Syllabus

Course #: 405

Credit Hours: 3

Instructor: Tom Morse-Brown

Contact: tom@morsebrowncreative.com

Office Hours: Available by appointment only 

Course Blog: designsystems.blogspot.com

Meets on: Monday 3-5.50pm | Wednesday 3-5.50pm

DESCRIPTION

In this course, you will develop a broad overview of brand creation and focus on creating a comprehensive identity design. The project will stimulate inquiry from your unique personal interests and allow exploration of various development strategies. Course content will focus on a brand system deployed in several media, including print, web, environmental signage, exhibitions, and/or packaging. At the beginning of each Phase of work we will engage in discussions of contemporary design work, readings and feedback on brand development and at the end of each phase a keynote presentation will be required. Participants should make full use of their individual and group work time and should consider the course and all its activities as a collective set of parts with which to build insight.

OBJECTIVES

As a result of this course, students will be able to:

1. understand the elements that comprise a brand identity

2. employ a systematic design process to develop a brand identity

3. develop a comprehensive, professional-grade identity based on a design strategy
4. convince a third party by way of presentation on the why behind an identity design solution 

COURSE STRUCTURE

Phase 1: Research and Development

Phase 2: Identity Creation

Phase 3: Brand Strategy

Phase 4: Asset Creation

Phase 5: Building Culture

(assigned readings, blog posts, digital presentations and portfolio photography will also be required)

COURSE MATERIALS REQUIRED

1. Designing Brand Identity - Alina Wheeler
2. The Brand Gap - Marty Neumeier

3. A laptop computer with the Adobe Suite of products and Keynote
4. A VGA or similar connector to present on the large TV

5. Quality color copier paper and a loaded P Counter account

6. A personal design blog - please tag all your posts with 'design systems' so I can easily find your work.
7. You may need approx $35 for moo produced business cards and/or approx $100 for a blurb produced brand book at the end of semester should you choose to create these items as part of your system. 

GRADING

You will be graded under the following 3 categories at mid-term and end of term:

1. Your ability to meet the Course Objectives and work within the given Course Structure (outlined above).

2. Your understanding and demonstration of (senior level) typography, craft, image making, communication design theory and practices and the sensitivity to use them appropriately

3. Your attitude and character (conduct in the studio, pitching in to discussion, openness to change, arriving on time, keeping your blog up to date and contributing to a positive, vibrant work atmosphere conducive to creativity and innovation).

A Superior

A -

B +

B Above Average

B -

C +

C Average

C -

D + Below Average

D

F Failure

STUDIO PROTOCOL

Use of Studio Time/Work Days

1. Manage your time and show up on schedule:

- 3 times late (not present during roll call) = 1 absence*

- 3 absences = one letter grade reduction

- 5 absences = two letter grade reductions

- 6 absences = automatic course failure

2. All reflections from readings and any design deliverables required must be posted and/or printed and/or constructed before class begins. Failure to do so will incur loss of points.

3. The devil is in the details - I will examine your work for typos, alignment and spacing discrepancies and craft issues. You will want this identity project looking its best in your portfolio!

4. You are required to be actively working on this class during studio time.

5. Sleeping, excessive off-topic discussions or working on other classes will result in an absence being recorded for the day

6. Leaving to get supplies, food, or research is acceptable only after discussing with the instructor

7. Calls may be taken but please do so outside the studio.

8. Refrain from email, Facebook and close computers during presentations and discussions as needed.

9. Drinks and snacks are fine during studio sessions - food during presentations and critiques are not—please finish your meal before class.

10. If you don't understand something, please ask!

CLASS COMMUNICATION

The purpose of the course (kcaiuser.blogspot.com) blog is to extend the learning opportunity beyond scheduled class meetings. Additional course-related content, schedule and project information, etc. is added to the blog frequently. Students are expected to review the blog, and are responsible for its content as well as all e-mails sent to their kcai account. 

DISABILITIES ACCOMODATIONS

kcai provides services and accommodations as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Students requesting accommodations based on disability status should provide kcai appropriate documentation. The documentation must be in written form from a licensed health care professional or educational professional who is qualified to diagnose the disability and recommend specific accommodations. Documentation must be within 3 years of being current. kcai has the right to require a student to supplement the documentation if it is determined that the information in the initial documentation is incomplete, inadequate, or the qualifications of the health care provider or professional are in question. The documentation should state the specific disability and include recommended accommodations with a rationale if needed. All documentation will be kept confidential. Students with documented disabilities are encouraged to provide documentation whether or not they opt to have accommodations in place so that if a specific need arises, an accommodation can be put in place in a timely manner. Accommodations are not made on a Post Facto basis. Accommodations are not in place unless requested by the student. All requests are confidential.

ATTENDANCE DETAILS FOR THIS COURSE

The kcai attendance policy: Consistent attendance is critical to learning, growth, and academic success; therefore students are expected to attend all class meetings. While the college recognizes there may be times when a student cannot attend, there are no “excused” absences. If students wish to make up work in exceptional circumstances such as death in the family, serious medical conditions, hospitalization, or observance of religious holidays, the student must provide appropriate documentation to the Vice President for Enrollment Management/Student Achievement (vpemsa). In addition, the student must complete all assigned work and/or meet additional requirements as determined by the instructor.

Instructors will notify students of their attendance requirements as part of the course syllabus which should be distributed on the first day of class. Students must be present for all regularly scheduled examinations and submit complete assignments when they are due unless alternative arrangements are made in advance.

An absence from a regularly scheduled class is defined by a student not attending at class time and/or missing a significant portion of class time (as defined by the instructor). If absences meet or exceed 15 percent of the class meetings in one semester (2 classes for a course meeting once a week, 4 classes for a course meeting twice a week, 8 classes for a course meeting four times per week), the student will be subject to a reduced final grade. If absences reach 20 percent of the class meetings in any one semester (3 classes for a course meeting once a week, 6 classes for a course meeting twice a week, 12 classes for a course meeting four times per week), the student will fail the course. The instructor will inform the department chair, the Vice President for Enrollment Management/Student Achievement and the Registrar’s Office if a student’s absences meet 15 percent or 20 percent of the class meetings. The vpemsa will send notification to the student that the final grade may be reduced due to absences (absences = 15%) or that a failing grade (F) will be assigned for the course (absences = 20%). 

The kcai first day attendance policy: Attendance at the first class meeting of the semester is mandatory for all students. If a student fails to attend the first class meeting of the semester, his or her enrollment in the class may be forfeited so that the first student on the wait list for the class may be enrolled. 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY POLICY

a] The copying of another student’s, work or the use of unauthorized notes and materials during examinations, b] Plagiarism, or the presentation of either the written or visual work of others (including that of other students), as one’s own c] Plagiarism is a serious offense in the academy, as well as illegal in the context of our nation’s copyright law. As such, it is important to know what plagiarism is in both one’s studio and liberal arts work. According to the Modern Language Association, plagiarism is “the wrongful act of taking the product of another person’s mind, and presenting it as one’s own.” In other words, plagiarism is the use of not just words but ideas borrowed from someone else without crediting the source. Students are required to learn the arts-standard, Chicago Manual of Style guidelines for citing sources referenced in their own work, and must follow them carefully in their research and writing projects. [chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide.html] 

All academic dishonesty is taken as an offense against the Institute and may result in penalties assessed by the faculty member teaching the course in which the offense has occurred and the Judicial Board, up to and including expulsion.

When a faculty member has reason to believe that an act of academic dishonesty has occurred, s/he will inform the student/s involved, the head of the department (or director/dean, if applicable) in which the course is offered, and the head of the department (or director/dean, if applicable) in which the student is majoring. The faculty member will forward a report in writing to the Dean of Student Life for presentation before the kcai Judicial Board. The Judicial Board will interview and/or receive written statements from the student accused of academic dishonesty prior to making any determination. 

Once a determination has been made that an offense did occur, faculty members maintain the right to assign a failing grade to the student. (Faculty members shall articulate their basic grading policy concerning academic dishonesty in their syllabi.) Additional penalties, up to and including expulsion, will be determined by the Judicial Board working in tandem with the faculty member who reported the offense.

COURSE PLAGARISM POLICY

Any project/paper discovered to have its origins anywhere other than the student’s mind will result in an F grade.

CHEATING AND UNAUTHORIZED ASSISTANCE

It is inappropriate for students to provide or receive unauthorized assistance during an examination or for assignments.

LATE, INCOMPLETE OR MISSED PROJECTS

A project is complete when all the requirements have been delivered in a quality, professional manner. Projects submitted for final critique (aka: posted to the course blog) that are obviously not completed will be evaluated “as-is.” Students are expected to be engaged in all final critiques with work ready to present and discuss at the beginning of class. 

Being absent for a final critique/projects not properly submitted (aka: posted to the course blog) at the start of final critique/being late for a final critique/will result in being marked absent for the day and not receiving credit for the project. If there are guest critics in attendance, it is at the instructor’s discretion if the work will be addressed and in what ways. This is not a reflection of any other accommodations. Project solutions that have not been reviewed in progress, prior to a final critique will not be accepted or evaluated. Any project/phase not submitted at all will result in failing (an F) the course. Therefore, if a student misses a deadline, the completed project should still be turned in. This must be arranged with the instructor within 24 hours of the missed deadline. 

Students that know they will miss a class or final critique must make arrangements with the instructor ahead of time and will be expected to make up all studio work in addition to homework assignments and final projects.

PROJECT REVISIONS

Projects submitted for final critique will be graded as-is. However, as in the field, any project is subject to improvements based on feedback, and even after a final critique, revisions may be necessary for end of semester review, and most importantly, for the student’s portfolio development. Students are encouraged to continue to seek project critique and make necessary revisions in a timely manner. 

COURSE AND PROCESS DOCUMENTATION

A design process blog is required for this course and should provide evidence of the student’s conceptual development. Please annotate blog posts with desn405 or design systems.

Project progress/process is reviewed regularly, during individual meetings leading up to the final project critique, and is is assessed as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory based on the quantity and quality of content.

Additionally, a post of the student’s work is required on the design systems course blog prior to each of the four final phase presentations. The blog post should include 4–7 portfolio-quality (sized approximately 800 × 600 pixels) images and a scibd version of the entire keynote presentation that also includes the student’s notes. A crafted, 150–200 word statement should precede the images and scribd presentation in the post. The statement should lucidly summarize the work rather than recounting the design process. This post is required to follow a specific naming convention and is graded as one of the required deliverables for each phase of this project. A blurb produced brand book—that will be returned in the spring semester—is also a requirement for the course. 

END OF SEMESTER REVIEW

This is a check-in opportunity for seniors to frame their learning to this point. Students will present select projects and frame process from junior and senior year. Being prior to their degree project, it will provide lots to think about over holiday break.

grading 

All work completed in this course will be evaluated as a collective body. Students are assessed in relation to the course objectives and will receive a written mid-term grade as well as a final grade.

Determination of how a student’s work ranks is in relation to developmental norms for design students at the same course level pursuing a bfa degree, as well as expectation for entrance into professional practice. If a student’s work stands out as highly effective, innovative, and memorable in how it satisfies all grading criteria, they will earn an above average to superior course grade. If work satisfies the grading criteria in a very basic way but is not memorable or does not demonstrate significant learning, they will earn a course grade of average or below. 

Students are responsible for meeting all weekly deadlines, expected to attend each class/crit/reveal on time, use work/studio time efficiently, present new progress each week, and positively contribute to the studio environment. 

Each design project/phase has specific objectives and requirements that will be provided at the time of its assignment. Generally, students’ work will be assessed considering these program-wide criteria:

- ability to clearly meet the stated project objectives 

- level of quality/finish achieved in the final design 

- ability to professionally articulate thoughts and ideas

- effort from concept through refinement to completion

MORE ABOUT CRITIQUES

Each phase of this project includes informal process or desk-critiques and formal final-critiques. Students will be evaluated via one of these formats in nearly every class. A student’s contribution to the critique quality (and general studio atmosphere) will impact their academic growth, project artifacts and course grade. 

At a minimum, students are expected to come prepared to every class, showing new work and evidence/effort since the last meeting—bring all work to every class. 

It may be impossible, due to class size or circumstance, for a student to have their work critiqued during a scheduled class. In these situations, students are expected to meet with the instructor during established office hours and will receive scheduling preference. Since a significant portion of academic (and portfolio) development is tied to critiques, instructor feedback should remain a student’s priority throughout the course.

Arriving late or after the start of a formal phase presentation/critique will result in the student’s work not being addressed in the critique. If the presentation is turned-in during that period it will be accepted for grading, but a grade reduction will apply. 

Any project not submitted at all will result in a failing grade for the course. If a student misses a deadline, the completed project should still be turned in.