Welcome to our Course! MMA100 – Foundations of Digital Graphic Design!
Dear Students MMA100:
WELCOME!
Im really excited to meet everyone and share this first class to connect and for us all to learn a bit about each other. There is a lot of exciting and compelling content to cover, which will happen in real-time beginning today,Wednesday 2/3 at 5:30pm via Zoom. (the zoom link and password is located on our blackboard course page)
Please turn your camera ON if possible for the zoom class. I am Deaf and very dependent on all things visual. I read lips, and speech read from facial expressions. I use my voice for speaking and I have closed captions enabled for our class so that I can follow along in real time as everyone speaks. (you can turn off the captions if you wish from your end) I would greatly appreciate it if you would keep your cameras on. If it is not possible, I understand, but please be patient with me. Thank You so much!
Our Class Website Link – https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/mma100-spring-2021
The link above is super important as that is where all of the course content will be published. Im not a fan of using blackboard so only the minimum info needed will be placed there. I will go over this in full tonight in class.
The Class Structure – MMA100 will be taught both synchronously and asynchronously and you will decide what method works best for you. I am here to help you be the best that you can be in our course. And we are all here to do the same for each other. The nature of our course is already used to the many applications and digital tools that you will see here. A big part of our class is being experimental with design and its relationship with the Internet. We will cover the many tools that are available to us. We do quite a bit of the fun and creative work from our own personal work spaces as we integrate the class work into our lives. Please know, I will screen record each and every “how-to” and “assignment tutorial” for all assignments and share those videos on our class website.
The Class Website – Our class website takes place here on the BMCC OpenLab! You will soon discover that the OpenLab is a huge resource and regular source of inspiration! I promise.
*Class Website Link – https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/mma100-spring-2021
Class Time: 5:30 PM – Eastern Time
Meeting Day & Dates: Every Wednesday, as per the CUNY academic calendar
If you have questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to me here – rseslow@bmcc.cuny.edu
Everything that we cover this semester will be posted and published to this website. You will be asked to visit frequently. At the bottom of each page and post there is a section for comments, please feel free to use it to ask questions.
Week 1 – Introductions & Discussion –
What is Graphic Design?
Design Solutions: Strategy, Concept, Design, Execution & Production
Exploring the Design Process: Thumbnails, Roughs & Comps.
Software skills – Adobe Photoshop
What is Graphic Design?
“Graphic design, also known as communication design, is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content. The form it takes can be physical or virtual and can include images, words, or graphics. The experience can take place in an instant or over a long period of time. The work can happen at any scale, from the design of a single postage stamp to a national postal signage system. It can be intended for a small number of people, such as a one-off or limited-edition book or exhibition design, or can be seen by millions, as with the interlinked digital and physical content of an international news organization. It can also be for any purpose, whether commercial, educational, cultural, or political.” Via – Juliette Cezzar
*Watch this Video Definition – https://vimeo.com/10532686
Great explanation of Graphic Design, but what about the speed of the video??
The History of Graphic Design – We will be exploring and referencing Design history in our class. Lets explore these two references below over the course of this week.
Design History.org – http://www.designhistory.org
Key Moments in Graphic Design / Timeline – https://www.thoughtco.com/key-moments-in-graphic-design-history-1697527
We will begin tonight class with introductions to the course as well as part 1 of assignment #1 – our first assignment! The first assignment has 3 parts and I will be sharing a series of video tutorials during our Zoom time.
Remember, each assignment has its own page with all of the specifications needed to work on, complete and submit the assignment. Assignment #1 can be found here.
* a Video tutorial from week #1’s Zoom class of assignment #1 – part 1 will be posted on the assignment #1 page shortly.
Becoming familiar with terms and items like: “design briefs, project sheets and project specifications” are essential to the design industry. We will become familiar with this process and following a simulation like experience 🙂
We will discuss the progress and submissions process of your finished assignments and how to send and share them via google drive. We will discuss the maintaining of your files and data and how to keep it safe and easy to access.
Assignment Submission guidelines:
When your assignment / assignments have been completed please add them to our class google drive shared folder (link is on blackboard)
Please create a folder for yourself with your first and last name. And, please name your files with your name, assignment# & assignment status – here are a few Example file names – they may looks like this:
Ryan_Seslow_Assignment#2_progress.psd
Ryan_Seslow_Assignment#2_FInal.JPG
Tutorial – Getting further acquainted with Photoshop – (Terry White is one of my favorite Adobe evangelists!)
Designer Inspiration? Who’s who in the field?
There are so many great designers out there to follow these days! Each week, lets showcase one and talk about how their work functions.
50 Graphic Designers We all Should Know AboutÂ
Who is Aaron Draplin? Surely by now you have heard of Aaron Draplin?
Resources :: What are some of the trends in Graphic Design? Lets take a look at this video below from 2018 – do these things still hold up?.
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Assignment #1 – Discussion continued – lets chat about vocabulary
The Elements & Principles of Design Vocabulary
(please note, there are several variations of these definitions that can be found across the web and through out the design world, its ok to mix and mingle variations from other sources to expand your knowledge)
The Elements & Principles of Design are the governing vocabulary that define, illustrate and communicate how Graphic Design functions all around us. These terms are of great value and importance and should be understood and applied by designers.Â
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