Course Syllabus CGVC 205A Business Graphics

I. BASIC COURSE INFORMATION

Semester: Spring 2006
Instructor's Name: Janet Anderson
Division: School of Applied and Information Technology
Course Number and Title: CGVC 205 Business Graphics
Semester Credit Hours: 3
Total Contact Hours: 4
Prerequisites: (CGVC 120 or CVCP 206) and (CGVC 121 or CVCP 241)
Instructor's Phone Number: 410.455.4986
email Address: janderson@ccbcmd.edu
Instructor's Office and office Hours: Q217 hours Mon. 1:30-2:30, Tues. 1:00 - 4:00


II. CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION

Business Graphics teaches students to plan, design and produce all of the business graphics typically used by businesses today. Students will learn to craft a visual message and identity, to deliver brand and image consistently across print and electronic formats, and to leverage their design investment across multiple marketing activities. Display options for a company, including logo, stationery, forms, brochure, sales presentation and web site, will be designed to reinforce a company's message, identity and brand. This course will deal with a number of different software applications at an advanced level: vector drawing, page layout, presentation and web design.


III. CORE COURSE GOAL

To design and produce the graphics typically used by businesses today


IV. OBJECTIVES:

Develop a consistent visual branding for the business graphics of a company

Write a branding strategy that clearly states a company's intended message and identity

Write a tag line that clearly sums up a company's intended message and identity

Design a distinctive logo to be incorporated in the business forms and sales documents of a company

Design visually clear and effective business forms

Present quantitative data in clear and interesting visual solutions

Design effective information graphics for a sales presentation that incorporates typical sales and organizational data in chart, diagram and table forms

Produce a digital sales presentation reusing the graphics and forms produced during the semester

Design a mini company Web site that repurposes the logo, information and graphics developed for the company

Use thumbnails, roughs and storyboards as part of the design process

Use a grid to establish layout structure

Create effective templates for use in basic business forms

Develop critical skills in evaluating the effectiveness of business graphics

Use the Internet as a research and resource tool

V. Major Topics


What is a brand and how to develop identity and message?
Basic concepts and design strategies in the development of corporate logos.
Layout structure, repetition, and alignment in stationary systems.
Information structure, concepts, and techniques for designing effective business forms.
Visual resources on the Internet and copyright issues.
Concepts, layout and techniques for designing promotional mailers.
Concepts, layout and techniques for designing digital sales presentations.
Design concepts for functional and informative Web sites.
Presentation techniques for print and screen portfolios


VI. EVALUATION PROCEDURES

Your grade is based on your original designs that entail the proper use of a number of program applications, your individual compilation of a resource file, and your achievement on two exams. In addition you will be awarded some points for your participation in discussions and critiques and your professionalism for the semester. The following point system will be used in determining your grade for the course:

Activity Due Date Possible Points My Points
A.Projects 575 points
 

1. Identity Program (150 total)
   

Branding Statement (15)

Session 5 2/27
15
  

Tagline (10)

Session 5 2/27
10
  

Logo (50 total)

 

logo thumbnails
Session 3 2/13
10
  

two logo roughs
Session 4 2/20

10

  

final logo
Session 5 2/27
30
  

Stationary System (75 total)
 

letterhead (25)

Session 7 3/13
25
  

envelope (25)

Session 7 3/13
25
  

business card (25)

Session 7 3/13
25
  

2. Print and Promotional Materials (total125)
 

 

 

Business Forms: (50 total)
   

fax
Session 8 3/20

25

  

choose one: order, invoice or map

Session 8 3/20
25
  

Promotional Piece:

 

folding self-mailer (75)

Session 10 4/03
75
  

3. Electronic Materials (total 200)
200
  

Sales presentation (0 to 200)
Session 13 5/08
 

Web site (0 to 200)
Session 13 5/08
 

4. Portfolio display sheets (total 100)
100
  

Logo, Stationary System (50)

 Session 9 3/27    

Forms, Self Mailer, (50)

 Session 12 5/01    
B. Resource File 150 points
   
Part I (75)
Session 6 3/06
75
  
Part II (75)
Session 11 4/24
75
  
C.Exams 250 points
   
Midterm (100)
Session 6 3/06
100
  
Final (150)
Session 14 5/15
150
  
D.Participation/Professionalism 25 points
All Sessions
25
  

TOTAL

1000
  


1000 - 900 points A
899 - 800 points B
799 - 700 points C
699 -600 points D
599 and below F



VII. TENTATIVE LIST OF DATED ASSIGNMENTS

See chart above


VIII. TEXTS AND MATERIALS:

Texts:
Design Workshop, Robin Williams
Quick Start Guides as needed for Illustrator CS2, InDesign CS2, Photoshop CS2, Powerpoint 4, Fireworks MX 2004, Dreamweaver MX 2004

Materials:
CDs as needed
Ruler
Pencil and felt tip markers
Sketch pad, tracing paper
Three ring binder for resource file, white paper, spray adhesive
black construction paper, display boards for porfolio sheets

Software: used in this course and all available in the lab
Adobe Illustrator CS2 (11) and CS2 (12)
InDesign CS and CS2
PowerPoint 4
Photoshop CS (8) and CS2 (9)
Fireworks MX 2004
Dreamweaver MX 2004


IX. COLLEGE ATTENDANCE POLICY

Students are expected to attend all class sessions except in cases of emergency (e.g., illness, death in the family) the occasion of religious holidays (the observance of which require restricting daily activity), or when participating in official college functions (e.g., field trips and athletic events). In the case of absence for special personal reasons, other than those mentioned above, it is the student's responsibility to confer with the instructor about whether the absence is to be considered as excused. The instructor may require such evidence as seems fit. When a student's unexcused absences have exceeded the number of class sessions per week, in this case one, the instructor issues a written warning to the students, with a copy to the Director of Counseling. The instructor may recommend that the student be dropped from the class when, in the instructor's opinion, the student's additional absence make passing the course improbable. Students are responsible for making up any work that was missed due to any absence, excused or unexcused.

Students should be aware of the following additional policies for this class:


X. CLASS PROCEDURES AND BEHAVIOR

If you wish to complete this course successfully you should exhibit the following professional behavior:

A. Execute all assignments in a professional manner: clean, neat, well presented.

B. Ask questions of the instructor and classmates so you may better understand the problems and objectives that you are expected to master.

C. Participate in class discussions and critique sessions and help each fellow student to better his/her ability as a designer.

D. Come to class on time. Parking is always a problem and is not an excuse for late arrivals. Tardiness in excess of fifteen minutes will be recorded as an unexcused absence.

E. Hand in all projects when they are due. The due dates of assignments are listed in this syllabus or are given out by the instructor. Hard copy of each assignment will be handed in with the appropriate evaluation sheet attached on top. Electronic copies of the work should be placed in the "To Be Graded" folder. Any work handed in late will result in the lowering of your grade by one letter grade for each session late beyond the due date. See your instructor about extenuating circumstances.

F. Attendance at all class meetings in required; this includes lecture and work periods. When you miss a class you have missed a huge amount of material. Students with excessive absences will be asked to drop the course and retake it when it is convenient to attend on a more regular basis.

G. Read all textbook assignments and handouts in the week they are assigned in the class outline. Any questions you may have should be asked of the instructor and the class.

H. Redo any piece of work that that you wish to improve and submit for re-grading. If you wish to have a project regraded the work must have been turned in on time, you must include the instructor's original evaluation sheet and your original assignment as first submitted. It is unrealistic to assume that corrected work will result in the grade of " A". " A" work by defination is superior and needs little improvement. If you wish to re-submit work it must be submitted the week after it is returned to you.

I. Bring text books, supplies and equipment to class each session and work in class on projects, during work periods.

J. Be responsible for keeping multiple copies of your work. Since there is no guarantee for the safe travel of a disk, and no way to determine the fate of a missing one, the burden is on you to keep a back-up copy. Do not rely on the scratch folder or the server to have a copy of your data. Use the student storage area in the class folder on the server as a back up for your files, not as your only storage place.

K. Collegiate behavior is expected and required. The goal of classroom activities is to provide the greatest educational benefit to all students. Class participants should expect and provide mutual respect and consideration in words and actions. Students will not engage in non-instructionally related conversations with others during class. The use of active pager phones, beepers, walkmen and other gadgets that may disturb others is prohibited. An instructor has the right to dismiss a student from class that he/she judges to be disruptive to the teaching and learning process. (College Regulations, Section Four: Code of Conduct, College Catalog). In the event that a student is dismissed for behavior, that student must have a conference with the Dean before being readmitted to class.


XI. EXHIBITION POLICY

The Computer Graphics and Visual Communications Department reserves the right to retain examples of each student's work during each semester. We also reserve the right to hold the work of all students for a reasonable period of time for exhibition at the school, on the Internet or elsewhere.


XII. ASSIGNMENTS

You will select one of four designated firms as a client for the entire semester.This semester we will be working with four businesses TBA.


A. Ceative Projects (575 points total)

Your projects for the semester will focus on the business needs for one company.You will produce all of the business graphic needs for your client. You will start by writing a branding strategy for the company. Each assignment will flow from this strategy and will build upon the previous assignments. You will learn to reuse components of previous assignments in a variety of ways. You will use a number of different applications to create the graphic needs of your company this semester: Adobe Illustrator and QuarkXPress for the production of forms and promotional pieces, Photoshop for file conversion,and PowerPoint for the production of a sales presentation, Dreamweaver for a web site.Introductory information will be presented on each of these applications, however, you will need to review lab manuals and Quickstart guides as well. It is beyond the scope of this course to teach any one of these applications in depth. All applications are available in the lab.

Each student will complete all of the following units:

1.Identity Program

1. Branding statement and tagline:a statement summarizing the focus, mission, and values of your company (Word) What is your market and how do you propose to attract that market? Reduce the statement to a tagline that sums up your brand. (25 points)

2. Logo : design a corporate logo for the business (Illustrator) (50 points)

3. Stationery System that incorporates project 1 and clearly goes together as a unit (Illustrator) (75 points)

Business Card
Letterhead
Envelope

 

2. Print and Promotional Materials

1. Business Forms that incorporate data from Unit I and clearly go together as a group (InDesign / Illustrator) (50 points total)

Facsimile transmittal cover sheet, (25 points)

order form, invoice or map and directions to your company's location - select one (25 points)

2. Promotional Self-Mailer Piece that incorporate all previous projects
( InDesign / Illustrator) (75 points)

 

3.Electronic Materials (total 200 points to be divided according to the emphasis you wish to place on these two projects)


A. Digital Sales Presentation that incorporates data from all previous projects (PowerPoint with imported files from Illustrator, QuarkXPress and Photoshop and the Internet) (0 to 200 points)

Company Information/Logo
Sales information regarding your product or industry in graph form
Product photos and descriptions
Organizational chart of personnel
Map and directions

B.Small Web Site that incorporates data from all previous projects (0 to 200 points)

Home page with company information, logo and links to three additional pages

What - Product/Services photos and descriptions
Who - Organizational chart of personnel
Where -Location and directions

4.Portfolio display Sheets Work will be evaluated and awarded points with the following in mind: (total 100 points)

 

B. Resource File of Business Graphics (150 total points)
Some designers call a resource file a swap file or a morgue. It is a file of outstanding examples. These will be organized in a three ring binder with an index that you create. Each member of the class will make and organize his or her own file. The purpose of the file is to create a resource of outstanding examples from which you can draw inspiration. The examples can refer to any business or corporation. You will also use these examples to help you determine what items are typically found on a business form of a particular type and give you ideas for layout. You will need to find three excellent examples for each category. In addition, each category will also show a very poor example with a brief paragraph explaining in what way(s) the poor example lacks the design principles of proximity, alignment, repetition and contrast. A thumbnail sketch showing what you think should be changed or corrected should also be included. Completed Part One and Part Two will be due at two dates indicated on your outline. Each category (example: logos) in the resource file will also provide the basis for class discussions and dates for discussions are listed in the class outline. See the class outline for specific due dates but start collecting materials for all categories immediately. The file will contain the following parts and categories:


Part One (75 points)

a. Logos - at least three good ones and one bad
b. Business Cards - three good ones and one bad
c. Letterhead and Envelopes - three good ones and one bad


Part Two (75 points)

a. Business forms: two of each - one good and one bad of each type

Fax
Invoice
Order forms
Map

b. Promotional Materials - three good ones and one bad of each type

Folded Self-Mailers
Flyers



C. Exams (250 total points)

Both a midterm and a final exam will be given. See class outline for specifics.

 

Janet Anderson, PhD
CCBC, Catonsville Campus
School of Applied and Information Technology
800 South Rolling Road
Catonsville. MD 21228-5381

email: janderson@ccbcmd.edu ©Anderson 2005 all rights reserved