Assignments

Submission specifications

While many if not most classes at SEU are atttempting to do away with paper submissions of assignments, this class is called Print Production and we will be producing some print.

Unless otherwise specified, all assignments must be submitted as hard copy, in a double pocket folder, accompanied by peer critiques, previous revisions, and a letter of transmittal (LOT). LOTs are letters from you to me, formatted as formal business letters, introducing your document/s and explaining your design choices. Please also describe any relevant observations about your process, constraints, clients, or other influences on your final product. Open the letter with something like "I am pleased to present to you my [name project] that I redesigned for [name of organization]. I feel that my revisions make the document more effective, appealing, [etc]." Close with "I look forward to hearing your comments," or something like that.

Flyer Redesign

Now that you've found an ineffective flyer, redesign it to make it do what it sets out to do (it's action request). I will be looking for rhetorically relevant and appropriate design choices: use of gridlines, establishment of clear information heirarchy with design elements, awareness of context and pacing, consideration of audience, purpose, and occasion.

Technical Information Poster Design***New and improved assignment!

Introduction

How information is designed for print is critical to its effectiveness. Technical and professional communications differ from other types of communications in their purpose. The purpose of most academic writing is to demonstrate or share knowledge. The purpose of most creative writing is to achieve an artistic goal. Workplace writing's purpose is to transfer information as quickly and efficiently as possible so that the audience can USE it to fulfill a task, even if that task is simply to know or understand something.

Assignment

Find a person or organization on campus for whom/which you can create an informative poster describing a technology or concept. Interview this person and ask about the technology and the poster's audience, purpose, and occasion (location--where will students encounter it?). TAKE NOTES and keep them; you'll need to turn them in. After you've designed the document, have the subject matter expert (SME) check it for accuracy and usefulness. Make necessary changes.

Submission

You will submit the printed poster in hard copy, along with the usual LOT in double pocket folder. Include notes from your SME and any other documentation of your process that is relevant. We can discuss presentation boards, etc., for the posters in class.

Evaluative Criteria

I will be looking for design that uses design to facilitate readers' needs and represents the organization's identity. I will be checking documents against the Gems of Wisdom that I harp on in class all the time.

Form follows function
Information hierarchy
Relevant design elements
Relevant type
Strategic use of white/negative space
Strategic use of pacing
Clear action request

Sales Document

Unlike flyers or advertisements, the audience for sales documents is much more targeted. These include menus, brochures, postcards, and other collateral products that must work seamlessly with the overall brand identity while persuading readers to make a purchase. How will your readers physically encounter this document? You may choose to create a new one or redesign an existing one.

Submission

You may submit this assignment in hard copy or electronically in Canvas, along with the usual LOT.

Evaluative Criteria

I will be looking for documents that facilitate readers' needs and represents the organization's identity. Because the audience, purpose, and occasion for sales documents are slightly but significantly different than what they were for your previous assignments, I will be looking for responsiveness to this particular rhetorical situation. As always, I will be checking documents against the Gems of Wisdom that I harp on in class all the time.

Form follows function
Information hierarchy
Relevant design elements
Relevant type
Strategic use of white/negative space
Strategic use of pacing
Clear action request

Mood Boards

Using an electronic collage-making tool like Polyvore or just InDesign, create a collage that demonstrates the mood or tone of your brand. This can include colors, images, textures, type, whatever you inspires and represents your business or organization.

Submit on Canvas. If you have done a hard copy, please bring it to class on the due date and photograph it and upload the photo to Canvas as a pdf. No LOT required. This will be part of your branding package.

Color and Type Quote

Using the following quote, create a poster that uses design that it relevant to the content. There is no right or wrong design, just relevant or irrelevant. Your audience is the SEU community as these posters will (theoretically) be hung around campus. Even though you are doing them after the presidential election, design them as though they would be seen BEFORE. Your goal is to motivate people to vote.

Submit on Canvas with short LOT.

Page Layout

Demonstrate your ability to design page layouts with multiple pages. Choose a short story, magazine article, essay, or any other writing sample (yours or someone else's) for which to design a title/first page, spreads, page numbering, and other page design strategies to reflect the content for an appropriate publication--think about where it would be published: a journal, a magazine, a book?

Submit on Canvas with short LOT

Branding Package and Book Project

See separate instructions from pull down menu.