VASI / DESIGN
Visual Arts Summer Institute at Boston University
/ DESIGN
A three-day lesson plan to introduce VASI student to the study of Graphic Design. The curriculum aims to touch on production methods as well as Design Thinking and theory.
SKILLS Binding Book Design Typography Design Basics Critique
LESSON 1 Design is Everywhere Students will be introduced to design through a 30 minute visual lecture presenting design as an occurrence in every day life. The class will then join in a thirtyminute off site investigation of design in our environment. Students will be asked to document 10 examples of typographic design through photographing examples.
LECTURE TOPICS Items to be introduced in lecture will include Typography through found way finding and environmental signage, advertising (i.e. billboards and signs), warning signage and other examples found in the built and designed environment. Visual examples will be from a local and global context and will feature both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ examples of design in our daily lives. Upon returning from the off site walk, a brief 30 minute lecture will be provided on the basics of typography based on tools in the Elements of Typographic Style. (Serif vs sans-serif, Kerning, leading, etc.) Video will be watched https://vimeo.com/forrestmedia giving 7 minute overview of history of typography and classifications.
IN CLASS ASSIGNMENT Students will make 3 of their own notebooks using provided supplies. They will be asked to use these notebooks to record their experiences while at VASI. One notebook will be used for their design course and the rest should be used as a place to document things around them. Students will be asked to draw one letter a day in one of their notebooks to be shared and turned into a stop-motion video at the end of the program.
HOMEWORK Students will be given an assortment of neon colored paper. They will be assigned 10 letters and will have to draw cut out the letters by the next class in either lowercase baskerville or helevetica. (These letters will be used to make a sentence that will be hung on the wall the following class and will precede the lesson on manifestos).
SKILLS Illustrator Basics of Typography Laser Cutting Design Thinking Manifesto
LESSON 2 Design and Voice Students will be introduced to the ‘Manifesto’ using lesson plan advice from Project H’s open source design teaching tool kit. The goal of this lesson is to iterate the importance of understanding ones own voice as a designer and to introduce the students to the basics of typographical design.
LECTURE TOPICS What is a manifesto? By using the lesson guide by Emily Pilloton and Project H, we will present students with a variety of designer manifestos. The students will be asked to assess these manifestos and to pick out the most important aspects of the pieces.
IN CLASS ASSIGNMENT Students will be asked to make 3 lists of 25 words each. The first of nouns of people, places, things or concepts present in their life. The second of adjectives that describe them. The last is a list of verbs for actions they participate in, experience or feel passionately about. Using these 75 words the students will be asked to develop a manifesto. Using a process of reduction, students will them be asked to revisit their manifesto and cross out any words that they find unnecessary. This will continue until each student is left with 6 words. This does not need to be a full sentence but will be the foundation of what the students believe in. After a short lesson on the basics of typography including Kerning, leading and justification, the students will layout their manifestos in illustrator. They will be given a type size and face. The students will then visit EPIC where we will cut out our manifestos from assorted neon paper to the students liking. The finalized manifestos will be glued to a large board in the classroom.
SKILLS Design Activism Social Impact Design Typography Layout InDesign
LESSON 3 Say Something Students will be asked to sum up their personal experience and reaction to their experience at VASI and in Boston.
LECTURE TOPICS What is design activism? Students will be shown several examples of how design can exist outside the traditional parameters of graphic design. Examples to be shown will be from Candy Chang, Sagmeister, John Bielenberg and other designers who use design as a way to spread a message.
IN CLASS ASSIGNMENT Each student will be asked to write a 140 character reaction of their experience in Boston and at VASI. These experiences will be formatted in InDesign and printed on neon paper of their choosing. These posters will then be brought by students to the public wall on Newbury Street where they will hang and photograph their reactions.