BUTTE COLLEGE: Digital Art & Design

ART-31/ART-34 Graphic Design

Course Syllabus

Note: In-depth descriptions of assignments and activities are available on class website.
https://hayes.media/msp74/

Instructor:

Michael Hayes

(530) 895-9244, HayesMi@butte.edu

Office Hours

By Appointment

Class Meeting Times

• Tues/Thurs, 9:30am-11:45am PT
• ARTS 218

Communication

My primary channels of communication with you are through in-person communication (in class), the information I post online, and your Butte College email. You can always find a summary of current work and deadlines on the class website.

Email is a great way to ask me questions where I can often answer well before our next class time. Keep in mind that I’m not checking email at every moment. I do check it regularly 9am-5pm on work days, but give me 24 hours to respond. If you’ve not heard back from me, assume that it was lost and email me again. Plan accordingly, I might not be available an hour before your deadline.

Course Descriptions

ART 31 – Graphic Design I (3 units)

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the general field of graphic design. Students will explore and apply professional skills in design, layout, and production. Areas of study will include advertising design and layouts, corporate identity, publication design, packaging and producing print-ready artwork.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

A. Identify materials and processes involved in producing print-ready artwork.

B. Demonstrate technical proficiency in artwork production processes.

C. Recognize contemporary job markets in the design fields.

D. Use software and graphic design skills to create hands-on design projects.

ART 34 – Graphic Design II (3 units)

Course Description

This is an intermediate course in graphic design. Students will apply design principles and tools of graphic design learned in ART 31 and ART 32. Concentration is on increasing skill levels for developing advanced design techniques for print and online.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

A. Apply principles of graphic design for creating advanced design projects.

B. Demonstrate expanded technical proficiency and increased skills in the use of graphic design applications.

C. Complete advanced design projects working within guidelines and design constraints set by clients.

D. Identify contemporary job markets in graphic design industries, while developing portfolio-related projects specific to obtaining employment in a design field.

Course Requirements

My philosophy is more of a facilitator of learning than a teacher in the traditional sense. This means that I believe in experiential, inductive learning, where theoretical knowledge is paired with hands-on opportunities (learning by doing). Within this framework, I expect you to take an active role in your educational experience, whether it involves individual or collaborative learning.

Course Required Materials

1. Flash Drive or another USB device to backup your files (32 gb or larger) or
   DropBox: Free online hard drive space. Good for file backups and moving files back and forth between workstations if you forget your flash drive. https://db.tt/ip2p0wi
2. Notebook for taking notes
3. Internet Access for online research and submitting work
4. Adobe Creative Cloud to produce classwork (available on class workstations)
5. Computer (Mac or Windows) capable of running Adobe Creative Cloud. Workstations are available in ARTS Labs.

Course Activities

The class will be a mix of lectures/demonstrations (first part of each class) and hands-on time using the computers.

Class Participation

Students are expected to be an active member of the class throughout the semester. Class participation is a factor in each assignment’s grade.

Attendance

Learning will depend on the lectures and demonstrations of projects and tutorials. It is imperative that students be present and on time to class. Excessive tardiness will affect the final grade. The instructor is under no obligation to drop a student from the class during the semester.

If you are absent for any reason, notify the instructor (preferably in advance) and ask for any materials that you did not receive. Please read the Butte College policies for the official attendance policy.

You are responsible for all materials covered in class, even when absent, so check with a classmate to get a copy of their notes. Please reach out to me any time you feel that you’re falling behind or not understanding anything.

Assignments and Evaluation

Evaluation for the course is based on cumulative points earned across the semester. Information on assignments, specific point values, and the course grading scale is found below.

Unless stated otherwise, all work should be computer-generated. Always keep copies of work (this includes notes, outlines, drafts, etc.). Save all work on your USB drive and keep backups.

Grading Policy

Projects: 60% of final grade

Participation (discussion & lab assignments): 30% of final grade

Final Exam or Project: 10% of final grade

Total Possible: 100%

Grades will be posted in your Canvas account as the semester progresses.

Projects

Students will learn various design and production techniques and processes while creating assignments and projects. Whenever possible, I will provide rubrics for each project that tell you what I expect of your work. I consider three main things in evaluating student’s work:

• Effort (visible in the work and/or demonstrated in class; spend quality time on your work!)
• Creativity & Improvement (how original your work is and how it’s improving)
• Following Directions (did you explore the assignment as given? did you meet the technical requirements of the assignment?)

Late Work Policy

Late assignments are subject to a 10% penalty for each week, or portion of a week, that they are late (i.e. a project due on Wednesday loses 10% when turned in on Friday), unless special arrangements have been made with the instructor. Assignments more than two weeks late will not be accepted. Unless specifically requested, assignments may not be emailed to the instructor.

Homework

Students should plan to devote at least 4 hours of lab work per week on your computer (beyond scheduled lecture/lab times). The lab facilities are available at other times, Monday-Thursday (see schedule posted outside lab doors or check with department office). Required reading from class handouts and internet tutorials need to be completed outside the class.

Intellectual Property

The creative digital elements that you produce in this class are your property (just as anyone else who is creating artwork). Occasionally I publish student artwork as attributed examples for this course either in print or on the web. If you would not want me to use your work for this purpose, please notify me in writing by email before the end of the semester. Your decision, of course, has no bearing on your grade.

General College Policies

Students should be familiar with academic policies outlined in the College Catalog. These are the standard policies throughout the institution. You can find the following policies online at http://www.butte.edu/learning/student-policies.html

• Attendance & Participation
• Course Withdrawal
• Academic Integrity, Dishonesty, & Plagiarism
• Non-Discrimination Policy
• Academic Accommodations
• Alternate Media

General Conduct

Professional conduct is expected at all times. Students should respect the rights of other classmates. Racist, sexist, or any other type of discriminatory language or behavior will not be tolerated.

Course Extensions

(“getting an Incomplete”)

Course extensions will be granted only under the most extreme circumstances and are subject to verification.

Additional Resources

• Student Services: http://www.butte.edu/currentstudents/resources.html
• Microsoft Office applications, free access: http://www.butte.edu/itss/software/ms-office/

Course Participation Rubric

Class participation accounts for part of your grade. You are encouraged to actively participate and engage thoughtfully in discussions and activities. Below is a rubric that outlines different traits of participation and levels of performance. This rubric will be used throughout the semester to judge class participation. Use this rubric to understand course expectations and engage in self-assessment.

Evaluation Criteria

4 = Excellent

3 = Above Average

2 = Average

1 = Below Average

0 = Unacceptable

	4	3	2	1
Participation	Always provides thoughtful ideas and participates in discussions and/or activities.	Frequently provides thoughtful ideas and participates in discussions and/or activities.	Occasionally contributes general comments and participates in discussions and/or activities.	Rarely provides comments and participates in discussions and/or activities.
Work Quality and Effort	Always provides a solid effort in class activities. Always comes prepared to work and/or engage in group activities.	Frequently provides a solid effort in class activities. Always comes prepared to work and/or engage in group activities.	Occasionally an effort in class activities. Does not always come prepared to work and/or engage in group activities.	Rarely makes an effort in class activities. Does not always come prepared to work and/or engage in group activities.
Attitude	Always maintains a positive and professional attitude toward course, professor, and fellow students. Always shows an interest in course activities, but may voice constructive criticism at times.	Frequently maintains a positive and professional attitude toward course, professor, and fellow students. Usually interested in course activities, but may voice constructive criticism at times.	Occasionally maintains a positive and professional attitude toward course, professor, and fellow students. Sometimes disinterested in course activities. May complain from time to time with little to no constructive criticism.	Rarely maintains a positive and professional attitude toward course, professor, and fellow students. Frequently seems disinterested in course activities. Complains regularly with little to no constructive criticism.
Collaborative Skills	Always is productive and responsible in collaborative tasks. Is able to constructively engage interpersonal issues with other group members. May assume a leadership role.	Frequently productive and responsible in collaborative tasks. Is usually able to constructively engage interpersonal issues with other group members. May assume a leadership role with varying degrees of success.	Occasionally productive and responsible in collaborative tasks. Does just enough work to get by. May have some interpersonal issues with others in the group, but has difficulty engaging them constructively.	Rarely contributes to group and collaborative activities. May have some interpersonal issues with others in the group, but has difficulty engaging them constructively.