GRT 404 - Intro to Visual Communication

This class is an overview of the Visual Communications industry. The class will review how history and technology change how we communicate. Students will explore current careers and jobs and the software used by industry professionals. Technical information about the industry will be researched and presented.
Competencies

1. Organize information about the visual communications industry
   1. Examine how technology changes have impacted communications
   2. Research the history of the graphic design industry
   3. Explore print and digital publications resources
   4. List websites that offer educational tutorials
2. Evaluate the major industry segments and how they interact
   1. List various careers areas within the graphics industry
   2. Examine various jobs within local companies and their descriptions
   3. Describe how local professional organizations impact students
   4. Distinguish between various national professional organizations
3. Determine quality presenting and critiquing techniques
   1. Research what makes a good presentation
   2. Examine the value of critiquing
   3. Plan a PowerPoint by making a word outline
   4. Prepare a presentation of a software skills
   5. Practice presenting as a team
   6. Demonstrate the ability to teach about a subject
4. Evaluate a guest speaker’s presentation about graphic design industry.
   1. Research background information on speaker’s company and design positions
   2. Prepare questions relating to speaker’s company, design career, and internship opportunities
   3. Summarize presentation by taking notes and writing a review
5. Differentiate between ways graphic designers communicate
   1. List different ways to communicate media
   2. Explain who uses these different media channels
   3. Discuss the pros and cons of media choices
   4. Summarize the importance of reaching a target audience
6. Examine current Adobe software graphic designers use
   1. Describe software used in the print industry
   2. List software used in the photography industry
   3. Discuss software used in the video/film industry
   4. Explain which software is used to make digital media and websites
7. Organize information about the perception of color.
   1. Describe the basic principles of light
   2. Explain how humans perceive color
   3. Discuss how different types of light affect human color perception
   4. Consider how the lighting conditions affects color perception 
8. Evaluate how color science relates to graphic designers
   1. Describe how to use Pantone color systems
   2. Discuss how color is defined for various media, RGB, CYMK, and others
   3. Use the color wheel to explain the relationships between colors
   4. Describe the differences between additive and subtractive color.
   5. Identify the appropriate color system for various workflows
   6. Demonstrate a basic understanding of color management
9. Organize information about graphic file formats used in visual communications.
   1. Summarize the basic definition of a file format
   2. Distinguish between lossy and lossless file compression
   3. Identify the appropriate file formats used in various graphic workflows
   4. Explore the purpose for having native file formats
   5. Describe the reason for repurposing file formats
   6. Discuss the appropriate PDF formats used in print and digital media
10. Evaluate the different laws related to visual communications.
    1. Examine copyright laws of images and graphic design work
    2. Explain the differences between copyright, trademark, and registered graphic work.
    3. Differentiate between royalty-free and limited royal stock photography
    4. List the penalties for violating royalties and copyright laws.
    5. Discuss the legal limitations of graphics and information found via the Internet
    6. Summarize the legal limitations for purchased and found fonts.