Branding-or the development of an identity and an identity system-is a critical skill practiced by today's designers. Before we can design a brochure or a web site or an interface, there must be an identity to frame and influence the medium. Branding as a discipline not only requires the ability to design logos, but to think strategically about a company's ethos and mission. Having thought strategically about ethos or mission not only positions a designer to create an identity and identity system but to influence the way a company or organization conducts all of its communications.
In this course, students will create two identity systems: one for a traditional company and one for a socially constructive campaign. While a traditional identity system is defined as a logo and a set of rules for that logo's application, the goal of this class is to expand upon the ways a brand identity can be expressed through the manipulation of language, materials, and audience expectation/participation.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only.
Open to junior, senior, and graduate.

A series of experiences devoted to the development of the perception of color and its use as a tool for the graphic designer. The exercises test the appearance of color relationships in complex structures, dealing with meaning and examining the appropriate use of color in the context of design problems. There will be an emphasis on using gouache paint and matching paint colors with digital color and printing as well as exploring digital color on the computer.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

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The book can be a dynamic object to incite feelings, ideas and inspirations. This course explores the book for that potential: as an interactive time/space medium for a kind of hyper-experience wherein the 'reader' is both co-pilot and co-author to unfold a narrative of ideas from what is seen, touched, heard, performed and read. The course explores the nature of 'experience' and 'poetics' as core issues in the design process and to help us tap into the depth of perception and innovation. Our means for inquiry is to constantly produce bookworks via experimentation and play, supplemented by an array of relational topics (semiotics, mindfulness, Concretism, the spiritual in art, perennial philosophy, Fluxus, indeterminacy). The special course time slot is designed to optimize the studio experience and to include alternate means and environments for work, play, insight and inspiration.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only

The degree project is an independent project in graphic design subject to the department's explicit approval, as the final requirement for graduation for the BFA Degree. Visiting critics will be invited to review the completed project. Students are only eligible to enroll in this course if all credit requirements for the degree are complete in this final semester and the student is enrolled with full-time status. Graphic Design students on advanced standing who wish to be considered for Degree project in the Fall of their senior year must apply to the department head.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

In this class students will learn to produce screen-based applications as part of a wider system of communication design. Students will learn how to approach interaction design by developing interaction maps, low fidelity mock-ups and rapid prototypes that address multiple users in a variety of scenarios. Students will learn the fundamentals of programming interaction prototypes through directed exercises using Flash ActionScript and the open source language processing.
Open to Junior, Senior, and Graduate students in Graphic Design.

This course will study the presentation of information in a designed environment: the exhibit. The theme, context, and conditions of this exhibit will be assigned. Study emphasis will be on integrative communication activity of all elements involved, e.g., time, space, movement, color, graphics, 3-D forms, objects, instructions, text, and constructions.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior and above

Students will gain understanding of visual logic and to explore the design functions of relating ideas, objects, material, and space. Form studies examine organic and constructed elements and aspects of design such as texture, rhythm, form/counterform, contrast, juxtaposition, progression and sequence. Visual skills will be developed to compose as well as to communicate (thought, idea, message). The course balances hands-on methods of observation, invention, and visualization through sketching, computer skills, and photography with critical thinking and problem-solving, leading to the development of a self-directed process.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This course introduces techniques of image making in relation to ways of analyzing and creating meaning in graphic and typographic messages. Aspects of image making, information design, visual narrative and semiotics will be explored in the context of practice and theory.
Graduate major requirement for first-year graduate students in the three-year program; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This seminar will present a forum for discussion on critical issues in graphic design, including: design's context within culture and experience; theory and its relation to practice; and current practice and its models. The course will combine formats of lecture, discussion, small groups, and collaboration to explore the porous borders of graphic design thought and making.
Graduate major requirement for first and second-year majors; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

Computer programming provides new means and methods to designers, as well as new ways of structuring the design process. The effects of 'code' are far reaching, affecting or replacing many of the tools graphic designers have traditionally used. This elective will explore programming and code, both for their own sake (ie learning how to program) but also to understand a new process, a new mindset. We will explore systems, algorithms, and process, and learn how to think through codes, rule-sets, and instructions. We will explore generative form, automated processes, feedback loops, data parsing, and interaction.

The emphasis of this course will be on working with code directly; some assignments will require programming, while others will explore programming and the 'coder' mindset through a variety of media. This course will engage with with computers, computer languages, and software at a variety of levels, and is suitable for both novice and more advanced programmers.
Graduate elective; Graphic Design majors only
Course may be repeated for credit

This studio course, as groundwork for the graduate thesis, will emphasize inquiry as a primary means for learning. Through making, reflection, collaboration, and critique, we will explore the underlying principles that design objects require, and synthesize theory and practice as necessary partners in graphic design. We will look at the designer's role in the process of revealing and making meaning - as an objective mediator, and as an author/producer, integrating content and form across projects as visual expressions of the preliminary thesis investigation.
Graduate major requirement for first and second-year majors; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

The MFA degree requires completion of a graduate thesis. The thesis, as a major undertaking for advanced study and personal development, also assists the student to direct a program of study for an experience that best serves that individual's interests and needs. The thesis is an inquiry into the process, expression and function of the visual in graphic design. Visual search is the primary means by which to develop and substantiate original work which provides proof of concept for the thesis argument, critique, or point of view. The graduate student is encouraged to go beyond established models and to project his/her unique character in the thesis rather than to evidence vocational training, which is implicit. The productions can involve any medium suitable to need and content. Ultimately the thesis is submitted as a written document supported by a body of visual work that is a meaningful synthesis of the visual and verbal, and a lasting contribution to the field of graphic design. Two copies of the document remain, one for the Library and one for the department. Completion is required before graduation as stipulated by the College.
Graduate major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

Graduate Typography I through III (GRAPH 332G/342G/352G) are a sequence of courses that focus on the subject of typography. This sequence covers the fundamentals of typography, its theory, practice, technology and history. Studies range from introductory through advanced levels. Grad Typography I includes: the study of letterforms, type design, proportion, hierarchy, legibility, and structures for composition of multiple type elements. Aspects of contemporary practice and theory are integrated into research and discussion.
Graduate major requirement for first-year graduate students in the three-year program; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

Grad Typography III is the final of a set of required sequence of courses that focus on the subject of typography. This course explores communication and structural aspects of typography and experiments with expressive means of using type to enhance meaning. Building on basic skills students will work on practical applications of advanced typographic design/systems as well as do a research project that concerns theory. Class discussions and demonstrations will complement the process of solving typographical problems.
Graduate major requirement for second-year graduate students in the three-year program; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

Design is a crucial element in making a website that is accessible, exciting and effective. This course will look at ways of using fundamental graphic design principles and site design tools necessary to create sites that are strategic, interactive, energetic and visually imaginative. This course will also explore the rich history of designers, artists, and collectives that have used the web as a medium in various ways - from neen sites to tumblers to 4chan to wordpress to flickr, looking for interesting, novel and alternative approaches to web design.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior, senior, graduate

This course will introduce the student to narrative and non-narrative experimentation with language in digital space, presented as fine art practice. The student will work on a semester long project, utilizing multiple programs. This class will cover the creation of elaborate imagery and animations with digital tools such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and Flash as well as the basics of audio production, recording, arranging and sequencing with programs like Pro Tools / Digital Performer, Ableton Live and other basic analog recording techniques for the production of audio and moving image. The course will balance conceptual concerns related to content and structuring methodologies with artistic expression. Specific aesthetic histories will be explored tracing the use of text in artistic practice including Concrete Poetry, the texts of Kurt Schwitters, Russian Constructivist posters, Fluxus poetic works, The Dada and Surrealist Word/Image, Magritte, Jenny Holtzer, Ed Ruscha, Barbara Kruger as well as other contemporary practitioners.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to senior, graduate
Also offered as D+M 7001. Register into the course for which credit is desired

This course introduces techniques of communication theory in relation to ways of analyzing and creating meaning in graphic design. Aspects of image making, information design, visual narrative and semiotics will be explored in the context of practice and theory.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This course offers individuals the opportunity to pursue a project or topic of personal interest related to visual design and communication. This may be an interest or activity not offered in other courses, a personal ideal, a unique circumstance, a collaboration of two or more individuals, the preliminary work for the Degree Project, or to supplement Graduate Thesis work, etc. The work can involve a broad range of curiosities like sustainability, sociocultural activism, public service, criticism, spirituality; the nature of theory; practice and experiment; methodology; technology; interactivity. While similar to an ISP or CSP this course differs in its objectives to also offer a dynamic learning experience: 1) to meet as a class (and in small groups and privately) to facilitate interaction and share work and ideas; 2) to discuss topics of interest and relevance to the group; 3) to stimulate interdisciplinary and inter-level interaction among students (all levels and non-majors are welcome!). Note: the scheduled time slot is not fixed, and we can accommodate schedule preferences or conflicts with other courses of student interest. With permission of instructor required it is necessary to receive the approval in writing from the instructor at a week before registration, after submitting a project proposal via email: tockerse@risd.edu (project proposals must include: title, project synopsis, personal value of this project and interest, and a general projection of tasks involved).This course offers individuals the opportunity to pursue a project or topic of personal interest related to visual design and communication. This may be an interest or activity not offered in other courses, a personal ideal, a unique circumstance, a collaboration of two or more individuals, the groundwork or supplement for one's degree or thesis project, etc. The work can involve a broad range of curiosities like sustainability, sociocultural activism, public service, criticism, spirituality; the nature of theory; practice and experiment; methodology; technology; interactivity. While similar to an ISP or CSP, the difference in this course are in its objectives to offer a dynamic learning experience: 1) to meet with the instructor both privately and as a group on a regular basis to share insights on each other's work; 2) to introduce topics of interest and relevance to the group; 3) to stimulate interdisciplinary and interlevel interaction among students (all levels and non-majors are welcome!). With permission of instructor required, it is necessary to receive the approval in writing from the instructor at least a week before registration. A proposal via email (tockerse@risd.edu) must include a title, a synopsis of the project, the value of this project, and a projection of tasks involved.
Elective

This is a course in designing and identifying graphic communication for packaging structures. We will experiment with different 3D templates, examining their structures and then using type, color and images on these prototypes in three dimensions. Experimentation with different materials is also explored while addressing the client's brief and the design rational; being conscious of the target market, place of sale and the price.
Major elective

This course will focus on the poster as a means of expressing a strong point of view. It will advance your experience with two-dimensional form, and address critical relationships between type, image, and message at a large scale. The studio assignments will be supported with lectures about the history of the poster, international contemporary poster design, and future possibilities and contexts for the poster format.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior and above

A book arts course with emphasis on hand printing and bookbinding. Both form and content, as well as type and image, will be discussed, as students design, print and bind their own books. Aspects of layout, typography, paper and book production will be covered, in addition to instruction in letterpress printing, polymer plate printing, pop- up book structures and various bookbinding techniques.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only

With emphasis on open search and experimentation this course explores how we experience the visible word. We will consider how typographic form can serve that purpose to read, frame, engage and inspire the depth and breadth of meaning. After brief introductory assignments to establish common ground, the course format becomes an open laboratory for individual (or collaborative) interests and inquiries. Participants are encouraged to experiment with the visible word such as to explore: the de/reconstruction of texts; type in 3-d space, or in motion, or in digital media; words and the sensory experience of materiality, sound, projection; text as poetry in public environments; visual and concrete poetry. Topics for inquiry can range from the practical to the poetical, to the purely experimental. Course work can supplement other course interests (especially graduate thesis work and degree projects).
With permission of instructor required it is necessary to receive the approval in writing from the instructor at a week before registration via email: tockerse@risd.edu (it will help to communicate your course interest, and even a project interest)
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior and above

We stand firmly planted in a visual world, surrounded by a universe of things to look at. Images flicker from televisions, iPads, computer monitors and more-as large as towering billboards and as small as compact cell phones. Such images provide us with clues about our environment, feeding our mind with information that we find useful for survival or for orientation purposes. But these very same images clutter the horizon and prevent us from discerning what is truly important. How do we tell them apart? The primary goal is to equip students with the skills necessary to create meaningful and intelligent images. Course content is tailored for three levels of experience - introductory, intermediate and advanced. Some of the class projects include documentary photography, film title design and music video. The works of Saul Bass, Bill Viola and Michel Gondry will be used as the "textbooks" for this course. Readings, film screenings and listening exercises accompany studio work. Some knowledge of Adobe Flash or After Effects or Final Cut Pro would be helpful but is not required. To view student work, visit: http://www.youtube.com/user/risdMV
Major elective for Graphic Design students. Non-Major elective for others

This course is for students who are interested in designing type. Participants will learn about the decisions that go into spacing, serifs, shape and other details that you never even knew were there by creating your own typefaces. In addition, you will gain fresh perspectives on typography and appreciating existing typefaces.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior and above

This introductory course is intended for non-majors interested in learning the basic principles of typography including the study of letterforms, type classification, legibility, organization and hierarchy, as well as text applications, grid systems and page layout. Typography will be explored as both a means of communication and a vehicle for expression. Projects may include comparative studies for setting text and poetry, letterhead systems, brochure or poster. This course will provide a solid foundation for moving on to more complex typographic problems such as book, motion or web design.
Open to sophomore and above

Typography I is the first in a sequence of courses that covers the fundamentals of typography-its theory, practice, technology and history. Studies range from introductory through advanced levels. Typography I includes the study of letterforms, type design and classification, proportion, and hierarchy. Students focus on the details of page composition and the relationship of space to clarity, legibility and aesthetics.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

"In 1969 the conceptual artist Douglas Heubler wrote, 'The world is full of objects, more or less interesting; I do not wish to add any more." So opens Kenneth Goldsmith's Uncreative Writing, published in 2011. Following Goldsmith's lead, this class will explore various strategies in art, writing and political activism that will lead us to an uncreative design. We will make use of copying, repetition, appropriation, detournement and bricolage in a series of studio experiments. Though the class will be focused on ways of (not)making, class participation and discussions of assigned readings will also play a major role in guiding studio work, and in evaluating student projects. There are no prerequisites, though students should be willing to take major risks and have a very open approach to different modes of working.
Major Elective, Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior and above

This course is set up as an intensive workshop format that provides contact with six different visiting designers from the U.S. and abroad. Over the twelve-week semester students will participate in six concentrated sessions of two-day sessions every two weeks, beginning Tuesday afternoon with an evening and finishing on Thursday afternoon. This is a unique opportunity to work closely with a diverse selection of design professionals.
Major elective; junior, senior, graduate
Graphic Design majors only

This course is for graduate students in graphic design to work independently on research or work that applies to their graduate thesis (preparatory or advanced). Thesis work is considered supplemental and not a substitute for the required courses. The instructor serves an advisory role in all projects. Students can register for three or six credits and must submit accordingly a written proposal for work planned and criteria for evalution. Course meetings are arranged individually, or with the group as needed.

Open to Graphic Design majors; Permission of instructor

There is much discussion on the topic of "Big Data", the accelerating growth of information. In the design profession, much of the emphasis in addressing this rapid expansion of data has been the promotion of the practice of information design. In this class, we will approach this emerging branch of design through the frameworks of algorithms and conceptual models.
Instead of practicing the common misconception of information design: gathering and "visualizing" data, this class is concerned with the art of explaining systems through visual discourse. A system, according to scientist Donella Meadows, is a "set of things-people, cells, molecules or whatever-interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time". Such sets can be anything from a pile of coins to the local government, and their behaviors and interconnections can be as complicated as the stock exchange. By equipping ourselves with the methods of creating algorithms (process diagrams), conceptual modeling and diagraming, we will explore and experiment how vast and complicated systems and processes can be explained to the average person.
In addition, students will learn how information can presented through several vantage points and reveal different readings and interpretations. We will also be discussing the works of Sol LeWitt, Euclid, Charles Joseph Minard, Otto Neurath, and William Playfair, among others for historical perspectives and to identify/discuss recurring trends in the field of information design. Students will be introduced to these figures and topics through in-class lectures, and be given the opportunity to further research in an in-class library developed by the instructors, as well as a reader generated by their peers.
Alongside the conceptual and historical perspectives, students will learn how the elements of typography, grid, and color can be best used to make content clear and engaging in information design.
The class will be composed of in-class discussions, short lectures, student presentations, and workshops.

An in-depth investigation of the principles and possibilities of graphic design. Through a series of experimental exercises incorporating drawing, collage, and the computer, students will learn the fundamentals of graphic form, sequencing, image making, communicating visually, and integration of type. Slide presentations and lectures will introduce students to both the history of graphic design and contemporary designers.

This course is a continuation of the ideas presented in GRAPH 3252 Photo/Graphics, but it is not a prerequisite. This course will explore how video design and sound design can be utilized to convey visual narratives. Students in this studio will design a visible language of video-graphic expression. It involves two-dimensional design, three dimensional design, lighting design, and sound design. As a final project, each student will make a short video utilizing techniques learned.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only

When this class is offered during Wintersession, anyone can register

Packaging sells the product. Packaging is not only the physical box but also the communicative graphics that help to inform the user of what they are buying. In this course we will explore and develop both skills, approaching packaging design from both industrial design-form prototyping, dimensioning, feasibility, and manufacturing; and graphic design?branding, communication graphics, typography, color, and inserts). We will cover the use and price points of traditional packaging versus emerging sustainable materials and effective packaging for in-store versus web retail. Students will move between material and form exploration, and graphic development to create striking, well-thought, and appealing packaging for their unique products.
Estimated Cost of Materials: $50.00

As a contemporary artist, it is critical to obtain skills for self-promotion through various means and to develop the ability to tailor these techniques to different situations. Often talented artists miss opportunities due to a lack of strong presentation skills. This course aims to enhance artists' presentation skills and generate personal marketing materials so that students can be both prepared and organized in their professional endeavours. This course will cover the basic skills of Adobe Indesign, Dreamweaver, Illustration and other relevant support programs to help make business cards, personal websites, and artist books. We will also examine strong examples of artist statements and will practice and rehearse oral presentations to prepare for formal portfolio reviews. This course is intended for working artists and designers, but it is specifically tailored for those without significant experience in graphic design. All students must have at least one complete body of work. At the end of the course, each student will have a complete promotional packet, consisting of business cards, postcards, personal websites, artist book, and artist statement. During the course, there will be a visiting speakers, a curator from a contemporary art gallery.
Deposit fee: $100.00, Estimated cost of materials: $100.00

This course is about the pleasure of making book-like things and getting them out into the world. Well, kind of. More to the point, it investigates how self-publishing acts as a catalyst in the evolution of media and graphic design today. Or, if you'll forgive a laundry list, it's about: the creation of printed matter, engaging an audience, language and reading, digital dissemination, bookshops, zines, DIY, craft, curation, and editing, at least to start with...
This course will provide an opportunity to act as author, producer and distributor of editioned publications. The act of publication is the creation of a 'public'-not only the object being produced but the creation of the audience that receives that publication. This course seeks to engage in 'making as discourse' around the inherently social act of publishing, to provide relevant topics in the field for discussion, and to identify and effectively distribute this work to an interested audience.
This course is designed to be useful to students with or without previous graphic design experience. It can function more as a graphic design primer to students outside the department while serving as a publishing and authorship outlet for GD students.

The objective of this course is to introduce the student to the basic concepts, skills and processes of typographical design. Design problems will be assigned to investigate fundamental aspects of typography (organization; proportion; composition; space; texture; rhythm and meaning). Projects may include the design of such objects as letterhead, packaging and poster. Please note: Some Graphic Design transfer students will be preregistered.

Designing for the internet requires a solution that embraces the web as a communication medium while providing for a unique user experience. The goal is to strike a balance between form and function, between visual design and effective communication. This course will cover the latest methods of web design, development, and production including standards-based XHTML, CSS, Javascript and media integration. From beginners to those with more experience, students will learn the most current techniques for planning, designing, building and testing a fully functional website start to finish.

Requirements: Students must be comfortable with Adobe Photoshop. Students must provide their own laptop (Mac or PC) loaded with Photoshop and an HTML editing program (Dreamweaver, BBEdit, GoLive, etc.).
Course Level: Sophomore and Above.

This is a hands-on studio class exploring the traditions and techniques of Asian paper and book arts. We begin with the basics, by cooking Japanese plant fibers (kozo, mitsumata and gampi), forming the beaten pulp into thin sheets of washi (paper). Students experiment with decorative paper techniques of suminagashi (marbled), itajime (clamped) and shibori (tie and dyed) papers. Printed images of your individual woodblock carved design will be incorporated into the final collaborative book project. Text material will develop from your own written haiku poetry. Non-western binding structures will be explored. Asian box making techniques will complete our investigation into the traditional book arts of the east.
Elective; Open to junior, senior, graduate

Workshops to supplement the Typography 2 studio course. Demonstrations will be given in the area of book arts. The focus will be on projects in letterpress printing and/or bookbinding. Only offered to the Graphic Design sophomores, as it will be integrated into the Typography II existing curriculum.
Major Elective Graphic Design majors only
Open to Sophomore, Graduate

We are living in a period of major transition, a massive shift from the printed page to the digital screen. Our relationship to books, both as objects and as texts, is changing. How will we read in this new networked environment? How does book design become interaction design?
A new book arts course examining the liminal space between printed books and ebooks. Projects will examine the form and design of the digital book,the book cover, and the ecosystem surrounding books and reading - the bookshelf, the library, and the bookstore.
Open to Graphic Design majors only.

In this elective studio we will explore concepts and the design of branding in the Web environment. After presentation of the basics programs and related means of web production, as well the importation of sound, motion and image, each student will create and design the interface of a brand that exclusively exists on the Web. Students will develop a branding strategy, identity design, the components of on-line standards and its Digital Manual format. The instructors will provide information on strategy, information narrative, hypertext, accessibility and systems. Students will experiment with type, form, color, layout, grid, hierarchy, sequence, etc., and explore how these behave in an electronic interface. By the end of the course each student will have produced a working prototype and interface web site for their brand.
Major elective; Open to junior, senior, BGD, and graduate students in Graphic Design
Open to other RISD and Brown students by permission of instructor

Getting big ideas into the world requires a lot of preparation and teamwork. To realize self-initiated projects, designers need grants, other funding, exposure, and access.This course leads students through the various stages of early project development from big idea to finished proposal. We'll review current best practices in pitching ideas, spend time taking and editing photos and video, and create a web presence for the project. Students will work in teams, taking on various stages of a project's development. Projects may be student-initiated or respond to actual calls for proposals. The semester culminates with a project website, emailable deck presentation and actual Kickstarter video to secure funding. The course lends itself to students who are self-directed and have experience or interest working with video and web design.
Major elective, Open to junior, senior, graduate Graphic Design majors
Open to non-majors by permission of instructor>br>

The degree project is an independent project in graphic design subject to the department's explicit approval, as the final requirement for graduation for the BFA Degree. Visiting critics will be invited to review the completed project. Students are only eligible to enroll in this course if all credit requirements for the degree are complete in this final semester and the student is enrolled with full-time status. Graphic Design students on advanced standing who wish to be considered for Degree project in the Fall of their senior year must apply to the department head.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

In this class students will learn to produce screen-based applications as part of a wider system of communication design. Students will learn how to approach interaction design by developing interaction maps, low fidelity mock-ups and rapid prototypes that address multiple users in a variety of scenarios. Students will learn the fundamentals of programming interaction prototypes through directed exercises using Flash ActionScript and the open source language processing.
Open to Junior, Senior, and Graduate students in Graphic Design.

This course will cover all aspects of designing comprehensive art and photographic books. We will examine the use of type in layouts, editing images, grids, scale, and pacing. Particular attention will be paid to certain elements of design production, including the visual, tactile, and aesthetic qualities of paper, printing, binding, color separation, and advanced techniques in reproduction, namely duotone and three-tone in black and white photography. In the first part of the semester students will design the layout and the corresponding dust jacket for a photographic book. The material will include a number of original black and white photographs from one of the very well known French photographers. In the second part of the semester, students will be given the choice between designing a book based on their own interests and completing a book design project using assigned material.
Elective

This course offers a thorough study and research of color characteristics observed in Film, in a specific topic, as well as comparing the artist palette with the designer's palette and their relationship in changing situations. The emphasis would be in the appropriate use of color, not subjective or decorative.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior and above

The objective of this course is to assist students in the development of methodologies for exploration, investigation, and construction of a well-designed proposal of thesis work. This seminar provides students with a variety of discursive and exploratory means to identify, locate, reflect on, and develop areas of interest to pursue in the evolution of individual thesis planning, culminating in the presentation of the thesis proposal.
Graduate major requirement for first and second-year majors; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This studio course is based on the premise that the narrative shaping of information is fundamental to human communication. As active participants in cultural production, graphic designers naturally collaborate within varied areas of expertise, assuming a documentary role in how society views itself. Narrative methods enable us to speak to (and through) any content with a sense of the story it has to tell - visually representing historical, curatorial, scientific, and abstract ideas and events. Students will explore design as a process of storytelling that includes linear and non-linear relationships, with an emphasis on developing formal strategies for multiple approaches to shaping a narrative experience from given as well as self-generated content. Particular emphasis is on sequence, framing, cause and effect, the relationships between elements, and the synthesis of parts into wholes. With text and image, and across media, we employ narrative methods to make sense of complex content meant to be shared and understood.
Graduate major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This course is a continuation of the work begun in fall semester's Graduate Thesis I (GRAPH 327G). The 6-credit studio component is complemented with a 3-credit thesis writing seminar, together guiding the synthesis of independent visual and verbal investigations into a coherent thesis body of work. The MFA degree requires completion of a graduate thesis. The thesis, as a major undertaking for advanced study and personal development, also assists the student to direct a program of study for an experience that best serves that individual's interests and needs. The thesis is an inquiry into the process, expression and function of the visual in graphic design. Visual search is the primary means by which to develop and substantiate original work which provides proof of concept for the thesis argument, critique, or point of view. The graduate student is encouraged to go beyond established models and to project his/her unique character in the thesis rather than to evidence vocational training, which is implicit. The productions can involve any medium suitable to need and content. Ultimately the thesis is submitted as a written document supported by a body of visual work that is a meaningful synthesis of the visual and verbal, and a lasting contribution to the field of graphic design. Two copies of the document remain, one for the Library and one for the department. Completion is required before graduation as stipulated by the College.
Graduate major requirement; Graphic Design majors only.
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration Pre-requisite: take GRAPH-327G

Grad Typography II continues study of essential typographic elements and principles, reviewing fundamentals from Grad Typography I while advancing typographic functions and theoretical issues, both historical and current. Studies will expand to include text applications, grid systems, layout and page systems, and typographic expression and communication.
Graduate major requirement for first-year graduate students in the three-year program; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This graduate-only Visiting Designers course provides contact with the visiting designers in four intensive workshops over the 12-week semester. The course objective is to provide graduates contact and interactions with national and international designers involved in a range of professional practice and public discourse of graphic design. While the emphasis is on typography and print, these designers actively explore a range of visual form. Each workshop will consider what provokes, inspires, and informs your working methods, and the role that "publication" plays in the communication of your ideas. Each session begins with a Thursday evening lecture, a Friday afternoon through Saturday workshop, and a Sunday midday critique.
Colleague Restrictions: Graduate Students Only. Graphic Design Majors Only or by special permission if space permits
Registration by Graphic Design department, course may be repeated for credit

This course is a study of the structural and organizing systems at work in graphic design such as grids, modules, proportion, progression, symmetry and rhythm. Design problems will be studied holistically through projects that stress dynamic relationships among content, form and context to gain a deeper understanding of systems at many levels.
Graduate major requirement for first-year graduate students in the three-year program; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

Design is a crucial element in making a website that is accessible, exciting and effective. This course will look at ways of using fundamental graphic design principles and site design tools necessary to create sites that are strategic, interactive, energetic and visually imaginative. This course will also explore the rich history of designers, artists, and collectives that have used the web as a medium in various ways - from neen sites to tumblers to 4chan to wordpress to flickr, looking for interesting, novel and alternative approaches to web design.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior, senior, graduate

Chronological survey of graphic design through slide lectures. The course will study how graphic design responded to (and affected) international, social, political, and technological developments since 1450. Emphasis will be on printed work from 1880 to 1970 and the relationship of that work to other visual arts and design disciplines. In addition to the lectures, the course will schedule a studio section in which design projects are integrated with research.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

The visualizing of information into graphic form is one of the oldest forms of graphic design, and is one of the essential areas of professional design engagement. This course deals with the organization and analyzation of data, and the concepts and methods of visualizing information. Using information structure and visual systems of form, color, and typography, students will work projects which communicate complex information through the use of maps, graphs, charts, and diagrams. These projects will explore issues of mapping, hierarchy, location, time, comparison, motion, format, and the use of symbolic visual language.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only

This studio course explores visual communication needs and design responsibility for human experiences in a changing social environment. The premise is that designed objects function in a vast range of possible relationships that pattern and shape identity, information, and behavior. We will address this design spectrum. The course emphasizes "making" via visual search and experimentation, but also embraces theory to describe complexity and envision change in design practice. Responding to the growing world paradigm of collaboration and integrative thinking we will experience group dynamics, consider how new media can serve social and information needs, explore ways to solve problems, and stimulate imagination and innovation.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This course is for students who are interested in designing type. Participants will learn about the decisions that go into spacing, serifs, shape and other details that you never even knew were there by creating your own typefaces. In addition, you will gain fresh perspectives on typography and appreciating existing typefaces.
Major elective; Graphic Design majors only
Open to junior and above

This course will focus on the temporal and sequential aspects of typography, image and sound. Though some of the principles studied in Typography I, II, and III will be reviewed, our explorations will primarily focus on the idea of the sequential organization of information in time and how ideas like pacing, rhythm and progression can influence and shape meaning in both a cognitive (reading, structuring) and interpretive manner.
Open to junior and above
Graphic Design majors only

Typography II continues the study of essential typographic elements and principles, reviewing fundamentals from Typography I while advancing typographic functions and theoretical issues, both historical and current. Studies will expand to include text applications, grid systems, layout and page systems, along with typographic expression and communication. Students learn basic principles of book design and gain experience using the software programs used by the publishing industry.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This course presents advanced typographic issues, such as: various contrasts, structural and proportional systems, hierarchy and sequencing of text, type as image, legibility, critical theory, and some elements of the history of typography in relation to contemporary technology and trends in design. All students enrolling in this class should be familiar with typographic basics: the letter (intra- and interglyphal space), the word (kerning and letterspacing), and text (word space and line space). They should also know about visual arrangement of a printed page in both single and sequential presentation, and have a practical knowledge of digital typesetting. single and sequential orders, and have a practical knowledge of digital typesetting.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration

This course is a study of the structural and organizing systems at work in graphic design such as grids, modules, proportion, progression, symmetry and rhythm. Design problems will be studied holistically through projects that stress dynamic relationships among content, form and context to gain a deeper understanding of systems at many levels.
Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only
Registration by Graphic Design department, course not available via web registration