Course Description:
This course is intended to be a survey of the field of graphic design from its origins to contemporary practice. The goals of this course are to provide the following:

1. the visual vocabulary of the development of signs and symbols
2. insight into the continuity of design thinking
3. understanding the social/political context of the practice
4. foundation for pursuit of research in the field of design

 In addition we will explore graphic design and its relation to art through twentieth century history and you'll create a number of projects that reflect your growing understanding of both type and design in context.

Course Requirements:
Students will read specified readings each week and then write thoughtful responses to questions in the discussion area. I will expect each student to write 2 responses a week: an initial response to a question and then a follow-up response. The readings will be listed in advance in the Assignments section.

Each student will complete an online project and write an 8-10 page research paper for this course, addressing an area of original research. The papers will be due no later than April 24th, 2006. All topics must be approved by me no later than February 15th, and there will be a schedule of dates for you to turn in bibliography, thesis statement, etc. This paper will constitute 30% of your course grade, and I will be posting further information about format and bibliography soon. The remainder of the grade will be based on the online project (20%), as well as class participation and quality of responses (50%). Class participation will determine your final grade. For example, if you are on or near the border between grades (e.g. 87%-89%, 77%-79%) when I am calculating your final grade, participation will determine which grade you will receive. Finally, any act of dishonesty, including plagiarism and cheating, in academic work constitutes academic misconduct and is subject to disciplinary actions.

Attendance:
You are expected to check in with the class twice a week: once to respond to the assignment and then once more to follow-up on what others have said. It is expected that you will respond to other student responses.

Rules of the Game:
Play fair. Respect your classmate's right to disagree with you. Don't belittle eachother. Do engage eachother. Question eachother. Question me. I want you to have fun with this and allow this to be a safe forum for discussion.

See assignments section for list of readings and dates. I will post readings prior to each week, and I will list some in advance. Understand that if you do this correctly, it will take you 4-6 days on average to complete the assignments. You need to read first, then respond to the question, then respond to eachother. Do not procrastinate and wait until the Wednesday before your initial comment is due. Give yourself something of a schedule. For instance, you could log in on Wednesday night to respond to the question, and then again on Saturday or Sunday, and at the same time pick up the reading assignment for the next week.