First Semester Reflection

This semester I learned that graphic design is not an easy job or class. Graphic Design takes time to master, and if someone wants to do this as a career it takes time and patience. There are so many terms and tools to know, and remember to do well in this industry. 

Review Week 17

Have you learned something?
I learned how to identify typefaces and fonts. I also learned that serifs are basically the curly things at the ends of letters. Serifs come from ancient Rome. Roman stone carvers would first paint on the letters and then carve out the letter, including the flares at the end of strokes. This created the serif. There are two main serifs; they are Adnate and Abrupt. Adnate though, is more organic than Abrupt. Abrupt "is squarer and more rigid, and doesn’t flow into the base letterform," according to ilovetypeography.com.

Steve Jobs

Who is Steve Jobs? Creator of Apple
What company was he CEO for many years? Apple
What did he do for the computer industry? He made the computer easier to use and more fun.
How did this man impact the graphic design industry? It benefited the Graphic Design field greatly.

Review Week 9

Compare and contrast vector graphics and pixel images.
Comparing: They help the graphics field
Contrasting: Vector images do not use pixels.  Pixel based art is resolution dependent and should not be enlarged. Vector based art is resolution independent and can be scaled to any size. 
What resolution is necessary to print raster images? 
300 dpi (dots per inch) 
What resolution is necessary to display raster images on the internet?
150 dpi

Review Week 8

Why must designers pay close attention to how color is utilized within a composition? So it is balanced out and certain details stand out,

Why is the color wheel an important tool for graphic designers? So graphic designers can use the right colors for there designs.

Find an example of neutral colors utilized within a design (hint: google poster design). Near the sample, discuss why you feel the designer included neutral colors within the composition.

Briefly describe how we "see" the color of an object? We see what color stands out most. If there is a direct object the designer wants to point out, they usually use a bright, eye catching color.

Review Week 6

What is the pen tool used for?
How can you manipulate a path/line in Illustrator? Discuss the use of the white arrow tool, pen+, pen-, and convert too.
How can you utilize the layers palette in Illustrator?How do you create a clipping mask in Adobe Illustrator?

Review Week 4

Why/how can icons be used to communicate?
What is the difference between copyright and public domain?
How can you avoid plagiarism in this class? In other classes?

Review Week 3

What is OSHA? What do the letters stand for?
How can graphic designers effectively communicate? In your own words, explain the communication process.
Understanding the history, culture and movements of fine and graphic arts will make you a better producer of visual messages. Why?

Review Week 9

Compare and contrast vector graphics and pixel images.
Compared: 

• Both have to do with graphic design.
• Both use mathematical equations to create a graphic design

Contrasted: 
Vector: Vector Graphics geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon(s).
Pixel: is similar to a bit image, which also describes a screen graphic, but a pixel image has an added dimension, sometimes called depth.

What resolution is necessary to print raster images?




What resolution is necessary to display raster images on the internet?

Review Week 16

How many points are in an inch? How many points are in a pica?72 PostScript points    12 PostScript points
Of the seven classifications, which classification(s) would best work as body type? Why?

Identify the lowercase characters that have ascenders?

Identify the lowercase characters that have descenders? g, j, p, q, and y




Classify the following typefaces and briefly explain why you believe it should be classified that way:

Review Week 14

Identify 5 colleges that offer graphic design (or related) majors. For each, list the school name, location, graphics majors that are offered, requirements for admission. 
 1. Rhode Island School of Design in Providence

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), founded in 1877, is one of the oldest colleges for art and design. RISD shares a partnership with the Rhode Island School of Design Museum and is located in Providence, near Boston and New York. This art and design institution offers bachelor's and master's degree programs in ceramics, interior design and photography, as well as other related undergraduate majors. In 2010 U.S. News and World Report ranked RISD as the top fine arts school in the country. The master's degree programs award a wide variety of specializations in art and design, including painting, learning in art and design, graphic design, sculpture and scriptmaking.

 2. Yale University in New Haven, CT

Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut, was founded in 1701 and is one of the third-oldest educational institutions in the United States. The university's art and design degree programs were ranked second, while the painting and photography majors were ranked first in the country by U.S. News and World Report in 2010. Yale's School of Art and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offer undergraduate and graduate degrees in graphic design, painting and printmaking, sculpture among other art and design fields. The facilities available to students in these fields include the university art gallery, arts library, British art center, digital media center and printshop.

 3. School of the Art Institute in Chicago, Illinois

The School of the Art Institute in Chicago (SAIC) is housed within the arts and design museum, the Art Institute of Chicago. With almost 3,000 students, SAIC is one of the largest independent schools for art and design of its kind in the United States. Undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as post-baccalaureate certificates in a number art and design fields, including art education, art history, art therapy, studio, designed objects, arts administration and studio. U.S. News and World Report listed the School of the Art Institute in Chicago as the third best college for the fine arts and second best for colleges offering instruction the fiber arts in 2010.
 4. Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) is a public, 4-year college with a main campus located in Atlanta, GA. Georgia Tech was founded in 1885, currently enrolls more than 20,000 undergraduate and graduate students, and has a 400-acre, urban campus in downtown Atlanta. Research is one of the university's most prominent interests; in 2008, Georgia Tech spent approximately $525 million on research. In 2010, U.S. News and World Reportranked Georgia Tech 35th among national universities (www.usnews.com).

The Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts includes the School of Literature, Communication and Culture. The liberal arts college was founded in 1990 and offers a variety of social services and humanities programs. Its faculty members specialize in interactive game design and digital information, among many other fields. Computational media is the most popular undergraduate major within the College.

Graphic Design and Multimedia Programs

Bachelor of Science in Computational Media

This program is offered jointly by the College of Computing and the School of Literature, Communication and Culture.. It focuses on computer history, technology and applications such as digital art, interactive design, graphics and sound. Students might specialize in special effects, game design or other areas. They are required to take courses in mathematics, programming and design.

Master of Science in Digital Media

Students take both seminar and studio courses that cover the aesthetic, technical and cultural aspects of digital media. The program is limited to approximately 25 students per academic year, and students come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds. Graduates may work in digital media production, design or analysis.

Doctor of Philosophy in Digital Media

Established in 2004, this program was one of first of its kind in the world. It is intended for aspiring practitioners and theorists in the digital media realm. Required courses include interactive design principles, visual culture, new media and at least one section of project studio. Students might choose electives in networked media design, experimental media, game design special topics and intellectual property law.

 5. The New School

Ranked No. 139 in 'National Universities' by U.S. News & World Report for 2011, The New School has a storied, unique history. Founded in 1919 by a small group of innovative thinkers, the university was designed to emphasize free expression and hands-on educational experiences uncommon to the time. In 1933, a second division of the school dubbed the University in Exile was created as a sanctuary for the ideas and continued education of scholars fleeing Europe from the tyranny of the regimes of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini. Building on its bold tradition, the university now maintains degree programs and continuing education courses in diverse fields ranging from the arts to public policy that aim to spur direct, positive engagement with the local and world community.

Originally begun in 1896 and later adopted into The New School system in 1970, Parsons The New School for Design is widely considered to be one of the best design schools in the nation. Ranked No. 21 in 'Fine Arts' and No. 12 in 'Graphic Design' at the graduate level by U.S. News & World Report in 2011, the school boasts accomplished alumni and faculty in fields such as photography, visual art, graphic design and architecture and was the first American fine arts school to ever found a campus abroad. Students in Parsons' School of Art, Media and Technology are encouraged to pursue careers in graphic arts, animation, film, game design and various other specialized options.

Graphic Design and Animation Programs

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design and Technology

Creating a foundation of fundamental art and design knowledge as well as an understanding of modern media platforms and technology, this program allows students to delve into areas such as animation, computer graphics and interactive design. On their path to completing the program, students take such courses as culture and technology, creative computer art and history of design in addition to studio labs and collaborative projects.

Master of Fine Arts in Design and Technology

Further exploring the broader trends in modern design and its interaction with technological advancements, this program greatly emphasizes research and the practical application of design principles as they affect businesses, social networking and interactive communication. The program of study includes a series of studio courses that allow students to develop their own design projects and a series of collaborative studio courses that enable students to work side-by-side with real-world organizations to construct effective designs.

Certificate in Graphic and Digital Design

For those seeking to keep up with media trends and quickly-changing design formats and technology, Parsons offers this certificate program which may be completed online, on campus or through a combination of both. Coursework includes classes such as typography, color theory and digital design fundamentals.