final project deliverables /  by tyler galloway

twenty percent of your final grade will be your final artifacts and project documentation, consisting of any of the following, as applies to your project:

final physical objects, to-scale and highly crafted

portfolio-quality photographs documenting any in-context work [similar to jarkece's wheatpasted posters in kc] and studio shots documenting physical artifacts

final video files of any time-based media you have created – mograph, games, promo videos, recorded interactive work

pdfs of publications [press-ready, saved as spreads], multi-screen work, brand standards, significant stand-alone graphics [logos, illustrations, etc]

basically, i'm looking for as much project documentation as you can provide, in high-quality files. 

delivery methods

inclusion in the senior show [notify me of what objects will be in the show so i can grade them on-site]

electronic – email with attachments or sharing a google drive for large files.

due dates

senior show items are due thursday april 26, by 5pm. 

all other work is due thursday may 3 by noon. 

there is a small chance i may have missed some details, so deliverables in this post are subject to change. 

additional presentation info /  by tyler galloway

final project presentations begin next class! this will form 25% of your final course grade:

50% - mid-term grade [including initial proposal presentation and process work]
20% – final presentation [using same evaluation criteria as guest critics will use on the form below]
10% – process [second half of term. includes outside advisor forms, desk crits, check-ins, etc]
20% – final artifacts [either turned in to me or as presented in senior show. exact due date tbd]

a few tips from a previous dept chair. some good things to ponder for friday/monday.

here is the input form the visiting critics will be using. i'll have them turn this in to me and give back to you a few days after your presentation. the criteria are all simplified language from the course objectives on the syllabus. 

to do, by end of class today: on the "presentation/order times" google spreadsheet, please add in a presentation title and one sentence description so i can share with visiting critics and potential underclassmen and faculty visitors. i've added those fields to the sheet.

final project presentation // april 13 and 16 /  by tyler galloway

a presentation is a demonstration or display of a product or idea – simple as that. but an effective presentation requires careful planning and rehearsal to look effortless. your presentation will be in irving studio 121 for your peers and several professional designers. you may utilize the podium, monitor, projector, or other means for presentation, so design your presentation approach and plan your materials accordingly. you have twenty minutes total. seek a healthy balance between monologue and dialogue with critics/audience. spending 15 minutes talking is probably foolish – leave plenty of time for q&a. consider a few questions to prompt discussion amid extended silences.

at the end of the day, your audience should understand three fundamental things about your work:

  • what you were exploring [introduce and explain the problem]
  • how you explored it [structure of your process, images documenting significant learning during your process]
  • what you learned about the problem, and graphic design, through your process [what is the potential for graphic design in your particular problem space?]

presentation objectives/grading criteria

60% explaining your project objectives – a clear, logical, and audience-centered presentation; provide evidence of research and exploration; synthesize research and exploration, thinking and making; provide deep insights about what you learned through the process.

40% presentation/craft – level of finish achieved in final presentation design – high quality visuals + typography; professional attire [something you’d wear to a job interview], and so on.

deliverables
[submit all that apply to your presentation]

  • pdf of keynote file with presenter notes [filename: lastname_firstname-dp2-pres.pdf]
  • video files used in presentation  [filename: lastname_firstname-dp2-pres-video.pdf]
  • pdfs of printed work used in presentation  [filename: lastname_firstname-dp2-pres-materials.pdf]

friday april 13 guests
julie sikonski [d.e.g. digital]
sam yates [dimensional innovations]
chris magee-jenks [cerner]
morgan ashley daniel [mmgy global]

monday april 16 guests
callie england [wallygro]
rebecca dowell [midwest transplant network]
zak wohlschlegel [cerner]
garrett peek [garmin]

march 16 and 19 classes + new requirement /  by tyler galloway

both classes will largely be work days with desk crits, with a minor variant on each day.

march 16
interested freshmen will be doing a second department visit at 10:15, so i will be occupied from about 10:00 onward. 

new requirement: for march 19, you should have on your wall by your desk, a list of your final deliverables and a daily schedule showing tasks required to get you to your goal, which is a final project presentation on april 13. don't forget to allow time for the planning, design, and practice of that presentation, and don't forget to include check-in 3, which is march 26. i will check your work against your schedule on a regular basis to hold you accountable. 

march 19
at noon, alumnus terrance clark of thrive will speak about their design mentorship residency program, which sounds like an awesome "design for good" opportunity for nine months – from august '18 until may '19. 

beyond that, i expect to see new work from each of you for each class session. yay! keep making strong progress!

march 2 class // mid-term work-in-progress /  by tyler galloway

[edited post]
class time will consist of mounting a work-in-progress panel in the hallway for each of you. the purpose of which is to

  • prove to yourself what you've made and use that as a momentum-builder
  • reflect on your progress and process of making things and assess what you've yet to do
  • use those gaps in making as a roadmap for your final weeks of the project

    each student will have roughly one 4x8' panel. there are eight in the entry area. two students can use the white wall and two students can use the corridoor hallway [flat panels]. the wall monitor is open for a slideshow of stills and you can bring pedestals up if needed. 

think of this as your wall space by your desk, just moved outside. use the mounting process to to recall where you've come and make discoveries of where you might go. look for new connections and combinations of ideas. 

we will also use this as a discussion-starter for individual meetings the monday after spring break, which will constitute your mid-term discussion with me. continue to add work for monday march 12th and beyond. 

what to put up
your question[s] as it currently stands. please show some care in giving it some basic typesetting or careful lettering.
publication work – a full map of your entire publication [full size, half size, or large-ish thumbnail prints], including blank pages/spreads. if it's an 80-page pub and you only have 40 pages made, i want to see where the gaps are.

digital work – print as many screens as makes sense. show storyboards, graphic studies, [site] maps and plans, etc. 

dimensional work – print mood boards, graphic panel studies, set out scale models and prototypes. 

other print work – any and all process of your type/image studies, brand architecture diagrams, contextual renderings/photoshop mock-ups, etc.

again, this is proof to yourself that you are making progress. don't fake your way through this. and have fun seeing where you've come so far.

feb 25 class /  by tyler galloway

a quick note about the start of class and our critique structure for monday:

i have an important meeting that i'm required to be in that will put me in class about 12:30. 

ashley, can you meet our guests (kelly ludwig and julie sikonski of DEG digital!) at the doors in the main hallway gallery (by the parking lot) at noon to let them in?

to allow for additional feedback time for each student, we will break into two groups at opposite ends of the studio. each student should have about 20 minutes total, so keep a timer.

group 1
ashley
chris
debbie
daisy
steven
y

group 2
nicole
caylie
justin
sarah
jarkece
erin

as with recent meetings, start with the general question you are exploring and quickly get into the specific details of your current project or project phase. explain what you're trying to learn about through making. there should be more showing of what you've made than telling about what you plan to make. be prepared to ask questions of your guests and classmates to get the specific feedback you need. as a reminder, we are in week 5 of 11 for the major chunk of making for dp.

kelly and julie, we are not looking for major new ideas or re-directs at this point in the process, but how to...

- focus [any ideas to eliminate, areas to deepen? where should most time be spent?]

- improve [what is weak visually or strategically?]

- maximize [any way to gain efficiency, combine ideas, re-use or find content, ease the production process?]

...the current direction each student is investigating. 

i will be in class asap to join the discussions. thanks for your help and cooperation in getting things running smoothly at the start.

feb 19 class /  by tyler galloway

in class
talk about time management: how are you doing it? how does scott belsky suggest doing it? what are the connections between project goals and time management? 

how many advisor check-ins have you done? do you have a feedback form to prove you've met with your advisors? those will contribute to your process grade. 

project work and desk crits

new work for next few classes
friday feb 23: work day

monday feb 26: progress check-in 2 with two outside guests.

friday march 2: post work-in-progress in hallway gallery spaces. we'll use the main entry walls, plus the television and white wall by the stairs as needed. 

seven weeks until your project is finished. that is less time than we spent on either MX project last term. lots to resolve between now and then. what will you be able to accomplish?

feb 12 class /  by tyler galloway

schedule
we are two weeks away from our second check-in.
we are two months [8 weeks away] from your project being done.
where are you in your process?

making
now is absolutely the time to be making things. designing at any level. you should absolutely be bringing in new things [yes that was plural] to every class from here on out. to not do so is to seriously jeopardize your grade for this class. research on an as-needed basis, to support what you are designing, to gain specific knowledge, or to uncover a new bit of content. remember that making should also be a thought process, a way of learning and testing [aka visual research] to move your ideas forward. make things freely, with joy, without judgement. critique them later. 

advisor check-in sheet linked here
reminder: i will need three of these for your outside advisor [or email documentation from them, if remote] and three from your faculty advisor. that's six total. integrate these meetings into your schedule now. consider staggering them so you have one a week for the next six to eight weeks.

denise visit this week /  by tyler galloway

we have slots open for one-on-one discussions with denise to talk about whatever you'd like, whether it be degree project, the job hunt, working as a professional designer, or whatever. email me to claim a slot. 

wednesday
3:00 - 
3:30 - 
4:00 - 
4:30 - 

thursday
1:00 - 
1:30 - 
2:00 - 
2:30 - 

jan 29 class /  by tyler galloway

in class
discuss google article.

discuss feb 5 check-in. what is most useful to you for this milestone? can you invite your advisor[s]? i have a feeler out for a few guests if that is helpful.

related to the reading, prepare a calendar with the major semester milestones for all three studios – dp, sx, t4. for dp, include the check-ins and final crit, as well as final turn-in for show. start to fill in any detail you know at this point, based on your total project goal. for example, what do you hope to have completed for each check-in? that will start to establish more specific project goals and action steps within each goal. break it down!

French beat box phenomenon EKLIPS performs a 4 minutes history of HIP HOP for Trace Urban... In one single take! www.eklips-beatbox.com And check out the amazing video REMIX! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EThazhrQycA

desk crits and individual work time. 

new work
make sure you are prepared to discuss "making ideas happen", including multiple challenge questions as described in the project 10 brief from last term. 

work on your calendar with milestones, mentioned above.

make project work!!!!!

a random image for your personal enjoyment!

a random image for your personal enjoyment!

commencement thoughts /  by tyler galloway

a quick collection of random thoughts on your process work from friday jan 26...

for monday, have a mocked up invite (nicely printed, trimmed, folded) and a commencement program (cover with two example spreads)

develop an idea from the work you have, or develop it further. what is the type starting to say to you, the colors, the compositions? is there an idea in there somewhere? what does it say about graduation, about your senior class, about creativity, about this school, about emerging from school to go to the "real world"? some ideas/attributes are emerging – "celebration" (as sarah is doing), "announcing" (kind of like Y's idea), "building", "tradition vs contemporary-ness", etc, etc.

justin, daisy, and Y are playing with imagery. what can be done there?  is it about buildings or are other things possible? 

related to the notion of an emerging concept, consider the branding piece and what attributes are emerging that you can name and work from? bold, learned, playful, gritty, resilient, etc.

think more about the production resources at hand – paper, ink, die cutting, embossing, etc. – and try to leverage those in a creative way. 

don't forget about mailing constraints and how envelope size will dictate announcement size.

now that i look at some of the sizes, i'm not opposed to the square format or things that go in a #10 envelope or whatever. just know that the "a-style" are traditional announcements and other options are more risky because they're non-traditional. people are not that used to getting a graduation announcement in a #10 envelope (usually reserved for business correspondence). regardless of what size you choose, refer carefully to the sizing printout lisa gave you.

enjoy playing with things. be free, be open to things, be playful. then be very serious. then be very...whatever. try on lots of hats in your approach. type can do amazing things – leverage that. arrangements can speak to readers in new ways – try it out. you have to take the time to move it around, massage it, print and look at it, see what it is saying (compositionally) or could say. 

i look forward to the final developments on monday!

jan 26 class /  by tyler galloway

in class
8:00 – commencement design crit 2 –look at edits and revisions in prep for T4 final showing on monday jan 29.

8:45ish – review of presentations and action steps for your project work. bring anything you've made so far to show your peers. 

9:30 - vml visit 2nd half of class. arrive at vml at 10:00

new work
read this washington post article about google's hiring practices.

make lots of work! be well prepared for desk crits on work in progress for monday the 29th. that means you'll have a good amount of time to work in class on monday. 

jan 22 class /  by tyler galloway

in class
proposal presentations

new work
you are now working toward your first process check-in, scheduled for monday february 5th. that's two weeks away – a similar scale to your last mix-n-match project. i need to see some serious headway on the 5th, mostly in the form of things you've made. 

in keeping with "making ideas happen" and ashley's ideas for goal setting and breaking down goals, please develop a first project goal and some action steps that you will take to get there, in addition to doing a lot of design work. 

next class
8:00 – commencement design crit 2 –look at edits and revisions in prep for T4 final showing on monday jan 29.

8:45ish – review of presentations and action steps for your project work. bring anything you've made so far to show your peers. 

9:30 - vml visit 2nd half of class. arrive at vml at 10:00

dp2 start! /  by tyler galloway

in class
ye olde dp2 syllabus can be found here!

30–45 min – review previous commencement invites and programs. look at initial work.

initial group discussion over proposals. questions?

small group and individual progress reviews on proposals. i will get to as many people as possible during class. i am also happy to talk to anyone after studios from 3:00 to 5:00 or via email on the weekend. 

new work
final production and prep for monday's presentation. be sure to review the last project brief to make sure you're covering all required areas and doing so appropriately. the structure and requirements are laid out quite clearly and it is wise to follow that closely. 

final transition project /  by tyler galloway

this link is to a brief that will get you rolling on various aspects of your project over break as we dive into your final kcai semester. let me know if you have questions or concerns about it. the deliverable is due monday jan 22, our second class session in dp2.

dec 1 class /  by tyler galloway

in class

small group discussion over work in progress – Q&A final project
let's do four groups of three, staggered in 40 minute increments. when you are not in crit, you will be working hard on making progress. it will not be social hour. it will not be coffee time. 
8:00 – chris, jarkece, erin
8:40 – ashley, sarah, daisy
9:20 – y, caylie, steven
10:00 – justin, nicole, debbie

final crit format and thoughts
a similar situation to your MX crit. each project will have about 10 minutes total for critique. design for this interaction accordingly. consider your media needs, space needs (who you want where in 119. if you are presenting elsewhere, plan and communicate to others ahead of time), and physical technology needs, as well as transition time before and after your presentation. talk with your peers about your tech needs. it is always better to be concise in your presentation so you have plenty of time for discussion, with our guests leading the commentary and peers filling in as needed. tailor your presentation to them, keeping in mind that they know nothing about what you are doing. be prepared with questions to solicit feedback from our guests if there is a void in the conversation. finally, make sure all deliverables are emailed to me before the start of class. 

this will be your last opportunity to get some direction and feedback on where your degree project might go next. remember, you are in your degree project now. it is in process. you will continue a very similar process of researching, questioning, making, critting, and refining in the spring term. prepare your questions for your peers and guests with that in mind, and with the break in mind. you will have some down time for reflection on what you've done and what your next steps might be. 

finally, it will be smart to have all recent mix-n-match projects on hand for reference just in case the conversation goes there. it's important to be looking for common threads between your recent projects. this can be in print or digital form.

afternoon session
put up the show, yo!

resources /  by tyler galloway

so you don't have to keep looking at pinterest and designspiration all the time...

ello.co is a new-ish online community developed with creative people in mind. check it out and thank caylie for the link!

while we're at it, have you seen design observer? lots of smart content there. 

grain edit has a lot of interviews and other designerly content, but are pretty illustration-heavy.

aiga's "eye on design" blog covers some pretty hip and young work in a thoughtful way.

but does it float has some really nice and artful work, but not unlike designspiration or pinterest, it's pretty decontextualized. art/design porn, in a way.