ENGL 392A
Professor: Gordon Slethaug
Course Meetings: Tues/Thurs. 1:00-2:20
Classroom:SJ2 2003
Office Hours: Hagey Hall 262, Tues/Thurs 11:30-12:30
Phone: Slethaug 519.888.4567 x33398
E-mail: slethaug@uwaterloo.ca
Course Description
The UW Course Calendar describes ENGL 392A as follows: “The theory and practice of design for print and digital media, including the study of design concepts such as space, colour, typography, interactivity, immersion, motion, and presence. Students produce designs using professional software tools.” This term, we will look at information design both as a rhetorical practice and as a professional activity, applying this knowledge to relevant projects at the university, in the community, and in the business sector. Students will complete assignments on an individual basis as well as in groups. Design programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator are not required but would assist work.
Primary Bibliography
Books required for this course are White’s Elements of Graphic Design and Lipton’s The Practical Guide to Information Design. The remaining readings can be copied in class from my USB to your USB or computer.
Additional readings may be assigned in class.
Armstrong, Helen. Ed. Digital Design Theory: Readings from the Field. New York: Princeton Archtectural Press, 2016. 126-144.
Baer, Kim. “Preface” and Chapter 1. Information Design Workbook. http://gossettphd.org/library/baer_infodesignchapt1.pdf
Carliner, Saul. “Physical, Cognitive, and Affective: A Three-Part Framework for Information Design.” Technical Communication, fourth quarter, 2000.
Gaines, Elliot. “Communication and the Semiotics of Space.” Journal of Creative Communications. 1:2. 2006
Gibson, David. Chapter 1—“The Discipline.” The Wayfinding Handbook: Information Design for Public Places. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2009. 12-29.
Kress, Gunther and Theo Van Leeuwen. “The Meaning of Composition.” Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. New York: Routledge, 2006. 175-214.
______. “Narrative Representations.” Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. New York: Routledge, 2006. 45-78.
______. “The Semiotic Landscape.” Reading Images: The Grammar of Visual Design. New York: Routledge, 2006. 16-44.
Lipton, Ronnie. The Practical Guide to Information Design. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 2007
Tufte, Edward. Envisioning Information. Cheshire, CT: Graphics Press, 1990.
Van Leeuwen, Theo. “Modality.” Introducing Social Semiotics. Routledge: London and New York, 2005. 161-177.
White, Alexander W. The Elements of Graphic Design, 2nd Ed. New York: Allworth Press, 2011.
Assessment
The syllabus and all assessment tools are on LEARN. Assignments are due as noted. Unless we make prior arrangements, assignments will lose 5% per late day. All class presentations are due on the assigned date, and for group work each member of the group must participate. If the group fails to present on the assigned date, members will receive a 0; individuals who fail to appear for a presentation will receive a 0.
3 Reflections (submitted on LEARN the night BEFORE the class date) (15%)
These 500-word reflections should demonstrate that you understand the key principles of Kress and Van Leeuwen’ chapters under discussion on each assigned day and are able to apply them to a specific illustration of information design appended to your discussion. Please submit these before midnight on the day before the subject is taken up in class. I’d like to link your responses to my lecture materials.
Initial Group Presentations with Resource Person (10%)
Two groups for each brief will arrange to meet with the resource person well in advance of this presentation to discover the aims and goals of the community or university group and to begin to tailor a group of designs that would meet their needs. Each group will present its plans in front of the resource person and the class. These plans should include a major physical poster (20 X 30) and four other multi-platform designs to facilitate the needs of the community or university group. The media to be used will depend upon the needs of the community/university group, but might include print designs, TV spots, and viral components. The group must post a summary of these plans in the LEARN dropbox.
Individual Small Information Design Poster (9 X 11)—Physical and Electronic copies with 5- page Essay due Feb. 11 on LEARN either with copies by dropbox or electronic links (15%).
This assignment allows individuals to work independently on a small poster both electronically and physically. The purpose of using double media is to get a sense of the differences that the media impose on the same design. The individual essay of 5 double-spaced pages must provide a narrative for the poster while making reference to course readings, including Kress and Van Leeuwen, Lipton, White, and Baer.
Test (20%)
Major Infographic Design Group Project with Commentary due March 26-April 3 (30%)
Students will work in 10 groups of 4 students each to create (with the advice of the resource persons) a group of information design artefacts, including: a large information design poster (20 X 30), and 4 other infographics using different media and designed for the purposes of the community/university association of the group. In a class meeting with the resource person, the group will present their intentions for the project, and this will be followed by a presentation of the actual artefacts of the final project at the end of the term including one large design poster and 4 smaller related, multi-media designs. More than a presentation of information, the infographics must offer persuasive arguments and storylines. These plans will be profiled early on with the resource person, but may change for the final presentation, depending on the advice of the class and the resource person. The presentation and written commentary of the final infographics must back the reasons for design decisions with theory from course readings and comments on the community/university needs. These should be submitted as a hard copy and on LEARN.
Participation including group assessment (10%)
Students are expected to attend all classes, arrive on time, actively engage in discussions, and work well with their group. In-class workshops will also count toward the participation grade, and all students must attend the final presentations. Finally, each group member will individually submit an assessment of the group work, indicating strengths and weaknesses of participating members. This last must be submitted in order to generate a final mark.
Course Schedule
|
Date |
Readings and Workshops |
Presenters |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
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Jan. 7 |
Introduction to course, readings, and assignments What is Information Design? Baer, Preface and Chapter 1. Information Design Workbook. PDF |
Slethaug |
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Jan.9 |
Introduction to Design: Perception Lipton, 15-36 (Chapter 1: How Humans Perceive) |
Slethaug |
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Jan. 14 |
Introduction to Design: Components White, 81-105 (Chapter 5: The Seven Design Components) Form 10 groups of 4 students each (Two groups per brief) |
Slethaug |
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|
Jan. 16 |
Carliner, “Physical, Cognitive, and Affective” PDF Kress and Van Leeuwen, 16-44 (“The Semiotic Landscape”) PDF Reflection 1 due (Van Leeuwen): submitted on LEARN by 11:55 p.m. on Jan. 15. |
Slethaug |
||
|
Jan. 21 |
Gibson, The Wayfinding Handbook, Chapter 1 (“The Discipline”) PDF Lipton, Chapter 9 (Wayfinding) |
Slethaug |
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Jan. 23 |
Wayfinding and University Ave. Gateway Project: Ric Martins, City of Waterloo. Brief 1, Groups 1 & 2: Proposed project plan |
Martins Group 1 |
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Jan. 28 |
White, Preface, Introduction, Section 1: Space Gaines, “Communication and the Semiotics of Space” PDF Introduction to Small Information Design Poster |
Slethaug |
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Jan. 30 |
Information and Communications at Grand River Hospital. Cheryl Evans Brief 2, Groups 1 & 2: Proposed project plan |
Evans Group 2 |
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Feb 4 |
Modality and Multi-modality Van Leeuwen, “Modality” PDF Kress and Van Leeuwen, Chapter 6: “The Meaning of Composition.” PDF Reflection 2 due (either “Modality” or Multi-modality): submitted on LEARN by 11:55 p.m. on Feb. 3. |
Slethaug |
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Feb. 6 |
The Business of Information Design: Brian Dusselier & Deanna Westbrook Brief 3, Groups 1 & 2: Proposed project plan |
Dusselier & Westbrook Group 3 |
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Feb. 11 |
Small design posters and essays due Lipton, 61-87 (Case studies in usability re. audience and persona) |
Slethaug |
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Feb. 13 |
Department of English Program and Information Needs. Shelley Hulan, Chair Brief 4, Groups 1 & 2: Proposed project plan |
Hulan Group 4 |
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Feb. 18 |
Winter Break |
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Feb.20 |
Winter Break |
Slethaug |
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Feb. 25 |
White, Section 4: Type |
Slethaug |
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Feb. 27 |
Meeting and Greeting International Students at Pearson International Airport. UW International Office. George Lamont/Hazel Palmer Brief 5, Groups 1 & 2: Proposed project plan |
Palmer & Lamont Group 5 |
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Mar. 3 |
Unity and Page Architecture in Visual Design White, Section 2 (Unity) and Section 3 (Page Architecture) |
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Mar. 5 |
Textual and Visual Processes Kress and Van Leeuwen, Chapter 2: “Narrative Representations” PDF Reflection 3 due (Kress and van Leeuwen): submitted by 11:55 p.m. on LEARN on Mar. 5. |
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Mar. 10 |
Quantitative and Qualitative Information; Charts; Graphs; Diagrams; and Small Multiples Lipton, Chapter 7 (Design, Label, and Caption Diagrams Clearly) |
Slethaug |
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Mar. 12 |
Digital Information Design Armstrong, Digital Design Theory, 126-144 PDF https://www.bynorth.com/ |
O’Gorman |
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Mar. 17 |
Show, Don’t Tell. Infographics Discussion of test and final projects |
Slethaug |
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Mar. 19 |
Test |
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Mar. 24 |
Meet with professor on projects |
Slethaug Students |
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Mar. 26 |
Present Final Project Artefacts (20 minutes per group) |
Students |
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Mar. 31 |
Present Final Project Artefacts (20 minutes per group) |
Students |
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Apr. 2 |
Present Final Project Artefacts (20 minutes per group) |
Students |
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Apri. 3 |
Due date for Amended Final Projects |
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General UW Course Policies
Academic Integrity:
Academic Integrity: In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo are expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity, to avoid committing academic offences, and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about “rules” for group work/collaboration should seek guidance from the course professor, academic advisor, or the Undergraduate Associate Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy 71 – Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71 - Student Discipline, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm.
Grievance: A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm.
Appeals: A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70 - Student Petitions and Grievances (other than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 - Student Discipline if a ground for an appeal can be established. Read Policy 72 - Student Appeals, http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm.
Academic Integrity website (Arts): http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity Office (uWaterloo): http://uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:
Note for students with disabilities: The AccessAbility Services office, located on the first floor of the Needles Hall extension, collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of your disability, please register with the AS office at the beginning of each academic term.
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