First Project

Objective: Use Photoshop to practice arrangement of elements according to principles of design covered in class.

Your assignment is to illustrate one of the following words, using only the word itself and simple NON-REPRESENTATIONAL shape or line elements. Please do not use recognizeable/representational shapes such as hearts. You may only use three colors.

Create THREE variations or different design ideas. Print out your projects on a full sheet of paper for each variation.

The words:

youth

float

war

future

deep

speed

love

fear

2nd Project

This project has several steps:

1. Find an advertisement (2d - ie from a magazine, newspaper, web)
2. Write a 1/2 - 1 page analysis of the ad, based on our class lecture on Communication
3. Pick one aspect of that ad that you feel is most interesting/important/blatant/revealing (such as a particular use of visual metaphor, a certain way of constructing audience, a use of ethos, etc)
4. Create an advertisement in Photoshop, for an IMAGINARY PRODUCT, that incorporates the aspect of your original ad and parodies, satirizes, or exaggerates that aspect. (Please do not COPY the original ad - this is a new ad of your own creation.)
5. You may appropriate images from the internet, or scan/photograph/draw your own images. If you need to, you may use ONE visual element from the original ad. Please use text where appropriate as well. I suggest the use of a grid system to layout your visual elements.
6. When designing your ad, pay special attention to all principles and concepts discussed in class so far, including:

• Principles of contrast
• Composition and balance
• Color schemes
• Rhetoric of persuasion
• Visual metaphors

7. Write a 1/2 - 1 page description of your use of the concepts listed above in your project.

What should be handed in:

• original ad
• your ad
• written analysis of original ad
• written description of your use of class ideas in your own project

Final Project

For the final class project, you will create a persuasive poster for the Pilsen Alliance. The poster will contribute to their current campaign to fight gentrification in Pilsen and encourage community residents to get involved in the Pilsen Alliance's Zoning Inventory project. Notes from Alejandra Ibañez' presentation are here.

For this poster, you will need to consider all the concepts covered in the entire course, from visual design and composition principles, to ideas about communication, persuasion, and target audiences. I will expect projects to be compellingly designed, both visually and conceptually.

In order to ensure that everyone in the class has the opportunity to do well on this project, as it is an important part of your final grade, we will do a peer-review activity in class on 11/15. For this activity, you need to bring works-in-progress, drafts, concept sketches or other materials to present for peer feedback on your concept and design.

What you need to turn in:

• 8 1/2 x 11 printout of your poster
• CD-r containing your Photoshop file in .psd format (please create project at a resolution of 150-300 pixels per inch)
• 1 page paper describing your use of class design and communication concepts, your use of Social Marketing ideas, and any research you did to help design your project (including information from Ms. Ibañez' presentation).