Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Introduces theory and practice of designing visual representations of information. Students will learn to visually translate textual, numerical and evidentiary information so that it can be communicated to diverse user communities and contexts. An emphasis will be on understanding how the meaning of images can change over time and across contexts and cultures. Beginning with photographic images, interactive charts, graphs, and maps, projects progress to more complex information in media forms ranging from advanced aspects of the web to interactive 3D visualizations. The relationship between visual display is explored in relation to its technology of creation, including code and information architecture.

COURSE DETAILS:

This is a course that will lay out the foundational elements required for a professional practice in User Experience Design, or UX_Design. This primary goal of this course will be to provide you with the basic grounding you will need for this professional practice in three areas – visual design, content design and interaction design; all specifically grounded in the context of the artform of designing (a designer's mindset, approach, process and skillsets). At term's end a minimal viable product (MVP), will be produced that synthesysizes these four elements. 

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

1. Engage an intermediate level of graphic design space, typography, color, and grids that lead to a Visual Design approach for UX_design
2. Demonstrate through project work an embodied understanding of design as a process, experimentation and lateral thinking,  that has clear communication, and succesful execution and professional industry quality standards as its goal.
3. Learn to drive design-driven projects from content, art direction, copy writing, image literacy in tandem with graphical spatial compositions using and in tandem with grids, color, and design languages, semantics and syntactics.
4. Employ user goals to drive interactions, so that Interaction Design can accomplish the more complex task of addressing behaviors and specific and micro interaction that make up a branded experience.
5. Deploy foundational Interaction Design techniques — e.g. sketching, wireframing, wireflows, sitemaps and flowcharts, rapid realization, prototyping  - to develop a user-centred context strategy, with the explicit goal of communicating effectively to an audience through digital channels using a UX_Design approach. 

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Materials
Notes in class must be taken by hand, a notebook and sketchbook are required. A Moleskine Classic Notebook and a sketchbook are recommended. Projects will require paper mockups and sketching.

Printing
Printing will be necessary for several of the projects for in-class critique, and for deliverables such as moodboards and copywriting exercises. A small printing budget should be anticipated. 

Computer Access
Having regular access to your own computer would be recommended. The specific software used in this course is all available free of charge.

REQUIRED READING:

RECOMMENDED READING: