Courses

A Collaborative Study Project (CSP) allows two students to work collaboratively to complete a faculty supervised project of independent study. Usually, a CSP is supervised by two faculty members, but with approval it may be supervised by one faculty member. Its purpose is to meet individual student needs by providing an alternative to regularly offered courses, though it is not a substitute for a course if that course is regularly offered. Permission of Instructor required.

In this combined seminar/studio course we will take a survey of some of the most urgent critical conversations in the field of graphic design today, and engage those conversations through visual work. Through a diet of readings and discussions, we'll unpack the critical lenses that shape graphic design discourse, explore current conversations about design's relationship to structures of power, and look at the various strategies designers and thinkers have proposed for interrogating these structures. We'll engage all this through a series of brief studio projects that interpret, question, and extend ideas from the readings, and through self-directed research work. Taken together, our activities in this course will model a design practice that engages its context in sophisticated and rigorous ways. Major elective; undergraduate Graphic Design majors only. Open to junior and senior undergraduates.

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.

No shortage of crises vie for our attention: climate, pandemic, injustice, nuclear war, collapse. Some call this era the Anthropocene. In the first quarter of the 21st Century, society mounts its response to these crises with the dominant institutions such as the UN that were largely designed in the 19th century. These institutions are faltering. They are not up to the task of helping humanity transit through the discontinuity of this century. Whether you believe that they are no longer fit for purpose, that they have been made unfit for purpose, or that their purposes were never legitimate in the first place, there seems to be growing consensus that they are not up to the challenges that face us today - challenges they created. As a global civilization, they have been better at generating existential threats than they are at managing them. Afterall, institutions can be places that sustain humanity's worst ideas such as racism, illiberalism, colonialism, and dominion to name a few. Whether we say, "burn it down, nothing of value will be lost," or seek opportunities for renewal, renovation and adaptive reuse, there is an urgent need to describe what should come next. This is the work of artists and designers. In this studio, we will do some of that work. Advancing significant and transformative change in these arenas means confronting the core questions about how we organize our society and the institutions that make it. What are the roles, norms, values, that will enable humanity to flourish? What materials, technologies, cultures, logics, operations, practices, and social and natural systems will bring those abstract ideals into reality? What alternate models might we adapt and adopt? How will they be set up? How will they be maintained? Centuries from today, will the Anthropocene be notable for humanity's failure to address the threats it created, or for being a turning point for planet and people alike? Estimated Materials Cost: $100.00 Open to seniors and above. Also offered as ID-4545; Register in the course for which credit is desired.

In the first two semesters of a two-year studio track, students will come into contact with issues and questions that face the contemporary designer. Students will engage with and develop methods to take on these questions: search (formal and intellectual), research, analysis, ideation, and prototyping. Projects will increase in complexity over time, sequenced to evolve from guided inquiry to more open, self-generated methodologies. Some examples of the questions students might work with are: What is graphic? or How are tools shaped by contemporary culture, technology, and convention? or How is a spatial or dimensional experience plotted and communicated? These questions will be accompanied by a mix of precedents, theoretical contexts, readings and presentations, technical and/or formal exercises and working methods. Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

Students are expected to develop personal working methods and interests through more general questions posed by the faculty. Longer-term projects will be intermixed with shorter projects posed by visiting critics. Students should complete the Design Studio track with a developed sense of self, and able to start framing questions and lines of inquiries of their own. End forms will be more emphasized than in Design Studio 1 and 2, in part as evidence that craft and working methods are sufficiently evolved. The twice-a-week format is intended for juniors or advanced designers who have completed the first two semesters of Design Studio or an equivalent "design principles" track. Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

This course will lead students through the entire game design process, from sketch to publishing, in both 2D and 3D. Students will be introduced to Unity 3D, software that creates interactive designs and publishes them as desktop, web, and mobile applications. The course will also consider media theory and address video games' influence on our culture. Topics to be covered will include: analog and digital history of games; their ritualistic and symbolic origins; their use in contemporary art; an analysis of gaming subcultures; an analysis of the male gaze, hyper masculinity and violence in commercial gaming; a critique of the lack of diversity in the game development workforce; video games' influence on other mass media; and their role in how we perceive the world around us. There will be special focus on the graphic designer's role in a professional game development team. Once familiar with the Unity environment, the course will open up to other kinds of interactive software including AR and VR mobile applications. Unity 3D is free to use. There are no prerequisites but experience with 3D modeling is desired. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to seniors and graduate-level students. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

This 3-credit studio course will teach design fundamentals to the elective non-GD major students entering the field of Graphic Design from other disciplines, and will feature in-class instruction which may include 2D and 3D form basic principles of color; image-making from photography, drawing, collage, etc.; point and plane / figure and ground exercises; sequencing and exposure to various formats; etc. 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.

This graduate-level studio elective course will focus on the term "source" and its multiple meanings as a line of inquiry throughout the semester. A "source of truth" is the singular point which defines a piece of information. "Source code" is the origin from which a website or program is created. "Source material" refers to collateral that forms the basis for output. The notion of a "source" plays a significant role in how we design and produce work. This course will trace the various meanings of the term through a lens of digital design-focusing on the history of the internet, practical usages of web technologies, and a critical dialogue with the tools used to define the digital space. While this course will serve as a technical primer for web design and development, we will also use the standards and definitions that underlie the internet as a springboard for interrogating how and why these tools and sources shape our output. Through readings, discussions, and projects, we will chart a new path for what a "source" can be. 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.

Typography III is the culmination of RISD's typography sequence, with an emphasis on typography and contemporary display platforms. Advances in software and hardware have created new opportunities for how language is written, sequenced and accessed. Projects in this semester depend on altered states, where the content, composition, and context all are potentially at play. Students will continue to develop proficiency in designing for static compositions while extending the meaning and voice of that work across multiple platforms. Students will have ample opportunity to further shape their perspective and individual voice in relation to contemporary typography. This is a studio course, so some class time will be used for discussions, most of the time we will be working in class, often on a computer. There is an expectation that students work both individually and in groups and be prepared to speak about their own work and the work of their peers in supportive and respectful ways. A laptop and relevant software are required. 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.

This course will explore the possibilities of design online from a conceptual, historical, and programmatic perspective. The class celebrates the Internet as a space for social exchange and independent expression, while questioning the cultural contradictions embedded in online discourse and the motivations of individuals and entities behind online platforms. Through projects, readings, workshops, and presentations we will explore the relevance of network technologies in the context of contemporary art and design practices. Students will learn basic HTML, CSS, and JavaScript along with methods for conceptualizing, designing, and developing websites. Outcomes won't necessary be practical, nor pragmatically functional. Instead we will strive for a poetic understanding of design and the Internet as mediums for critical research and action. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors and above.

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.

Designing an identity and identity system is a critical skill practiced by today's designers. In this course, students will create two identity systems: one for an arts organization and one for a socially constructive campaign. While a traditional identity system is defined as a logo and a set of rules for governing that logo's application across a range of media, the goal of this class is to expand upon the ways an identity can be conceived through the manipulation of language, materials, and audience expectation/participation Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors and above.

Today, all images are computational. This studio elective grapples with the aesthetics, ethics, and social and cultural implications of images that are always, already data, and contextualizes them within broader fights for algorithmic justice. From emotion recognition to nudity detection, how have machines been taught to understand and misunderstand our images, our bodies, and the identities attached to them? Conversely, when we open the black box of automated image analysis, what can we learn about the logics and ideologies embedded in the computational gaze, and the artists and designers who subvert or disrupt them? Some familiarity with code is recommended, but we will focus on using code-free tools like Runway ML to create, deconstruct, and talk back to computational imagery. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

The Independent Study Project (ISP) allows students to supplement the established curriculum by completing a faculty supervised project for credit in a specific area of interest. Its purpose is to meet individual student needs by providing an alternative to regularly offered courses. Permission of Instructor and GPA of 3.0 or higher is required. Register by completing the Independent Study Application available on the Registrar's website; course is not available via web registration.

This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of motion graphics, as well as the implementation of video, and sound design. Students will learn a variety of motion graphics software, such as Adobe After Effects and Premier, as well as studio tools like Ableton Live, and/or other audio-visual programs. Students will learn how to capture, manipulate, mix and optimize audio visual material for final production and implementation. Through a series of in-class and multi-week assignments, students will create animated projects that include motion design real-world assignments, as well as experimental exercises, with the goal of exploring intersections between graphic design, story telling, visual composition, and the realms of rhythm and sound. Adobe After Effects will be the primary production tool for this class. Each student will propose a long term project, this project will be developed throughout the semester and presented as the final project for the class. In addition to our software tutorials, there will be a series of short weekly lectures to review specific histories, and also current practitioners who are using motion graphics and sound to create works in the worlds of design, fine art, and performance. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to seniors and graduate-level students. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

This course focuses on advanced composition in Graphic Design and Typography using an array of materials, techniques and formats. Form remains an area of study in graphic design that does not need an application, only a surface. Emphasis will be placed on experimental form-making/image-making using generative and iterative approaches. Form need not follow function. Studio assignments are supported by lectures showing contemporary graphic form, from historical to contemporary work, that are effective and evocative. This elective aims to build a collection of work that can be shared with the larger graphic design community. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only Open to juniors and above.

The Graphic Design Department allows up to 6 credits of graphic design studies as practical internships in professional studios. It is an opportunity primarily recommended for upper-class undergraduates. All internships for credit must have departmental approval (of placement and studio qualification) and are administered according to department guidelines. The assigned faculty from the department administers this course and will present information about requirements during the fall semester. ***Off-Campus Study***

The poster has been an archetypal graphic design format since the late 19th century when lithographic printing technology came of age and captured the imagination of artists, bringing their vision into Paris streets. This course will invite you to explore future possibilities and contexts for the poster-as paper and as screen-building on its singular capacity to transform ideas into iconic picture planes; and examining the dynamics of typography and image, both still and in motion. Prompts will progress from individual posters, to sequences, to site-specific installations that explore the potential for interactive discourse in public space. Studio assignments will be supported with presentations and readings about poster history and contemporary poster design. For Fall/Spring: Major elective; Graphic Design majors only.Open to juniors and above. Open to non-majors and Brown students with instructor permission. For Wintersession: Open to all students via web-registration

This elective is an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the process of designing a serif text typeface; to consider all the design decisions that are a part of this creative exercise, and to learn the finer points of bezier wrangling, serif and sans, spacing, kerning, and all the other details of execution which turn a roughly-formed idea into a more complete, rigorous and polished type design. This course will provide a fundamental understanding of how typefaces work in addition to accessing a new design tool that can find practical use. This is a Mac only course. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors and above.

Building on a collection of texts at the intersection of language, identity, and societal conditioning, this course examines the extent to which typography can engage in world building and the production and dissemination of proposals for alternative systems. Through a series of parallel assignments including reading, writing, and making, we will individually and collectively explore different strategies and mediums through which we can activate a multitude of voices and approaches that comprise our complex world of many worlds. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to seniors and above. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

Typography 1 is the first in a three-course sequence that introduces students to the fundamentals of typographic practice, both as a set of technical skills and as an expressive medium. This first semester of typography begins fully zoomed-in -- exploring how and why letterforms are formed. Students will work with various tools and materials to construct letters; with attention paid to meaning, voice and the line between language and abstract form. The second part of the semester concerns itself with setting type. Typesetting is the score for the reading experience. Typesetting conventions and nomenclature will be taught by zooming out from the letter, to the word, to the paragraph and to the page. Students will become comfortable with typographic color and texture in a finite static composition. This is a studio course, so some class time will be used for discussions, most of the time we will be working in class. There is an expectation that students work both individually and in groups and be prepared to speak about their own work and the work of their peers in supportive and respectful ways. A laptop and relevant software are required. Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

Typography III is the culmination of RISD's typography sequence, with an emphasis on typography and contemporary display platforms. Advances in software and hardware have created new opportunities for how language is written, sequenced and accessed. Projects in this semester depend on altered states, where the content, composition, and context all are potentially at play. Students will continue to develop proficiency in designing for static compositions while extending the meaning and voice of that work across multiple platforms. Students will have ample opportunity to further shape their perspective and individual voice in relation to contemporary typography. This is a studio course, so some class time will be used for discussions, most of the time we will be working in class, often on a computer. There is an expectation that students work both individually and in groups and be prepared to speak about their own work and the work of their peers in supportive and respectful ways. A laptop and relevant software are required. Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

How do designers respond, think about and make for equitable futures? How much do we need to scrap or throw under the proverbial bus (ourselves included)? Unmaking studio is a space that explores possibilities through collaborative experimentation and reflection on how we can design in pluralistic ways. We will intentionally break habits, structures, tools, methods, and models of thought that have become canonized as the way to make Graphic Design. Along the way, we will experiment, at times in collaboration, with a series of prompts that explore analog and digital outcomes - forms, images, stories, languages, publications, the unknown, the emergent - thinking about the stories our work tells about ourselves (our lineages, our choices, and our values), our communities, and how all of this has the potential to radically and joyfully shift how we engage as human beings. Estimated Materials Cost: $50.00 Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors, seniors and graduate-level students. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

In this course students will explore a series of UX Research, UX Strategy, and human centered design methods and processes that build towards a cohesive body of work on a specific topic area of their choosing. By exploring a variety of tools and methods students will ultimately develop their own process that they can articulate throughout their work at RISD and beyond. In addition to exploring a diverse range of methods, the class will read, write, and engage in discussion on professional and academic writing related to UX and design practice. Throughout, there will be an emphasis placed on professional practice, and developing skills that will be applicable in a professional setting. Practicing researchers and designers from a number of sectors will critique and evaluate students' projects throughout the course. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to seniors and graduate-level students. Open to non-majors pending seat availablity and instructor permission.

From Letterpress to Inkjet: this workshop will offer the students a unique opportunity to connect the dots. Two technologies more than 500 years apart will inspire the students in finding either harmony or discord. Neither is proven wrong. Students will be introduced to the Type Shop through the techniques and procedures for setting and printing metal and wood type on the Vandercook proofing presses. Engaging in this historic craft, newly developed skills will be transformed into contemporary results. The students will unite the digital with the analog technology, for example by feeding a letterpress print through the inkjet plotter or to digitize hot metal type. The options are endless. Specifications on paper selection will be discussed and samples of letterpressed books will be shown for inspiration. Any such targeted integration of science and art goes beyond the sheer structural and aesthetic qualities of given "product." But as regards graphic design "product," it must contain the conscious integration of the human factor, technology, and aesthetics to prove effective. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to non-majors with permission by the Department.

This workshop will use Risograph printing to combine practical prepress skills with experimental form-making. The aim of the workshop is to teach students to consider the craft and value of well-planned files to produce high-quality outputs that can be replicated and shared. By focusing on the Risograph printer students will work within a series of technical constraints that will require creative solutions as well as a strong understanding of this particular printing process, color, paper, and file preparation. Estimated Materials Cost: $40.00 Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to sophomores and above. Open to non-majors with permission by the Department.

This workshop will focus on establishing a basic understanding of a variety of screen printing techniques and how to make use of those techniques in making your projects. Through in-class demos and out-of-class assignments, this workshop will encourage interplay between screen prints and digital prints. The class will start with simple paper stencils and move quickly into making screens from images and text generated digitally. No previous experience required. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to sophomore and above. Open to non-majors by permission of Instructor.

This workshop is an introduction to the methods involved in studio photography for designers with an emphasis on lighting-bringing objects to life by articulating their shapes and surfaces with various lighting sources: soft/hard, direct/reflected, focused/diffused, etc. Additional attention will be given to digital file preparation and printing. Throughout this workshop, students will explore the use of DSLR cameras, lenses, exposure meters, and related equipment to create original images of selected 3D objects. Elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to sophomores and above.

This workshop combines the tactical skills needed to structure web pages with a looser more playful compositional mindset. Students are introduced to the structural elements and properties of HTML and CSS through hands-on demos and take-home assignments. Tight technical HTML drawings in week one give way to looser, full-screen abstract compositions in week two. Weeks three and four make use of animation and interactivity using CSS3 and jQuery. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to non-majors with permission by the Department.

The Graphic Design Department allows up to 6 credits of graphic design studies as practical internships in professional studios. It is an opportunity primarily recommended for upper-class undergraduates. All internships for credit must have departmental approval (of placement and studio qualification) and are administered according to department guidelines. The assigned faculty from the department administers this course and will present information about requirements during the fall semester. ***Off-Campus Study***

A Collaborative Study Project (CSP) allows two students to work collaboratively to complete a faculty supervised project of independent study. Usually, a CSP is supervised by two faculty members, but with approval it may be supervised by one faculty member. Its purpose is to meet individual student needs by providing an alternative to regularly offered courses, though it is not a substitute for a course if that course is regularly offered.

What kinds of graphic forms are unique to digital screens? How can we or should we design for phones, laptops, and other digital devices? *What is this digital material capable of?* This introductory studio course is an exploration of these questions and the range of possibilities that digital tools and spaces afford us. We will look at a vast and ever-changing landscape that includes multiple mediums, practices, technologies, geographies, histories, and more. To guide these explorations, we will focus on three key ideas: - Phenomenologies of light and computation, particularly additive color and binary; - Keyframing, sequencing, and programming of motion design and animation; and, - Structuring and integrating responsive and interactive design elements or systems, particularly websites and user interfaces. Students build up facility and familiarity with digital practices through small workshops, larger overarching projects, and opportunities to share independent research. In addition to studio work, students will look at historical developments and conflicts in the world of digital design and technology, including discussions of equity and inequity.

This course is for graduate students in graphic design to work independently on research. The instructor serves an advisory role in all projects. Students must submit a written proposal for work planned and criteria for evaluation. Course meetings are arranged individually, or with the group as needed. Open to Graphic Design graduate students Course may be repeated due to new research projects each semester. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

This course is for graphic design graduate students in their final year to work independently on their graduate thesis. The instructor serves an advisory role in all projects. Students must submit a written proposal for work planned and criteria for evaluation. Course meetings are arranged individually, or with the group as needed. Graduate major requirement; Graphic Design thesis graduates only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

This wintersession studio will attempt to draw a line between DIY zine making and large scale publishing, giving students a grounding in many techniques and technologies available to them from classical bookbinding to industrial production. We will focus on the social and material practices that foster cooperative presses and collective publications. Students will learn basic prepress and layout techniques, introductory risograph, screenprinting, and bookmaking methods, such as saddle stitching, coil and perfect binding, as well as more experimental approaches to publishing. This studio will encourage students to be self-directed and work collaboratively to make 1 or 2 publications over the course of the class. This class will run counter to most popular conceptions of publishing. Even the most rigorous historians often imagine print shops as rigidly hierarchical and directed by lone white master printers, churning out nothing but bibles-the exemplary book. They center perfectly printed volumes, tightly bound, uniform, inalterable, and embossed with the gilded name of one author. Instead, we will propose a messier history and an alternative culture of publishing built on solidarity economies and cooperative modes of production. The archive is littered with pamphlets and propaganda by anonymous collectives, sold and produced cheaply, barely bound if at all, disseminating countercultural ideas even from the earliest days of Guttenberg. In this way, things like zines may have as much to tell us about publishing as "traditional" books.

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. Open to undergraduate and graduate students.

The Independent Study Project (ISP) allows students to supplement the established curriculum by completing a faculty supervised project for credit in a specific area of interest. Its purpose is to meet individual student needs by providing an alternative to regularly offered courses. Permission of Instructor and GPA of 3.0 or higher is required. Register by completing the Independent Study Application available on the Registrar's website; course is not available via web registration.

The Independent Study Project (ISP) allows students to supplement the established curriculum by completing a faculty supervised project for credit in a specific area of interest. Its purpose is to meet individual student needs by providing an alternative to regularly offered courses. Permission of Instructor and GPA of 3.0 or higher is required. Register by completing the Independent Study Application available on the Registrar's website; the course is not available via web registration.

The Graphic Design Department allows up to 6 credits of graphic design studies as practical internships in professional studios. It is an opportunity primarily recommended for upper-class undergraduates. All internships for credit must have departmental approval (of placement and studio qualification) and are administered according to department guidelines. The assigned faculty from the department administers this course and will present information about requirements during the fall semester. ***Off-Campus Study***

This is a vibrant time for book makers. The designer encapsulates numerous roles in the creation of a publication: content generator, typographer, printer, binder, editor and publisher. Gutenberg may have started the revolution in the 1400s, but the form of the book is anything but antiquated. With ever-changing technologies and sophisticated materials, the potential for the book and its distribution has only expanded. Through a series of exploratory exercises including hybrid forms of printing and binding, students will continually use content as the primary consideration as they challenge historical precedents and traditions. Artists including Clarissa Sligh, Julie Chen, Leon Ferrari, Mira Schendel, Amos Paul Kennedy, Tauba Auerbach, Sara DeBondt, Irma Boom, and others provide differing models, and perspectives on the form of the book. Students will visit special collections for inspiration, experiment with various output devices including analog collage, digital printers, silkscreen, letterpress and polymer technologies, laser cutting, both traditional and experimental materials and bindings to position the book into contemporary hands. Estimated Materials Cost: $100.00

Today the whole world is stretched to rectangles and rebuilt through contemporary tools such as iPhone, Zoom, 3D scanner. Just as the invention of photography, the invention of the synthesizer and the smartphone led to a huge change in the way we see, produce sound, and play music. We have been closely interacting with tools as we form our world. Although the range of media that designers can fiddle is diversifying, we tend to design within a certain norm. There are legacies of different tools, materials, and media that have been built over time. By hacking the use of these conventional tools, we can generate new creations. Experimental practices and perspectives in digital tools are needed for a multilayered, critical, and detailed understanding of various digital tools. In this class, students analyze the tools' characteristics beyond the conventional use of their respective everyday tools and seek ways to discover new uses by twisting and flipping. Based on this method, we will look at how to intervene and overturn contemporary tools such as Penscanner, AR, panoramic camera in iPhone, Zoom, found footages, and Google Maps. Lectures and mini-workshops will be provided to help students understand the concept and context of tool rollovers and cracks in the screen. Finally, we will build our own methodology for tools and create new works using them. There is no need for prior experience in Photoshop, Illustrator, or coding, as the assignments are flexible. Estimated Materials Cost: $75.00 Also offered as DM-1563; Register in the course for which credit is desired.

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 pre-registered. Section 1: Open to sophomore and above Section 2: Open to all

This course will cover the fundamentals of UX design, primarily focusing on the interface and aesthetics of digital products and their influence on the user experience. Starting with understanding the user needs, behavior and habits, we'll look at principles and laws in UX alongside digital trends and patterns, interface guidelines, their application, and usage. Students will design responsive interfaces on topics of their choosing, practice research methodologies, and create a design system for their proposed solution. 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.).

This course registers an outgoing exchange student into a pre-approved GRAPH studio course which is taken at the exchange school. Successful completion of the course will result in a "T" grade once receipt of the official transcript from the partner school has arrived at Registrar's Office.

How can design challenge power and imagine new futures around climate change, mental illness, or political unrest? In these times of global uncertainty, design can be an effective tool for empowering individuals and communities to achieve social impact. In collaboration with community leaders and global social justice organizations, we will engage in supporting real-world interventions through a series of in-studio and multi-week assignments. This studio design course invites you to create self-driven work and collaborative outcomes. We will challenge critical thinking through class discussions, research, and critique, exploring conventional and unconventional making methodologies using 2D and 3D mediums, digital platforms, and artistic forms of expression. We will be a force of inspiration by informing, enlightening, and educating our communities on critical matters affecting humanity and the world. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only Open to juniors, seniors and graduate-level students. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

A Collaborative Study Project (CSP) allows two students to work collaboratively to complete a faculty supervised project of independent study. Usually, a CSP is supervised by two faculty members, but with approval it may be supervised by one faculty member. Its purpose is to meet individual student needs by providing an alternative to regularly offered courses, though it is not a substitute for a course if that course is regularly offered.

Color is a phenomenon of light and pigment and is an expressive and symbolic component of art and design. Color exists in myriad forms: as ink on paper, as pixels on computers, paint on canvas, as light on screens, and reflected off surfaces of objects both natural and man-made. Through a series of exercises and assignments, students in this class will explore the power of color-seeing color in action as well as examining and creating color relationships and operations. Students will rotate through two faculty for six weeks each, and in doing so, explore how designers utilize color and how color gets applied to surfaces. Students will develop a general understanding of color theory and applied color through observation and articulation. These techniques and skills will serve as a complement to your other required core courses. A blend of lectures, demonstrations, studio exercises, assignments, and critiques, will allow students to observe, articulate, analyze, and practice the use of color. Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

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.

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. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors and above.

The current understanding of what constitutes design is straining at the margins of convention. The reach of design has moved beyond the materiality of objects, to biotechnological matter of chemicals and encoded genetic information, from physical space to code and data. Human beings now live lives that are immersed in design. The designer and their subject share a dialectical relationship, constantly shaping and reshaping each other. The role of the designer, thriving in the world of post-industrial and digital technologies, is thus broader today than ever before-from designing brands and creating personalities, to contriving and manipulating living organisms. Post-postmodernism, pseudo-modernism, supermodernism, digimodernism, are only a few of the many terms trying to describe our current state. Today, we occupy the digital domain as thoroughly as we do physical space. Codes and algorithms have also become signifiers of a new biotechnological paradigm shift, marking the passage into a posthuman epoch by launching us into a virtual space composed of a bright galaxy of screens and digital worlds, creating a symbiotic relationship between our technology and biological selves. As designers, we shape, clash, align, and distort this new space, elaborating a stage for the New Man and the New Woman, and perhaps even the Nonhuman. In this class, we will explore our contemporary condition through visual-research based projects around self-design, speculative design and design fiction. We will use graphic design as a medium to ask questions about ethical concerns emerging from advancements in science and technology. We will develop a new design vernacular incorporating ideas from revolutionary recent developments in genetics, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence. We will employ machine vision: microscopy, neuroimaging and NASA archives to create new fictional worlds in concert with the life forms around and inside us. This engagement with the sciences will allow us as graphic designers to acquire some fundamental tools that probe fundamental human nature, and help us navigate the posthuman epoch that lies ahead. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to seniors and above.

In the first two semesters of a two-year studio track, students will come into contact with issues and questions that face the contemporary designer. Students will engage with and develop methods to take on these questions: search (formal and intellectual), research, analysis, ideation, and prototyping. Projects will increase in complexity over time, sequenced to evolve from guided inquiry to more open, self-generated methodologies. Some examples of the questions students might work with are: What is graphic? or How are tools shaped by contemporary culture, technology, and convention? or How is a spatial or dimensional experience plotted and communicated? These questions will be accompanied by a mix of precedents, theoretical contexts, readings and presentations, technical and/or formal exercises and working methods. Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

Students are expected to develop personal working methods and interests through more general questions posed by the faculty. Longer-term projects will be intermixed with shorter projects posed by visiting critics. Students should complete the Design Studio track with a developed sense of self, and able to start framing questions and lines of inquiries of their own. End forms will be more emphasized than in Design Studio 1 and 2, in part as evidence that craft and working methods are sufficiently evolved. The twice-a-week format is intended for juniors or advanced designers who have completed the first two semesters of Design Studio or an equivalent "design principles" track. Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

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 juniors and above.

In this time of overlapping crises, as systems of domination insist we stay the course, it seems necessary to try everything differently. Publishers too need to reimagine their practice, not in pursuit of solutions but as a tireless process of experimentation. This studio will focus on the social and material practices that foster cooperative presses and collective publications. Students will learn prepress and layout techniques, introductory risograph, screenprinting, and bookmaking methods, such as saddle stitching, coil and perfect binding, as well as more experimental approaches to publishing. This studio will encourage students to be self-directed and work collaboratively to make a number of publications over the course of the semester. We will visit print/publishing studios in the Providence area and have guest critiques from the field. How do we make publications differently? Historians often imagine early print shops as rigidly hierarchical, directed by lone white master printers, churning out perfectly printed volumes, tightly bound, uniform, inalterable, and embossed with the gilded name of one author. Instead, we will propose a messier history and an alternative culture of publishing built on solidarity economies and cooperative modes of production. The archive is littered with pamphlets and propaganda by anonymous collectives, sold and produced cheaply, barely bound if at all, disseminating countercultural ideas even from the earliest days of Guttenberg. In this way, things like zines may have as much to tell us about publishing as "traditional" books. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only Open to seniors and graduate-level students

This 3-credit course will teach advanced design principles of formal structures, relations, and systems to the eclectic non-GD major students entering the field of Graphic Design from other disciplines. 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.

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

This course is an overview of the basic principles of type design. The focus is on negative space, words, and readability. Students will gain a deeper understanding of typography and increased insight into existing typefaces. Graduate major requirement; 3-year MFA Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

The second semester continues the development of typographic practice by exploring the conditions in which type operates: the systems needed to work with varying scales and narrative structures. Students will design large-scale and small-scale work simultaneously; understanding the trade-offs of various formats and contexts. The course also extends basic typesetting into more extended reading experiences. Students will learn to set the conditions for readability by creating order, expressing emotion and making meaning. Students will design and bind a book while understanding how the traditions of the codex relate to onscreen reading. Within the durable form of the book, lies centuries of conventions like indexical systems, footnotes, page matter and more. Students also will become better readers, by engaging with contemporary issues in the field of typography and type design. This is a studio course, so some class time will be used for discussions, most of the time we will be working in class, often on a computer. There is an expectation that students work both individually and in groups and be prepared to speak about their own work and the work of their peers in supportive and respectful ways. A laptop and relevant software are required. 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.

Designing an identity and identity system is a critical skill practiced by today's designers. In this course, students will create two identity systems: one for an arts organization and one for a socially constructive campaign. While a traditional identity system is defined as a logo and a set of rules for governing that logo's application across a range of media, the goal of this class is to expand upon the ways an identity can be conceived through the manipulation of language, materials, and audience expectation/participation Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors and above.

The Independent Study Project (ISP) allows students to supplement the established curriculum by completing a faculty supervised project for credit in a specific area of interest. Its purpose is to meet individual student needs by providing an alternative to regularly offered courses. Permission of Instructor and GPA of 3.0 or higher is required. Register by completing the Independent Study Application available on the Registrar's website; course is 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. Open to juniors and above.

The Graphic Design Department allows up to 6 credits of graphic design studies as practical internships in professional studios. It is an opportunity primarily recommended for upper-class undergraduates. All internships for credit must have departmental approval (of placement and studio qualification) and are administered according to department guidelines. The assigned faculty from the department administers this course and will present information about requirements during the fall semester. ***Off-Campus Study***

Queer people and queer bodies have always been in between, on the outskirts of, or defying categories. Because we are not so neatly categorized we have to defend not just our identities, but our existence, our humanness. Queer/trans bodies have historically been equated to monsters, which further other, villainize, and objectify us. What does it mean if we embrace this stereotype of monstrosity? Is it worth it? What are the repercussions? What happens when our bodies are consumed as objects? What does it look like when we are in control? What does it mean to embody and empower queerness? transness? In groups and individually, students will create work with respect to queer bodies that ask for our specific experiences, needs, wants, and desires. Work will take into account other aspects of identity like race, class, disability, etc, that cannot be separated from queerness. Designs can be anything in relation to the body; some might take the form of apparel, adornment, costume, body modification, body intervention. What happens when we think of our bodies as a material? Course meetings will range from class discussions, making/fabricating demos, individual work time, studio visits and critiques. Final projects will be self driven under the guidance of the instructor and with the support of their peers. The semester will culminate with a collaborative student curated event to exchange their work with the community in whatever modes they desire. This course is designed for self driven students who already have established an independent practice with strong research and conceptual interests. Queer/identity based work is highly encouraged and supported. Elective

This is a course about design and motion, filtered through the lens of real-world, graphic design applications. From film titles to animated gifs, design installations to handheld applications, motion is an important consideration in 21st century graphic design. This course combines disciplines of graphic design, animation, storytelling and sound design. Through a series of in-studio and multi-week assignments, students will create animated projects that include real-world assignments as well as experimental exercises. Short weekly lectures will discuss historic and current works of influential Motion Designers, Animators and Directors. Adobe After Effects will be the primary production tool for this class. Through the sequence of assignments, students will become fluent with the software. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors 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; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors, seniors and graduate-level students.

This elective is an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the process of designing a serif text typeface; to consider all the design decisions that are a part of this creative exercise, and to learn the finer points of bezier wrangling, serif and sans, spacing, kerning, and all the other details of execution which turn a roughly-formed idea into a more complete, rigorous and polished type design. This course will provide a fundamental understanding of how typefaces work in addition to accessing a new design tool that can find practical use. This is a Mac only course. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to juniors and above.

What gives a typeface its personality? Why does one font appear bigger or clearer or darker or warmer than another? The answers to these questions can often be found by simply looking more closely at the letters themselves. Graphic designers who can scrutinize and describe types' nuances are better equipped to pick the right tool for the job and discuss those choices with colleagues and clients. Typeface design is a unique and important skill that profoundly affects visible language. The drawing of letterforms intersects with the history of graphic design and technology and affects every aspect of design practice, from branding and editorial design to motion and interaction design. Students will apply their knowledge to design an original typeface focusing on a real or imagined brand. This is a Mac-only course. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only Open to seniors and graduate-level students Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

The second semester continues the development of typographic practice by exploring the conditions in which type operates: the systems needed to work with varying scales and narrative structures. Students will design large-scale and small-scale work simultaneously; understanding the trade-offs of various formats and contexts. The course also extends basic typesetting into more extended reading experiences. Students will learn to set the conditions for readability by creating order, expressing emotion and making meaning. Students will design and bind a book while understanding how the traditions of the codex relate to onscreen reading. Within the durable form of the book, lies centuries of conventions like indexical systems, footnotes, page matter and more. Students also will become better readers, by engaging with contemporary issues in the field of typography and type design. This is a studio course, so some class time will be used for discussions, most of the time we will be working in class, often on a computer. There is an expectation that students work both individually and in groups and be prepared to speak about their own work and the work of their peers in supportive and respectful ways. A laptop and relevant software are required. Major requirement; Graphic Design majors only. Registration by Graphic Design Department, course not available via web registration.

This studio course will focus on learning web development tools with a holistic socio-political lens. Through projects, you will further your experience using tools such as Figma, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JavaScript libraries, Github, and learn to leverage these skills to give form to your ideas. We will address the vast and complex world of contemporary professional web development and graphic designers' various roles in this space. Additionally, through discussions and presentations, we will explore the intersecting social, political, and historical contexts around web technologies, shedding light on some of the ethical challenges in tech and design spaces. Web development as a practice relies upon collective work; in that spirit, we will learn collaboratively and build on the possibilities we find. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to seniors and graduate-level students. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

This workshop is meant to direct and enable students to learn the fundamentals of motion graphics and After Effects, emphasizing kinetic typography. By the end of the workshop, students will have a wide range of skills in motion graphics and encourage more learning for future projects. No previous experience is required. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only Open to sophomores and above. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.

This workshop will introduce students to the foundational tenets of digital 3-dimensional modeling through the lens of the graphic designer. Using 3D-modeling and sculpting software students will learn strategies for creating virtual forms in different contexts. Once comfortable with modeling students will be introduced to the various elements of rendering including shaders, lighting, and the virtual camera. After successfully rendering scenes students will learn to composite their renderings with 2D graphic design work as well as create animations for video and motion graphics. Major elective; Graphic Design majors. Open to sophomores and above. Open to non-majors with permission by the Department.

Photography plays an important role in the field of graphic design -- within publications, posters, electronic media, etc. Because of the camera's availability and fairly inexpensive cost, photography has become one of the most popular hobbies in the world. Although he/she is in possession of such a device, the average person is not entirely aware of certain image manipulations and other concepts used by the graphic designer. This four-week workshop introduces designers to the lighting studio and the many uses of the camera in creating design artifacts. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to non-majors with permission by the Department.

This workshop will use Risograph printing to combine practical prepress skills with experimental form-making. The aim of the workshop is to teach students to consider the craft and value of well-planned files to produce high-quality outputs that can be replicated and shared. By focusing on the Risograph printer students will work within a series of technical constraints that will require creative solutions as well as a strong understanding of this particular printing process, color, paper, and file preparation. Estimated Materials Cost: $40.00 Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to sophomores and above. Open to non-majors with permission by the Department.

This workshop will focus on establishing a basic understanding of a variety of screen printing techniques and how to make use of those techniques in making your projects. Through in-class demos and out-of-class assignments, this workshop will encourage interplay between screen prints and digital prints. The class will start with simple paper stencils and move quickly into making screens from images and text generated digitally. No previous experience required. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only. Open to sophomore and above. Open to non-majors by permission of Instructor.

Variable fonts offer graphic designers new ways to create dynamic, complex, and consistent typographic systems. While digital typefaces traditionally require multiple font files to cover a range of weights and styles, variable fonts instead store glyphs as a range of possible forms with infinite variations. In this four-week workshop, students learn how to utilize and design variable fonts for a wide variety of use cases including typographic identity systems, interpolated animations, and context-aware adjustments like optical sizing. Projects include designing graphics with variable fonts, modifying open source typefaces to introduce variable functionality, and conceiving of original variable font designs. Course instruction includes Glyphs for designing typefaces and basic HTML/CSS for animating variable fonts; no background in type design or coding is required. Major elective; Graphic Design majors only Open to sophomores and above. Open to non-majors pending seat availability and permission of instructor.