Lecture 2 hours/week
Lab 2 hours/week
Some or all of the following methods will be used:
- lecture/discussion
- group work
- peer review
- lab exercises
- projects
- instructor feedback on students’ work
- individual consultation
- presentation (individual or group)
- field trip(s)
1. Introduction to Design
Students will
- learn basic print design theory, including page structure, column formatting, typeface relationships, and the use of white space and colour (process and spot)
- produce a variety of simple one- and two-colour projects, including stationery, invitations, and specialized form letters, using industry-standard software programs
- become familiar with common design errors and how to correct them
- become familiar with print terminology
- become familiar with traditional assembly procedures
2. Applied Design
Students will
- assess the functionality of software for drawing, graphics, and presentation
- assess the suitability of different design techniques for a variety of publications
- analyze design needs of various clients and organizations
- prepare design elements, text specifications, and graphics in a graphics software program for import into page-layout software
- investigate rates of and accessibility to professional designers
3. Page Layout
Students will
- prepare text in a word-processing program for import into a page-layout program
- examine the basic structure of a page-layout program
- examine techniques for producing a simple publication in a page-layout program
- examine and use design techniques for page balance and presentation effectiveness
- examine and use advanced techniques in page-layout software, including
- manipulating and integrating graphics
- creating large initial letters
- placing pull quotes
- determining justified and unjustified text spacing
- kerning
- using non-standard line spacing
- spacing headlines
- wrapping text around even and uneven shapes
- downloading fonts to a printer
- printing to file
- printing thumbnails, crop marks, and reductions
- producing forms
- designing templates
4. Print Coordination
Students will
- examine the stages of preparing a publication for digital output to service bureaus and learn how to coordinate a project through print production, including full-colour separation, spot-colour separation, halftone screens, bleeds, overlays and complex registration, digital and printers’ proofs
- analyze various paper weights, styles and sizes
- examine spot and process colour systems
- analyze the process of printing documents on a variety of presses, including digital and four-colour presses
- obtain estimates on costs involved in a variety of print jobs
- assess publications at the blueline (or comparable) stage for errors, additions, omissions, etc.
- assess print proofs for colour, errors, omissions, corrections
- go to a professional print shop to view specific production issues, such as colour balance, registration, trims, and bleeds
Students who successfully complete this course will
- be able to identify, understand, and use the basic principles of two-dimensional design
- develop advanced skills in an industry-standard page-layout software program
- become more experienced users of graphics software programs
- understand print production technology and procedures, including how to communicate with other print professionals, estimate costs, and deal with digital output
- produce a series of design projects suitable for inclusion in a professional communication portfolio
Students are expected to be self-motivated and to demonstrate professionalism, which includes active participation, good attendance, punctuality, effective collaboration, ability to meet deadlines, presentation skills, and accurate self-evaluation.
Instructors may use a student's record of attendance and/or level of active participation in the course as part of the student's graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.
Assessment will be based on course objectives and will be carried out in accordance with the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ Evaluation Policy. An evaluation schedule is presented at the beginning of the course. This is a graded course.
Example evaluation schedule:
| Wordmark (logo design) | 5% |
| Stationery package and style guide | 10% |
| Minor project | 10% |
| Midterm exam | 15% |
| Major project (e.g., magazine dummy) | 30% |
| Presentation | 20% |
| Attendance/professionalism/participation | 10% |
| Total | 100% |
A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester. Example texts include:
- coursepack of required readings
- Jan V. White, Editing by Design
Software is available in college labs. Students are strongly encouraged to purchase subscriptions to the software program(s) taught in this course for at-home practice.
Acceptance into the Post-Degree Diploma in Professional Communication
OR
Acceptance into the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Digital Marketing
OR
A minimum of 45 credit hours including a university-transfer course in English, Communications, or Creative Writing with a grade of B or higher
OR
Permission of the Professional Communication Program Coordinator
None
None