Week #2 – Information / Resources

Welcome to MMA100 Week #2!

We’re BACK!

Here is this week’s useful information and class resources:

Need a recap of  Week #1 – Go Here

**Update on accessing Adobe Software from home: 

Adobe Download
The good news is that Adobe is allowing all CUNY students to download Adobe onto their computers using their CUNYfirst login and use it through September 30. The note on the CUNY page (Click here to view) says that more information will follow.

Here is a PDF link with instructions on how to access Adobe CC from home-
https://cisweb.cuny.edu/covid19/Accessing-AdobeCreativeCloud-COVID19-Outbreak.pdf

Remote Access to BMCC Labs
Unfortunately this is still not operational. (They say it should be this week. I will let you know when it is.)

Borrowing Chromebooks from BMCC
Students can start the process themselves by emailing Student Affairs studentaffairs@bmcc.cuny.edu  with the request. If you need more info, let me know.

We will begin tonight class by recapping week #1’s introductions to the course as well as 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. I will give a demonstration on how to prepare your design layout, place and resize images, apply layers and also preparing your final designs for output on the web and in print.

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 #2’s Zoom class of assignment #1 – part 1 will be posted on the assignment #1 page**

Becoming familiar with terms and items like: “design briefs, project sheets and project specifications” are essential to the design industry. We will be come 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 here:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1m8_39ko2CtWEyzQ9SXABM2RWfKTCsGii?usp=sharing

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.JPG 

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 About 

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. 

The Elements of Design:

Color – typically known as hue. This word represents a specific color or light wavelength found in the color spectrum, ranging circularly from red to yellow, green, blue and back to red.

Line – is a line just a series of points? Or is it the best way to get from point “A” to point “B”? As a geometric conception, a line is a point in motion, with only one dimension – length. Line has both a position and a direction in space. The variables of line are: size, shape, position, direction, number, interval and density. Points create lines, lines create shapes or planes and volume.

Mass – Here, mass is interchangeable with volume. A mass is a solid body or a grouping of visual elements (line, color, texture, etc.) that compose a solid form. Volume is a three-dimensional form comprising length, width, and depth. Three-dimensional forms contain points (vertices), lines (edges), and planes (surfaces). A mass is the two-dimensional appearance of a three-dimensional form.

Movement – Also known as motion. This element portrays the act or process of changing place or direction, orientation, and/or position through the visual illustration of starting or stopping points, blurring of action, etc. This is not animation, although animation is an end product of movement, as well as other elements of design.

Space – A two-or three-dimensional element defined by other elements of design.

Texture – A technique used in two-dimensional design to replicate three-dimensional surfaces through various drawing and media techniques. On three-dimensional surfaces, it is experienced by touch or by visual experience.

Type – Also known as typography, and it is considered an element in graphic design. Although it consists of elements of design, it is – in itself – often an element in the form of visual communication.

Value – Another word for the lightness or darkness of an area. Brightness measured in relationship to a graded scale from white to black.

The Principles of Design:

The principles of design are applicable to all design disciplines including – but not exclusive to – architecture, art, graphics, fashion, industrial design, poetry, writing, and web design.

The principles of design are tools used to format the elements of design.

Balance – The elements of design converge to create a design or arrangement of parts that appear to be a whole with equilibrium.

Contrast – The “automatic principle.” Whenever an element is placed within a format, contrast is created in the various elements. Can be emphasized with contrast in size, shape, color,

Direction – Utilizing movement to create the visual illusion of displacement.

Economy – A principle operating on the “slim.” Especially important when dealing with clients, where their product or service is more important than the elaboration of design elements. Can also be considered “precise,” or “simplistic.” Or, it can be considered great design.

Emphasis – Also known as dominance. This condition exists when an element or elements within a visual format contain a hierarchy of visual importance.

Proportion – A two- or three-dimensional element defined by other elements of design.

Rhythm – A recurrence or repetition of one or more elements within a visual format, creating harmony.

Unity – Oneness, Harmony, The condition of completeness with the use of all visual elements within a format.

Week #1 – Welcome to MMA 100!

Welcome to MMA 100! Fall Semester 2020

Please be sure to bookmark our class website and make sure that you are properly able to access it. You can always refer to our website for the week to week calendar of classwork, video tutorials, live video class lectures, design resources, inspiration, assignments, deadlines, contact info and much more.

First and foremost, Class Introductions! Nice to Meet you! Lets connect, Im excited to get started 🙂

Who and What inspires you?

Lets us discuss the unique learning experience and platform we are about to engage in together. Lets talk about how our class will function this semester.

This course will be taught both synchronously and asynchronously for full accessibility and inclusion! Meaning, we will be using the Zoom video experience to conduct a synchronous class beginning at 5:30pm on Wednesdays (following the BMCC fall 2020 academic calendar). I will be recording and publishing the videos taken from class and posting them on this website in the week number that they co-exist with. The asynchronous method will be applied to the use and application of this website. Together we will craft and build a learning experience that helps each student both individually and as a contributer to the class as a whole.

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 1Introductions & Discussion –

What is Graphic Design?
Design Solutions: Strategy, Concept, Design, Execution & Production
Exploring the Design Process: Thumbnails, Roughs & Comps.

Software skills – Adobe Photoshop and navigating around the Mac

Logos by Paul Rand

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

Assignments:

Lets talk about Assignment #1 and how each assignment/project will be worked on, discussed and submitted for the semester.

Each assignment has its own page on this website with all of the needed information and specifications to complete them. Each week I will also publish a blog post here on our class website that has context to the assignment. This will be images, videos, article, links and other content to help inspire and expose you to useful information in relationship to the assignment. The weekly blog posts will always share the link back to the assignments page.

Assignment Submission guidelines:

When your assignment / assignments have been completed please add them to our class google drive shared folder here:  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1m8_39ko2CtWEyzQ9SXABM2RWfKTCsGii?usp=sharing

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.JPG 

Ryan_Seslow_Assignment#2_FInal.JPG

You will also keep your work in progress in this folder. I will be adding comments and feedback to your work in process. We can have a dialog through the process this way with the google drive comments section of selected parts of an image. Its handy and very easy to use.

All of our individual class assignments can be found on the Assignments page here

*Watch this Video Definitionhttps://vimeo.com/10532686

Great explanation of Graphic Design, but what about the speed of the video??

Poster Design by Milton Glaser

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

Logo rough by Carolyn Davidson

Class Discussion: What is the Design Process?

How do designers create strategies? Move from research to sketch, roughs and comps? What do these terms mean?

Thumbnails – Simply put, thumbnails are small sketches. Projects always begin with thumbnail sketches. No matter how tempted you are to get working with the computer and its software right away, thumbnail sketch practice is essential in the design process. Each project should have thumbnail sketches. This practice will keep your idea muscles sharp!

Examples of Thumbnail Sketches

Roughs – Roughs are full scale renderings of your selected thumbnails. They are sized to the specific dimensions of your project. Roughs are about making the needed revisions and necessary decisions to meet the many challenges you may discover in the process.

Examples of Roughs & Comps – What is the visual difference between a rough and a comp?  Lets find examples together.

Comps –  (short for comprehensive) or a final comp, is the plan and official map that is ready for production. It is ready for publishing on the web, or print production with a printer or printing company. The comp is ready to  share with your client (or your professor 🙂 as it will fully communicate all aspects of your project and assignment.

Welcome to our Course! MMA100 – Fall Semester 2020

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 on this Wednesday 8/26 at 5:30pm via Zoom. (the link is below)

Please come and turn your camera ON if possible for the 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!

Please Join the Zoom Meeting on Wednesday 8/26 at 5:30pm

Zoom URL: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81265083733?pwd=RUQrWXQ3NUtGQXBSNGJXZXBFakxsUT09

Meeting ID:  812 6508 3733

Passcode:  (please e-mail me for the passcode or locate it on our blackboard page – rseslow@bmcc.cuny.edu)

Our Class Website Linkhttps://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/mmma100-fall-2020

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 will be placed there. I will go over this in full on Wednesday at 5:30pm.

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 “tutorial” for all assignments and share those videos on our class website.

Don’t worry, I will NOT be recording anyones face(s) just my own screen for the lessons. Please think of the class website as a repository of information and inspiration for the course, and beyond!

The Class Website – Our class website takes place on the BMCC OpenLab! You will soon discover that the OpenLab is a huge resource and regular source of inspiration! I promise.

*Class Website Linkhttps://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/mmma100-fall-2020

Here is our ZOOM Video Class Info & Schedule for the Fall Semester:

BMCC Zoom class Info – FALL 2020 – Prof. Ryan Seslow

Time: 5:30 PM – Eastern Time

Meeting Day & Dates: Every Wednesday, as per the CUNY academic calendar

Aug 26, 2020 – 5:30 PM – ( Our FIRST Class Session!)

             Sep 2, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Sep 9, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Sep 16, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Sep 23, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Sep 30, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Oct 7, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Oct 21, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Oct 28, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Nov 4, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Nov 11, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Nov 18, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Dec 2, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Dec 9, 2020 – 5:30 PM

             Dec 16, 2020 – 5:30 PM

If you have questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to me here – rseslow@bmcc.cuny.edu

See you all on Wednesday at 5:30pm!

Prof. Ryan Seslow