realizing project work in this class will, for the most part, be a vector drawing application.
1. Identify visual design principles in the layout of material for print and screen usage.
2. Use electronic layout software to design and produce a variety of digital media interfaces for multimedia purposes.
3. Identify and use the various features and tools of a vector drawing application.
4. Use electronic drawing software to create original logos, interfaces and icons.
5. Use electronic layout and drawing software to create original multimedia storyboards, comprehensive designs and final artwork.
6. Understand and demonstrate the principals of typography in digital media.
7. Understand and choose among the various colour models and "colour spaces" used in digital and print media.
8. Understand and demonstrate the principals of iconography as it relates to the issues of usability and navigation through a digital interface.
9. Demonstrate improved communication skills as they relate to group production work.
10. Evaluate and critique presentations according to current multimedia industry standards.