Drexel Design I Syllabus PDF

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Drexel University/College of Media Arts Design Art & Art History Department Design I/VSST 101 Fall Term 2021 Section 004 Face To Face (CRN 10073) TR 9:30 – 12:20/ Academic Bldg. Room 506 Section 005 Face To Face (CRN 10074) TR 12:30 – 3:20/ Academic Bldg. Room 506 Camille Ward To contact me: [email protected] [email protected] Office hours by appointment (at the Academic Bldg.) VSST 101 Design I 4 credits Focuses on two dimensional space, black and white, and appropriate tools and materials. College/Department: Antoinette Westphal COMAD, Department of Art & Art History Repeat Status: not repeatable for credit. Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Program Level(s): - Undergraduate Quarter Must be enrolled in one of the following College(s)/School(s): Antoinette Westphal COMAD During this time of extraordinary circumstances take every precaution to stay safe and healthy. Please be communicative with me about your situation and needs, should your class participation and coursework be affected. Should you need extra emotional or mental health support, use this link to guide you to Drexel’s resources: https://drexel/edu/guide/students/ Check Drexel’s Coronavirus website often for updates and resources: https://drexel.edu/coronavirus/ Depending on COVID developments, it is possible our class could switch to Hybrid or even remote synchronous (= online on the same days/times as our Face To Face). I will keep you updated as needed. Digital Class Platforms: We use various digital platforms in this class: Drexel email, BbLearn (Blackboard/Learn) and Zoom (if necessary). Drexel Email: I use Drexel email to communicate with you individually and as a group, and I often send some content (assignment text/images) from BbLearn out to you as email to make certain you see it. Please use Drexel email if you need to contact me with any questions or concerns that you want to be kept private, if you want/need to send me any in-progress images of assignments for my feedback. Please check your email and Bb Learn regularly (every day!) as communication, announcements, examples of assignments, etc. will be made via both of these. Empty your mail boxes regularly; if your mailbox is full, you will not be able to receive my messages.

BbLearn (Blackboard/Learn): Blackboard is the “home” for everything to do with our class except for actually being in the classroom. The syllabus, supply list, announcements, student examples of assignments and assignment text/directions, and grades are all posted on to BbLearn. Faculty and students are required to use BbLearn. Important: You should access BbLearn on your laptop or desktop computer. Viewing BbLearn on your phone limits what you can see and this can affect your performance in the class. Learning How to Use BbLearn: Go to You Tube and search: Blackboard Learn For Students. There is a playlist of 26 videos (probably more by now) for students using Blackboard Learn. There are a couple of very short how-to videos addressing assignment submissions and checking grades, assignments and announcements. Good videos to watch: Assignments Overview, Submit an Assignment, Check Assignment Grades. As a student in this class, you will access content, stay current with assignments, and submit design assignments on BbLearn, even if I collect the assignments in person. Grading is done through BbLearn so your assignments need to be submitted there. For every assignment there will be directions regarding submitting your assignment. Most times you only need to submit a single image or if there are multiple parts to an assignment, you need to submit each part. We will review this per assignment. Photo-document your assignments in order to submit them and also as a safeguard in case any become damaged or lost. Make sure they are clear with no glare or hot spots. Depending on the quality of your image, I may ask for more images for you to re-submit so I can properly assess your assignment. If I cannot open your image due to incorrect file type, I will ask you to re-send. For every assignment submission: submit every image as a File Upload. Use file type/Format: jpeg Since most people will use their phones to take photos to submit on to BbLearn, please check to make sure the file type/format is jpeg. You can send the photo to your desk or laptop to check file type. Zoom: We will only use Zoom as a teaching tool if our class reverts to Hybrid or Online Synchronous, or in the rare instance of needing to meet with a student via Zoom. In any of these instances, I will generate a Zoom ID and send it to you. If we end up using Zoom because the class format has changed, I will also send you Zoom guidelines.

Course Description, Objectives, Expected Learning Design I is an introduction to the principles, language and basic technical methods used in two-dimensional design. Assignments draw upon the world around us and upon visual theory to explore concepts applicable to all fine and applied arts. We will explore concepts associated with line, shape and value. Each assignment will focus on several key concepts and as the term progresses, assignments become more complex, incorporating concepts introduced earlier and introducing new ones. Making clear and interesting decisions based upon an understanding of design concepts will be stressed throughout the course. Towards the end of the term, students will apply knowledge gained from theoretical and visual investigation to develop more personally expressive work. In the process of creating complex visual imagery, students will learn to foster personal ideas in the broader context of art and visual history. Expected Learning: this course is designed to help students -

develop a strong studio practice that encompasses problem solving and an expanded sense of creativity learn the formal elements and principles of two-dimensional design as the building blocks of visual language discover design materials and methods to master techniques and craftsmanship express ideas verbally within a critiquing environment to assess the quality of design

Most of the assignments in Design I will emphasize the non-objective or non-representational, although recognizable/specific imagery will often function as a starting point for investigation. Students will use a variety of media: pencil, ink, acrylic paint, collage, mixed media materials. There are no required texts; students will learn in the classroom. Class time will be devoted to discussing design concepts, explaining assignments, working on studies for assignments, critiquing work, learning how to use materials and how to prepare and format assignments. Some class time will be devoted to working on assignments but much of the work you need to do to complete an assignment will happen out of class, as homework. Students may occasionally use the computer to seek source material and format assignments. Course Requirements and Guidelines This syllabus is a “contract” between the instructor and the student. It is the student’s responsibility to read and understand the contents herein. By continuing to attend classes and turning in assignments, the student acknowledges receipt and understanding of this syllabus. Not reading, understanding or losing the syllabus are not sufficient excuses for failing to adhere to its requirements and guidelines. The syllabus/supply list will be posted on BbLearn for the entire term. Please ask if you have any questions. Please keep all your assignments clean, in good shape and protected at all times. Students should clearly print their names on the backs of submitted assignments. Use pencil –

sometimes pen marks will show through the front. A well-crafted, clean and presented assignment is a major factor in grading. You should consider your completed work as presentable to an industry client. Do not destroy work that has already been graded. You may keep completed, graded work at home unless I ask for it. I will also hang student work in the hallway on a rotating/regular basis. You should photo-document all your assignments as a safeguard and in case any become damaged. I will not require a flash drive design archive from you, but you should create one for your assignments. Class Critiques function as a major part of your experience in Design class. Your attendance and participation in these critiques can contribute to your final grade. During critique, suggestions (which are not final solutions) will be made about student assignments, but it will be up to the student for him/her to find a solution that works best for each assignment. You may find that one design decision will work for one student but not for another. Design decisions are fluid depending upon each person’s work. Critiques give students an opportunity to brain storm, to consider how other students responded to an assignment and to develop an ability to express their ideas verbally. Attendance Since this course is a studio/lab, pertinent information is given in each class and missed time cannot be “made up”. Assignment deadline announcements, critiques, which materials to bring for next class, and important in-class workshops (ie. how to use certain materials, how to format your assignment, etc.) and lab time with feedback from students and instructor all happen during class. For accurate records, students sign a dated attendance sheet for each class. It is a student’s sole responsibility to remember to sign in. If you are late, sign beneath the “late line” on the daily sheet. Late is 10 minutes after class begins, leaving ten minutes before class ends, or 10 minutes or more extended time out of the classroom while it is in session. If you are one hour late, leave one hour early, or are out of the classroom for one hour, you are marked absent for that day, any combination of these that adds up to an hour or more will equal an absence for that day. If you miss a class, or are late or must leave early, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Each student should have contact information of at least two other students in the class to find out about missed work. If you want to email me about your absence it will be welcomed but I will not send you a detailed communique as I cannot cover all aspects of a missed class via email. Instead, please consult with a classmate and then consult with me in person the next class. If you are uncertain what to bring for next class, bring everything you have been working on and bring all materials just in case. You cannot make up or substitute missed classes with extra work or by attending another section.

Attendance Policy Please visit Drexel’s Coronavirus website for University guidance regarding COVID policy, documenting your illness and quarantine: https://drexel.edu/coronavirus/ Because of COVID, it is essential you keep me immediately up to date in the event you become ill. You should also immediately contact your advisor – he/she and I will work closely with you. Please read below for extensions on assignments. Except for documented COVID illness: You are allowed one unexcused absence. Two absences may be grounds for the drop of a letter grade. The third absence becomes grounds for failure. Students who add the course after classes have begun will lose the option to take the unexcused absence. Excused Absences: an absence may be excused for certain medical or university approved reasons. Please review the Provost Office’s policy statement on absences: http://drexel.edu/provost/absence/ An excused absence is meant for one or two missed classes with an authorized note, not for extended absences – please see below for extended absences. In order for an absence to be considered as excused, students must provide proper, dated documentation regarding the situation (see Provost Office’s statement). Proper documentation includes: student’s name in the note, pertinent date(s), doctor/hospital/other professional letterhead and signature of person providing excuse note. It is the student’s sole responsibility to provide this documentation in a timely manner (at the time of absence or very shortly thereafter) in order for the absence to be considered as excused. The documentation can be emailed to me. Documentation given to me after the final grades are posted will not be accepted. I will not remind a student to submit documentation and will keep the absences recorded in my gradebook unless/until I receive acceptable documentation. If you have more than one excused absence and then take another un-excused absence, the un-excused absence can affect your grade. Consider multiple excused absences as your one allowed un-excused absence. Students who add the course after classes have begun will lose the option to take the one un-excused absence. Lates: early departures, extended time out of class: two (2) of these, in any combination, equal one (1) absence. Enough lates can add up to absences that could seriously drop your final grade, or even result in a failing grade. If you come to class without proper materials to work in class, you will be marked absent. If you come to class without materials and must leave to get them and it results in your being very late, you will be marked late or absent (if you return in one hour or later).

Extended absences due to chronic condition or disability: the Provost’s Office states that you should immediately contact the Office of Disability (link below) to explore potential accommodation, and also consult with your academic advisor to explore available options, like withdrawing from the course. Continued absences due to illness or other reasons – even if you have a doctor’s note – is considered chronic and should be addressed immediately with your advisor. Excused absences are meant for one or two times, not for continued absences. Since this class is a lab, extended absences mean you are missing instruction, in-class assignments, deadlines, etc. and cannot be made up. Extensions on assignments: You are expected to keep current with what is going on in class and hand in any work due while you were absent as soon as you return to class. Extensions will be granted due to a medical or university approved reason – proper, dated documentation will always allow for an extension. Other requests are considered on an individual basis and should happen only very rarely. No extensions for the final assignment: because there is a deadline to submit final grades, no extensions can be made for the final assignment. Accommodations: if you give me an accommodations form, I will work out the terms for the accommodation after discussing it with you and your advisor. It is your sole responsibility to communicate with me throughout the course regarding any concerns about the terms agreed to. I cannot accommodate a student retroactively but will be able to do so once I have the form. If you want/need to drop off assignments to me other than during class time, you can have a classmate or friend bring them to (Academic Bldg, Room 109) or wait until you need attend class. Submitting the assignment on BbLearn is a good idea, even if you cannot attend class. Graded Assignments & Guidelines/Learning Activities Assignments/Due Dates/Revisions/Re-Dos Due dates for assignments will be given in class as the class progresses. Sometimes assignments will overlap. For some assignments, there might be a handout explaining format/assignment objectives, but the handout alone will not completely cover concepts discussed in class. Examples from other sources and previous student work will also help to clarify some concepts. Take notes and ask questions. Important: Other than for extensions granted for reasons mentioned above, if your assignments are incomplete or missing for the critique date, your grade for that assignment will be lowered by ½ grade (ex. from a B+ to a B). If your assignment is complete and on time, you can always re-work it after the critique and re-submit, with no penalty.

Revisions/Re-dos: You must bring in a completed assignment on the initial due date even if you feel certain it will require revision – the assignment must be essentially complete (80 % or more). Work that is incomplete due to an illness should still be put up for critique – and should be completed as soon as possible (see above). Class critiques are held on the day assignments are due and revisions will be suggested on that day. If your assignment requires major re-working or reflects a poor understanding of the concepts, a re-do may be suggested. If your assignment is essentially complete, submit it for grading after the critique. Once graded, you may choose to revise your assignment and re-submit it. There is no guarantee that a revised assignment will result in a better grade. In any case, whichever is the better grade is recorded (no averaging grades). Students re-doing their assignments should complete them as soon as possible after the original due date and critique. All revised and re-do assignments pre-midterm, will be due for final grading by the mid-term date (to be announced). All post mid-term revisions and re-dos (except for the final assignment), will be due for final grading before the final assignment is begun. Specific dates for this will also be announced during the term. Assignments are graded on craft, presentation, how well you understand concepts as seen in completed work and how creative/interesting your solution is for each assignment. Specific objectives and craft-presentation issues for each assignment will be discussed in depth and will be different depending on the assignment, so a successful solution for one assignment may not be successful for another. Grades may be influenced, either positively or negatively, by your comportment in class and participation in critiques and classroom activities. Some examples of poor comportment: not being prepared with proper materials, not making effective use of class time (ie not working on your design assignments during lab time), over-socializing, texting, leaving the room excessively during class, not participating in critiques, etc. Some assignments will have ungraded studies as part of the investigation which must be handed in with the completed assignment and are considered part of the grade. At the end of the term you submit your entire portfolio. It must contain all assignments, both pre and post-midterm. If you are missing an assignment that has already been graded and recorded by me, it is okay. Any missing assignments not graded/recorded by me will be graded 55 (F). Your final grade is based on a simple average of all the separate grades and then attendance, class comportment/participation in critiques and learning activities will be factored in. Grade Scale (for assignments and final grades) will be based on a numerical grade scale as follows (no “in between” range of numbers): A: 95 A-: 92

B-: 82 C+: 78

D+: 68 D: 65

B+: 88 B: 85

C: 75 C-: 72

D-: 62 F: 55 (no plus or minus)

For final grades: the minimum passing grade for this class is a D. An F is a failing grade. For an F, no credit is given. Assignment Grading Guidelines The following is a brief and general description of grading guidelines. Each assignment will have specific objectives in addition to understanding general design concepts and techniques. Sometimes craft/presentation problems are the sole reason for a lower grade. Reminder: attendance issues can drop your grade. Example: you could have a B average for all your assignments but poor attendance (see above) drops your final grade to a C. A/A- grades = Excellent Performance. Students understand and demonstrate mastery with the techniques and concepts being taught. The work is well conceived and has addressed the assignment in a thoughtful and creative way, as well as achieving all the objectives of the assignment in an exemplary manner. Craft/Presentation is excellent. There is consistent involvement with quality throughout the term, as seen in every completed assignment. B+/B/B- grades = Good Performance. Students have a very good facility with the techniques and concepts being taught. Application of those concepts is good. Craft/Presentation is okay, but possibly could be improved. There is progress and eff...