sophomore reviews update // 5.6

the location for sophomore reviews has changed. please see the revised brief on the right sidebar for the updated information. all other information is exactly the same, except that we will be doing reviews in IRV 101 [junior studio].

communication theory // website production // 4.29

in class
work day – continue progress on final website design


final critique structure – wednesday april 1

• don't forget to email me your url again, as well as a parent's email address

• websites will be loaded in my browser before class

• each student will have seven minutes for feedback, led by guest critic ian tirone, kcai GD 2010. yay!

• no need for a verbal statement. we will let the work speak for itself and see how a first-time user responds. we will let ian work his way through the site on his own terms.

comm theory // webpage roughs // 4.24

in class

hand out soph review project sheet
Q and A as necessary

desk crits on web page iterations and final annotated process example.
(your digital process example should be 90% resolved by now)

homework
select a final webpage direction to pursue.
work on it!

final website link and an email address for one of your parents is due to me by 5pm tuesday april 30.

comm theory // documenting communication // 4.22

in-class

desk crits on process examples and annotations

exploring options
approach various ways to address the digital annotations in your process example. the design should be informative, clear, engaging, and visually consistent with the larger visual approach to your website.
• 5 iterations, minimum
• select one step with the most complex annotation to use as a sample for your iterations
• design the iterations to fit within your existing webpage layout
• sketches posted to blog by end of class

overall “communication theory” web page requirements
• visual(s) of your personal model (this may be re-colored or re-designed slightly to fit in with your overall webpage design if you so desire)
• annotated process example of how your theory plays out in real life (mentioned above).

homework
digital annotations
• select ONE direction from the in-class exploratory exercise.

• work out multiple fairly detailed sketches of your “communication theory” page on your website. include the above mentioned required content.

• your process example must correctly identify at least 1 communicator A/B (or sender/receiver), channel, message, noise, feedback, context.

• identify/break-down contextual factors using emmert/donaghy's 3 parts to processing (the communicator's perception > reasoning > motivation). refer to the davis reading for details on what these mean if you need help.

• identify/break-down noise using shannon/weaver's 3 levels of problems (technical, semantic, effectiveness) as mentioned in the "visual communication" reading

powerful anti-gun-violence ads

from the adweek website. see the full article here.

comm theory // documenting communication // 4.17

in class

brief presentations on communication models (approx 1 hour total)

collaborative brainstorm 
list various tasks that people perform online. for each task list (a) the end goal as well as (b) several online locations one can perform this task. Tasks should take several steps to complete (e.g. Pay e-bills on umb.com).

homework

cyber shadow (option a)
perform a basic task online or on your smartphone (brainstormed during class). be both the “user” (performing the task) and observer (taking notes, documenting, taking screen grabs of each step along the way). when documenting, be both thorough and detail oriented.

• document 1 complete exchange in multiple steps. 

• tools: screen capture tool (e.g. “shift command 4” on your laptop. press "home" and "on/off" simultaneously on your iphone. you will hear a camera click), note taking and analog annotation tools (e.g. stickies, highlighter).

• print screengrabs and clearly annotate the various components of the communication process that occurred during the exercise.

• bring physical print-outs with analog annotations for review. you will be translating annotation to digital next class.


real world example (option b)
find existing examples of the communication process (and all of its various components). select from the design artifacts list. when documenting, be both thorough and detail oriented.

• document 1 complete exchange in multiple steps.

• tools: camera or scanner, note taking and analog annotation tools (e.g. stickies, highlighter).

• print documentation and clearly annotate the various components of the communication process that occurred during the exercise.

• bring physical hard copy with analog annotations for review. you will be translating annotation to digital next class.

end gun violence // online gallery

please go here to submit your poster to the online gallery. there is a form to fill out including a thumbnail image, your pdf, a personal statement about your poster, and other basic personal information.

please do this before next class – monday april 22.

comm theory // model refinements // 4.15

in class

review davis reading

desk crits on models in progress

refine annotations and examples

prep for final crit of models next class

homework

finalize model

photo document if necessary, fit to color 11 x 17 and print for group crit

post final model to your blog

final model deliverable for crit

if you have a physical model: finalized model, professionally crafted and annotated. 

if you have a digital model: 11 x 17 color print, professionally crafted and annotated, pinned to the wall.
for your blog: a good-quality image posted along with a brief explanation of why you chose to include the components you did for your model. 

edit: 

for presentation: explain how and why your model is similar and different from previous models.
hint: this requires understanding of those models from the readings.
statement should be no longer than 3 minutes long.

this brief statement will be graded based on the following course objective: articulate research and demonstrate critical analysis, in both visual and verbal formats

example: my model is similar to emmert/donaghy because it has two communicators who both send and receive messages (this is the how part), rather than a sender and a receiver, which implies that communication is one-way. it's obvious that everyone both sends and receives messages constantly, so it's important to acknowledge that in my model. (this is the why part)

comm theory // model refinements // 4.10

in class

review 3d and digital models

document both directions to your blog

homework

select one model, expand, detail, and iterate 

read remainder of davis reading

select three possible examples for each component of your model

write and design brief annotations to each component of your model to help clarify ideas for those unfamiliar with communication theory

comm theory // model-making // 4.8

in class
review reading / lecture

now that you have a good background in various modes of thinking about the communication process, take the rest of class to
- consider if and how any of these models differ from contemporary communication processes. did shannon/weaver, emmert/donaghy, and berlo not account for the interwebs, cell phones, texting, and ipads? how might you design a communication model for today? would your model look any different from theirs or include different factors?

- begin constructing your own physical communication model. keep in mind how meredith davis said that models influence the way we think and act.

homework
continue making your analog model. finish and bring to next class.
design a digital model illustrating the same concepts. print 11 x 17 color for quick group crit on wednesday.

communication theory // reading // 4.3

for next class, read “visual communication” by baldwin, pages 20–27, 32–33

(available as an e-book in the right sidebar of this blog)

read davis “communication models” from the start to page 25, "treatment (style, aesthetics)".
this reading is on the right sidebar of the blog.

based on the initial davis commentary on models, bring to class a wide range of materials to use and share in a model-making session. bring what you want and share what you want, but here are a few suggestions:
- paper: trace, white, colored
- board: chipboard, foamcore, cardboard (scraps are fine)
- connectors: string, yarn, wire, toothpicks, etc
- adhesive: glue stick, elmer's glue, rubber cement, etc
- anything else that occurs to you 

rhetoric // final crit // 4.3

here's how final crit will proceed:

1. beginning immediately at 8:00, good cop/bad cop critique
good cop: in 30 seconds, note the two strongest aspects of the poster.
bad cop: in 30 seconds, note the two weakest aspects of the poster.

2. open discussion of all posters for about an hour.

3. brief 2–3 minute presentation from each student addressing the following
- the dominant mode of appeal and why that is so
- any secondary or tertiary modes of appeal, if applicable
- the rhetorical trope used and why that is so (answer the question, "what is it about your poster that makes it ______ (metonymy, hyperbole, etc)?"

these presentation requirements will be evaluated against the following course objectives:

- explain at a basic level the terminology associated with semiotics, rhetoric, modes of appeal

and communication theory

- demonstrate understanding of these theories through appropriate manipulation
of text and image

rhetoric // final production and printing // 4.1

in class
have a tiled color print of your final poster hung before the start of class. no hangie, no crittie.
as a group, speed crit w/post-its on final posters.
the rest of class will be a work day
- finalize poster details, prepare for final full-size print.
- work on website production for modes of appeal and rhetoric (terms plus one visual example for each rhetorical trope and at least one visual example for ethos, pathos, logos)

homework
continue poster production.
make sure your poster file is turned in to the print center by monday afternoon, definitely before closing time.
once that is dealt with, continue website production.

final deliverables for wednesday's crit
- website pages for rhetoric and modes of appeal, accessible via the kcai servers
- two posters, hung before 8:00. specs are here.
- blog posts with final poster image and website link.

rhetoric // editing and production // 3.27

in class

work day and desk crits. 

- review your three tight sketches, select a final, and get to work on final production of your rhetorical masterpiece!

homework

continue production work on your final poster. keep in mind both sizes of this poster will need to be printed and ready to hang on wednesday april 3 – one week from today.

also, your website updates will be due april 3. make sure you have one solid visual example to accompany each rhetorical trope. just to be clear, here are the required content areas for your new site page:

- rhetoric
- pun
- hyperbole
- irony
- antithesis
- personification
- metonymy
- metaphor
- synecdoche
- parody

you should also have your modes of appeal page done, with the following definitions:

- ethos (+ visual example)
- pathos (+ visual example)
- logos (+ visual example)
- intrinsic ethos
- extrinsic ethos

writing on rhetoric and modes of appeal

in a concise blog post, explain in your own words the general ideas contained in rhetoric and aristotle's modes of appeal. then explain how you see them functioning within the various spheres of the graphic design world. this should only be one or two paragraphs.

some questions to get you started. no need to follow these; they're just starting points

• how doe the modes of appeal function and how are they different? 
• are they typically used for specific content types or in specific media? ex: pathos is always used in fashion, etc
• do you see specific uses of rhetoric cropping up in specific cultures/subjects/media? ex: metaphor in car ads, personification for home cleaning products
• what makes for the most effective examples of rhetoric? is it vivid imagery? unique layout? highly focused content? minimal message?