Syllabus — Graphic Design and Illustration I

Welcome to the world of Design. You signed up for Graphic Design, which is a medium of design. But you signed up for a lot more than that. You signed up to be a problem solver, a designer, an investigator, a critical thinker. You’re here, and you’re ready to learn to become a better designer.

The Instructor

Hi, y’all. My name is Zac DeLane, and I am your instructor for Graphic Design I. I received by degree from UT Austin in Design and a minor in Education. After college, I jumped straight into education and teaching and did some lectures to corporate workers on best workflow practices and about Adobe Products. I am an Adobe Certified Expert (A.C.E.) in Photoshop and Illustrator — my two Adobe apps of choice :). I have lived in Austin all of my life, graduating from Westwood HS in the Round Rock school district. I love every moment of it — the excitement of the city, the new adventures I seek to explore and find, and lots more that this wondrous world has to offer. I hope you’re ready to explore how design — specifically graphic design — can change the world around you.

The Class

I. How we will approach the class.

Graphic Design requires a lot of concepts to connect — be it graphic technology, design research, color theory, typography, product packaging/design, 2D and 3D design — and in such a limited time. That’s why I will utilize the 3 years your in the design program — we’ll look at design in a way that will be new, possibly uncomfortable, but will give you a broad view of design as a medium with a focus on graphic design.

GDi —

• Type
• 2D and 3D design
• Communication Design
• Design History
• Design Research

GDii —

• Color Theory
• Branding
• Printing Technology and such
• Real-World Connections/Jobs

Prac —

• UX and UI design
• Product/Packaging Design
• Real-World connections/Jobs

The focuses for this year are as follows:

• Design Research — How can we prepare and plan designs to allow for maximum effectivity?
• Design History — Where have we come from? How has design evolved?
• 2D and 3D — What are some of the key elements of design, and how can we design better designs with these principles in mind?
• Communication — How can we communicate with design; be it signage, flyers, etc
• Typography — How do we communicate and convey messages through type? What do we do when it comes to type, and how do we make informed decisions?
• Thesis — How do you come up with a problem? How do we approach that problem?
• Clinical and Cyclular Process — How do we approach a design project? What are some steps to allow a logical flow?
• Real-World Connections — How do we discuss and make connections from the classroom to the real world (careers and certification)
• Self Discovery — How do we understand each other on a personal level? Do you know who you are as a designer?
• Technology and Apps — How do we use modern-day tech to create designs? How has it changed the way we think about design?

II. How you’ll be evaluated

Grades will be reported using rubrics and Canvas, the LMS of choice for our program, which will allow for more critiques and discussion inside and outside the class.

A guiding quote I enjoy is something that I incorporate into my grading philosophy:

“You have to get bad in order to get good”

— Paula S.

Paula S. is a famous graphic designer, and she hits the ball out of the park. I want you to get bad — Bad is better than Good. By getting bad, that allows more room for growth. If you’re at the top of your game and feel confident, that’s what I want you to feel — confidence. The willingness to grow and discuss is a key part of your grade. Keep this in mind when submitting work.

40% — Daily Progress/”Skill Drills”

Grades under this category will be basic, progress grades. We will have Skill Drills (see Section III), Daily Progress Checks, and such that will fall into this category of grades. Each grade will be worth a set amount of points and will be due in a timely manner.

20% —Major Projects

There will be one major project per marking period, except for MP1 and MP3. These projects are generally what will be worked towards the whole marking period, and will demonstrate mastery and other skills sought by our objectives listed in Section I.

20% — Sketch Roll

You will have a Sketch Roll. This will be detailed in Section III.

20% — Participation and Professionalism

Participate and be professional in class, and you’ll get a 100.

Late Work — I don’t like it. In the real world, you can lose clients, jobs, and money. In this case, since I can’t kick you out of the class or fire you or dock your pay, I will dock points — 30 to be exact — for the first day, and 5pts each day after. You will have access to the tech before/after school, during flex, and even at home if you so choose. The only excuse for late work is absences due to illness. Unexcused absences are not an excuse for late work. Please turn in notes to the office to get your absences changed to excused. If you plan on being absent, make a plan with me to get work made up. If you make a plan with me ahead of time, chances are the work won’t be late, even if the absence is unexcused.

Re-Grade Policy — You can choose to petition one grade for each marking period. This involves making revisions to work and submitting a paper copy of the re-grade form, available on my website and in class. This re-grade can be submitted for any work — daily, project, etc. Make revisions and resubmit to Canvas, turning the form into the turn-in tray in class. I will reevaluate work and re-grade it. This must be done BEFORE the end of the marking period, as I won’t be able to revise grades after the marking period closes, so ensure to get it in.

Rubric for Projects/Progress Grade — The following rubric will be used to grade student’s progress and such. A 1 on 1 critique will be held between the teacher and student on occasion to allow for a private dialogue between the student and teacher. This will allow for feedback and thoughts from the teacher to give to the student. The rubric will be applied to the student, and a grade will be awarded based on that grade. After all the grades are finalized, a curve will be applied so that the class average is 90% — which may help most students, and hurt others. The same rubric will be used to grade the final project, and this will count as the “project” grade for the marking period.

This rubric emphasizes growth rather than proficiency — so if the student’s skills grow over the critiques and progress, they will earn a better score than they did initially on the crit. If they fail to grow or don’t have a willingness to grow, then they can expect the same or lower score than when they had their 1 on 1 crit.

III. Policies for the Course

Sketch Roll — This is a roll of paper (← click on the said link to buy the roll) you’ll use for sketching. You’ll sketch whatever you want, with guidance and focus areas from me. The end goal is to have used ALL of the sketch roll by the end of the fall semester. You’ll fill it with boxes, buildings, logo sketches, and more. We’ll practice the fundamentals of design and sketching, so no experience is needed. Young designers tend to hate sketching — or sketchbooks in general. This approach to the roll allows for students to draw big and not be bound my prompts and such. We’ll use one roll for the fall semester, and a new one for the spring. The progress grade will be given throughout the year — once a marking period, for each of the sketching mini-assignments. The sketch roll will also contribute to the final exam grade — be it in the fall or spring. Whichever one you choose not to exempt is where it’ll be applied. If you exempt in the spring, you will still have to do the sketch roll, as it will be taken throughout the semester. Please let me know if you are unable to obtain the roll per cost or such. For each MP, the quality and quantity will be evaluated, and the major assignment will be evaluated based on the skills practiced. Completion and willingness to turn in will also be another factor, too. There will be a major sketching assignment each marking period — this will be split between the progress grade of the sketch roll.

Skill Drills — Students will have at most 10 skill drills during a marking period. These will be 30–40-minute activities, with a 10-minute lecture that introduces a skill in one of the design apps — be it Illustrator or InDesign — that students can apply to their works outside of the skill drill. Each skill drill is worth 10pts, and is solely based on proficiency of the concept and following the directions outlined on Canvas.

Slide Decks — This will be a warm-up activity done on Monday/Tuesday or Tuesday/Wednesday rotations. It will give students a chance to introduce themselves to the class and let us know how you’re doing. Make a Google Slide in the class deck and answer the prompt for the day; then share out to the class. Add a fun GIF or image/meme on there, and relax. Very informal, casual, and lets us create a community of students — a class or work environment where all students feel welcome.

Flex Time — For CTE Classes (yes, this is a CTE class), students will be locked into their block — meaning, they cannot flex out of this class to go see another teacher. This is due to federal seat time requirements, as students will be required to attend a certain number of hours in order for us to receive federal funding.

For our flex time, students will either have “studio” time or start on the skill drill/slide deck for the day, which will allow for more work time for students during the block. We also may use this time to knock out the skill drill or do our Slide Deck — which will allow for more studio time during the class period. This time is dedicated to working on their projects. It is their time to use and spend. They must remain on task unless they can prove to me they are 100% done. If there is still work to be done, I may penalize their grade, or confiscate their homework and return to their teacher. Flex is a study hall, but in CTE classes, it is class time.

Below is a calendar for your “home base” class. If your CTE class falls on one of the days, you’ll report to that class for Flex:

IV. Ground Rules and our Social Contract

Being enrolled in this class means you agree to the following procedures —

• Be nice to everyone (me, peers, guests, etc)
• Be open-minded (have the willingness to try new things)
• Be ready to work. (phones up [except for tunes], no distractions)
• Have fun! (be creative, discuss with peers, make the most of it)
• Stay on task. (no games, no other homework, etc — you’ll have a break in class)
• Check Canvas Frequently (download the App, turn on notifications)
• Be an ACTIVE learner (ask questions, add to discussions, be open-minded)

And by following these rules, I will provide you with —

• I will treat you with respect and professionalism.
• I will make this a place you WANT to come to every class meeting
• I will give you critical feedback and opportunities to grow — and not penalize you for those missed opportunities.
• I will give you every chance I can to ensure you pass and demonstrate proficiency in this class.
• I will provide students with as many opportunities I can (field trips, real-world discussions/speakers, etc) to learn about design and Graphic Design.
• I will discuss real-world events and how they connect to design.
• I will make this a relevant class.
• I will make this a class built on a community; you’ll know everyone’s name by the end.
• I will be a teacher; not an observer.

V. On Grade Posting and Canvas

Most, if not, all projects will include some sort of formal rubric for evaluation (see Section II). Students are expected to read through the requirements before submitting their work for crit or final evaluation. Rubrics are attached to assignments on Canvas. Assignments without Rubrics will include a detailed write up of instructions, requirements, and such. It should be expected that if you follow the directions and instructions, try your best, and apply design principles, you’ll get an A. For posting of grades to Home Access, Canvas does a sweep through Canvas every night of the week. When I post a grade to Canvas, allow up to 24 hours for it to show up on Home Access. I will also manually load grades into HAC at the end of the week or as I finish grading major projects or assignments. It is your job to keep on top of your grades; be it on Canvas or Home Access. If you have trouble using either or, please let me know and I’ll show you how to check grades and missing assignments through either platform.

I want you to be stewards of your education — I am giving you an opportunity to work and seize opportunities. You have to be willing to take those opportunities. College will be a VERY DIFFERENT experience, so best to prep you now, rather than learning the hard way.

This syllabus is subject to change based on students' needs and the class objectives. The revised syllabus will be posted to Medium, not on the print PDF, but said changes will be announced in class.