Assignment 1:

"Find the Gap" Design Challenge

In this activity groups of 4 will be assigned one Gap Challenge. You will follow the basic phases of the DRIVE Design process and document your process completely in your e-portfolios. You will also prepare a short Google Presentation to present in class.

 

IDEO VIDEO

 

CRITERIA FOR THE PROJECT

 

A successful project will show evidence for all of the following phases of the design process cycle:

DEFINE:

  • Understand the people (the users) who are impacted by the problem. Create empathy

  • Observe, engage and immerse yourself in the experience

  • After gaining understanding of the "gap", take a point of view (focus) on the problem

  • Document this phase with photographs, video, sketches and notes

  • Post ALL of your materials to your e-portfolio

RESEARCH:

  • Use online and other resources to explore what others have done or tried to do to solve the problem

  • Observe the situation and continue to engage with your users

  • Gather, compile and analyze your data. See what trends or patterns emerge

  • Document your research with notes and/or photos and post them to your e-portfolio

  • Check to see if your research has given you cause to rethink your definition of the problem

  • Did you learn something new and unexpected?

IDEATE: (a.k.a. brainstorming)

  • Get all of your ideas out on the table – no matter how crazy they might seem

  • Do not judge any idea at this point

  • Involve everyone in your group

  • Develop as many ideas as you can

  • Make sketches to communicate and record your ideas and post them to your e-portfolio

VERIFY: (a.k.a. prototyping)

  • Select the solution that seems to have the best chance of success

  • Make quick prototypes to explore options and refine thinking (models, detailed drawings, notes, etc.)

  • Use the materials in the studio and whatever else you can beg, borrow, or steal to make your prototypes

  • Document your prototype and post it to your e-portfolio

EVALUATE:

  • Present your team's work to the class in the form of a Google Presentation along with your prototype

  • Listen carefully to the feedback from the class and write up a plan of action (i.e. What you would you do to change and/or improve your design?)

  • Post your plan of action to your e-portfolio

 

CHALLENGE  - Campus Directional System

The Parent association has been concerned that new families and visitors to the school have difficulty navigating their way around our campus. We are very lucky to have such a large campus with many different departments spread out in several buildings, however, it can be difficult to know where each one is located and how to get there especially when we make such big changes as we have this year. 

The association is proposing an on-campus map and "directional system" that visitors can access to help navigate our campus.

 

Your challenge is to design a system to help people find their way around the BBA campus.

 

There will be several other companies competing for this contract. Your team of designers must create a presentation documenting all phases of your D.R.I.V.E process, as well as a completed prototype. In order to insure your success, your classmates will view your presentation and offer feedback.

Note: Your presentation should have approximately 10 slides and be about 5 minutes long.

Introduction to Illustrator

It is important to understand the basics of the software you will be using to create your designs. There are a few major programs that you will be using for this class;

  • Adobe Illustrator ( a design and graphic program).
  • Photoshop ( a image and graphic program).
  • InDesign ( a publications and graphic program).


Each of these programs are used by top designers, publishers, photographers and graphic artists to produce a multitude of graphic styles.



Illustrator Tools


Since we will be starting with Illustrator you will need to know the basic layout and set up of the program's "desktop" and tools.

Take a look at these tutorials for the basic tools.

Feel free to explore and find your own tutorials to explore deeper.

For the best understanding of the tools follow along creating your own version using Illustrator for each Lesson and Activity.

You can use your iPad as a place to take notes and put your thoughts together.


In your Portfolio, post your own creations for each of the following tutorials under the heading "Illustrator tools" in Unit 4.

Also write a reflection about the tool and the process you used to practice the particular tool.



*When you are saving your work to put into your ePortfolio you must "Export" your work as a JPEG.

You can not upload Illustrator files or PDF files to your portfolio.

Section 1

For the best understanding of the tools follow along creating your own version using Illustrator for each Tutorial and Project. Make a new art board for each.

  • Tutorial  #1 - Document set up

Setting up your document

Intro to Panels

  • Tutorial #2- Pen (Anchor Points) Teacher tutorial

Pen Tool Tutorial

 

Project

After watching the video, click the link below and use the 2 links to use as templates to practice the Pen Tool. 

First do "Pentool-exercise-2" (page1) then the "Balloon".

Section 2

  • Tutorial #1 -Shape (Path Finder)

Shapes and Pathfinder

  • Tutorial #2 -Blend Tool

Blend tool

You can use this tool to blend one shape into another.


Project 

Instructions

Create a non representational (shouldn't look like anything recognizable) (30 minutes)

design using all four of the basic shape tools.

Fill with a wide variety of different colors

Demonstrate a wide variety of stroke colors and weights

Demonstrate plenty of overlapping.

Section 3

  • Lesson #1 -Brush, Blob Brush, Pencil, Eraser / Each of these tools may sound like ones you have used in the past but they do act differently in Illustrator

Brush, Blob, Pencil, Eraser


  • Lesson #2 -Gradients, Mesh and Pattern tools

Gradient tool

Mesh tool

Patterns


Project

Instructions

Create a representational design (should look like something recognizable) (40 minutes)

  • Demonstrate proficiency in modifying shapes using the direct selection tool. This means that all shapes will be modified.
  • Fill with a wide variety of different patterns and gradients.
  • Demonstrate a wide variety of stroke colors and weights.
  • Demonstrate plenty of overlapping

Section 4

  • Lessons #1 - 5 Type

Basic Type

Click and Drag

Type on a path

Type on a shape

Base line shift


Project

Proficiency in Type

Instructions (30 minute assignment)

Demonstrate proficiency with type tool.

Show Both methods of getting type onto the paper.

Show a wide variety of fonts and weights,colors and sizes

Show single words, show paragraphs

Show different alignments

Show different tracking (letter spacing) and leading (line spacing).

Remember that you can rotate reflect or shear.


Project 2

Proficiency in Type 2 (see lessons 1-5)

Show proficiency in typing on both a path, shape and baseline shift (30 minute assignment)

Show several shapes

Show different alignments

Make sure you adjust the bookends



*When you are saving your work to put into your ePortfolio you must "Export" your work as a JPEG


After each of the tutorials save your creations on you portfolio with a written reflection for each.

"Enlightened trial and error succeeds over 
the planning of the lone genius."