Transitions, September 2002

Issue 1      September 2002

Contents

Articles:

What to expect from your education: making choices about the study of graphic design
Check your education against the expectations of the profession so you understand what studios will expect you to have learned and how they will view various degrees.

The higher level: master’s degrees in graphic design
If you are thinking of continuing your education, consider the different orientations programs may have before choosing one.

Book tips from the top
Board members Clement Mok and Stefan Sagmeister describe their favorite and most influential volumes.

Executive director’s letter
This is the first issue of AIGA Transitions, a newsletter created for AIGA student members to help you in your education and eventual transition to the workplace as a professional designer. One of the unique advantages for students in your involvement with AIGA is the chance to keep informed on the issues of the real world—the challenges faced every day by professional designers as small business entrepreneurs and creative individuals.

We are launching AIGA Transitions with the new school year and we will publish it monthly, every September through May. It will include straightforward articles on subjects of interest to students (and your future employers); it will provide personal reading lists about the transition from the perspective of famous designers; it will offer references to other materials on our website you may find useful. We welcome your comments on what else would be helpful.

We decided to begin with AIGA’s published statement on what the profession expects from a design education, so that you can make sure you are planning your own education accordingly. There are a number of concerns I hear expressed regularly about the training of young designers seeking jobs. Successful studios seem to be most eager to find designers who have sufficient background in the humanities or sciences to understand readily the content they are dealing with when they are asked to design. This is behind the profession’s preference for a four-year program over a two-year program. Studios are also eager to find young designers who can work effectively in teams.

In the first few issues of AIGA Transitions, we plan to cover:

• Building an intelligent, informative portfolio;
• The ultimate question and answer guide to internships;
• Entry-level job descriptions, and how to make the right professional choice for your interests;
• How to interview: the insider's guide to making the best impression.

The editors for AIGA Transitions are AIGA national board members Petrula Vrontikis (principal of Vrontikis Design Office in Los Angeles and an educator at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California) and Terry Irwin (a founder of MetaDesign in San Francisco and an educator at California College of Arts and Crafts in San Francisco). 

We hope this will turn out to be a valuable resource in your personal transition to an absolutely extraordinary profession.

Richard Grefé, executive director, AIGA

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM YOUR EDUCATION: MAKING CHOICES ABOUT THE STUDY OF GRAPHIC DESIGN
Many colleges and universities offer courses and degree programs in graphic design; however, content, time spent in the major and graduation competencies reflect various purposes. The label “graphic design” carries many meanings. This diversity is healthy as long as students make informed decisions about the match between their own educational goals and what programs deliver in actual preparation for performance in the field.

Graphic design is the profession that plans and executes the design of visual communication according to the needs of audiences and the context for which communication is intended. Graphic designers work in advertising agencies, consulting offices, in-house design departments in corporations, institutions, publishing, and the film, television and computer industries. They create printed and electronic communication: books, magazines, newspapers, catalogs, posters, brochures, annual reports, graphic identities and logos, exhibitions, packaging, environmental graphics and signage, CD covers, movie titling, on-air television graphics, interactive websites and multimedia programs. Their work is composed of images and typography. Graphic designers who work in film, video or computer media also use sound and motion as means for communicating messages.

Studies in the compositional arrangement of basic two-dimensional and three-dimensional form are often required for degrees in other fields; it is quite common to find courses titled “design” in the beginning semesters of arts curricula. Because the term “design” appears in their titles, it is important to understand the distinction between this instruction and courses focused on graphic design.

Several titles in common use refer to the graphic design profession: graphic design, visual design, visual communications, communication design, communication arts, commercial art and interaction design. The term “graphic arts” may refer to printmaking or technical support areas, such as offset printing or the electronic preparation of art for offset printing, and not to communication design activity based on creative problem solving. Illustrators create drawn images and require different professional preparation from that of graphic designers.

Degree programs and professional preparation
The presence of graphic design content in college courses or curricula, or even its designation as an area of emphasis or concentration, does not automatically indicate that the degree program adequately prepares students for professional practice. While no single curriculum structure is preferred by the graphic design profession, there is a minimum threshold of competency for practice that generally requires a four-year undergraduate professional degree program that provides a comprehensive education in the discipline. These programs are available in both art schools and universities.

Programs that address some, but not all, issues of graphic design practice may provide opportunities for more breadth in art or other subjects. It is expected that students graduating from these pre-professional programs will acquire the essential competencies for practice through subsequent study.

Standards for accreditation of professional degree programs in graphic design
Degree titles normally used to identify the four-year professional programs with a major qualifying students for entry to the field are Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communication Design or Bachelor of Graphic Design. Only schools with sufficient qualified design faculty, technological resources and a comprehensive curriculum of study in graphic design have the prerequisites to offer these degrees or others with different titles having career entry objectives.

Curricular requirements for professional degree programs in graphic design. Curricular structure, content and time requirements enable students to develop the range of knowledge, skill and competencies expected of those holding a professional baccalaureate degree in graphic design. Curricula to accomplish this purpose normally adhere to the following guidelines: studies in graphic design comprise 25 to 35 percent of the total program; supportive courses in art and design, 20 to 30 percent; studies in art and design history, 10 to 15 percent; and general studies and electives, 25 to 35 percent. Studies in the major area, supportive courses in art and design, and studies in visual arts and design history normally total at least 65 percent of the curriculum.

Recommendations for general studies. Appropriate areas of study for all graphic design majors include communication theory, writing, psychology, sociology, anthropology and business, as well as the humanities. Professional degree programs with a specific focus (advertising, design planning/management, interactive media, etc.) should require or strongly recommend study in relevant areas such as marketing, economics, organizational psychology, human factors, systems theory or computer science. Course work in the major should make use of concepts and skills acquired through study in areas other than design.

Essential competencies
Graphic designers ready to work as professionals have mastered a broad range of conceptual, formal and technological skills. Whatever educational or career paths they have taken, they have acquired certain fundamental competencies:

• The ability to solve communication problems, including the skills of problem identification, research and information gathering, analysis, generation of alternative solutions, prototyping and user testing, and evaluation of outcomes;

• The ability to describe and respond to the audiences and contexts which communication solutions must address, including recognition of the physical, cognitive, cultural and social human factors that shape design decisions;

• The ability to create and develop visual form in response to communication problems, including an understanding of principles of visual organization/composition, information hierarchy, symbolic representation, typography, aesthetics and the construction of meaningful messages;

• An understanding of tools and technology, including their roles in the creation, reproduction and distribution of visual messages. Relevant tools and technologies include, but are not limited to, drawing, offset printing, photography, and time-based and interactive media (film, video, computer multimedia);

• An understanding of basic business practices, including the ability to organize design projects and to work productively as a member of teams.

In specialized programs, there are additional competencies:

• For graphic design programs with a special emphasis in advertising, design experiences should include the application of communication theory, planning of campaigns, audience/user evaluation, market testing, branding, art direction and copyrighting, as well as the formal and technical aspects of design and production;

• For graphic design programs with a special emphasis in design planning and strategy, design experiences should include working in interdisciplinary teams, systems-level analysis and problem solving, writing for business, and the application of management, communication and information theories;

• For graphic design programs with a special emphasis in time-based or interactive media, design experiences should include storyboarding, computer scripting, sound-editing and issues related to interface design, as well as the formal and technical aspects of design and production for digital media.

THE HIGHER LEVEL: MASTER’S DEGREES IN GRAPHIC DESIGN
In the current job market, many students are wondering whether they should pursue graduate work now while waiting for the design economy to improve.

The initial Master of Arts or Master of Science (30 semester hours) is offered by a number of institutions. The terminal Master of Fine Arts (60 credit hours) or equivalent is more typical and required by most colleges and universities when hiring graphic design faculty. At present, the master’s degree is not required for professional practice in graphic design and there is no professional licensing or certification of graphic designers. Therefore, students should look for a good match between their purpose for pursuing master’s study, and program content and structure. Since graduate students work closely with faculty, applicants should be sure to explore faculty qualifications and interests to find a good personal fit.

Students should also keep in mind that graduate programs may have one of three orientations:

• General practice orientation. Students with educational experiences other than the four-year professional undergraduate degree with a major in graphic design prepare for graphic design practice or undergraduate teaching careers through this type of degree program. Instruction resembles design office practice and students’ work is largely in applied problems that replicate assignments in the field. These curricula generally follow the model of fine arts, with high concentrations in studio instruction and a final project or exhibition of visual work required for graduation.

• Specialized practice orientation. Students focus on a segment of practice, such as interaction design, or a particular philosophical approach to graphic design, such as design for social change or as a medium for personal expression. These programs narrow the range of issues addressed in the curriculum and rely heavily on in-depth investigations that push the boundaries of a practice specialization or focus on personally defined problems. They may lead to a way of looking at design that differs from mainstream practice. Again, the conclusion of studies generally takes the form of a project or exhibition. Students in these programs often hold professional undergraduate degrees in graphic design and may have practice experience that informs their selection of a specialization.

• Research orientation. This profile responds to the growing field of design research and doctoral degrees in the discipline. Students enter these programs to develop research skills and to speculate on emerging issues and areas of practice. They are less concerned about (re)entering the field of graphic design as it is currently practiced and more interested in developing the body of knowledge about design. While some graduates of these programs do return to practice, many will enter research positions or teaching. Course work may include: study of research in nondesign disciplines that hold significance to the understanding of design (for example: anthropology, computer science, cognitive science, etc.); and studios that address issues beyond those of the typical design office and seek deeper understanding of design theory. Graduation requirements may range from a written thesis to a final visual project to a research project situated within a practice-oriented context.

BOOK TIPS FROM THE TOP: BOARD MEMBERS CLEMENT MOK AND STEFAN SAGMEISTER
We asked our board members to recommend four books students should read to understand design in context. This will be a regular feature.

Clement Mok:

A Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Construction
By Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein

Time Timeless Way of Building and A Pattern Language are two halves of a single work. This book provides a language for building and planning; the other book provides the theory and instruction for the use of the language. I found this book to be very instructive in seeing how the design and creation process for architecture are similar to graphic design. A Pattern Language explores and introduces the notion of design patterns that are unique to various disciplines and practices.

The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How To Restore The Sanity
By Alan Cooper, Paul Saffo (foreword)

A wonderful insider’s view on how the engineering mind works. This book provides insights and challenges one has to overcome when collaborating with the engineering and technical mind. Alan asserts that the goal of computer usage should be “not to make anyone feel stupid.” More importantly, his discussion on goal oriented design and defining personas are topics designers need to be familiar with.

The Social Life of Information
By John Seely Brown, Paul Duguid

A wonderful book on how ideas are socialized. The Social Life of Information is a thoughtful and challenging read that belongs on the bookshelf of anyone trying to invent or make sense of the new world of information.

The Ice Palace that Melted Away: How Good Design Enhances Our Lives
By Bill Stumpf

An incisive book about design being a quality of life. Design is also about ‘civility,’ and that we, as designers, have a responsibility to protect and nurture our communal values.

Stefan Sagmeister:

A Year with Swollen Appendices
By Brian Eno

Brian Eno kept this published diary for one year. He found a beautiful balance between art, music, family and himself.

Tibor Kalman, Perverse Optimist
Edited by Michael Bierut, Peter Hall, Chee Pearlman

Simply my favorite design monograph.

Looking Closer 4: Critical Writings on Graphic Design
Edited by Michael Bierut, William Drenttel, Steven Heller

Hilarious and thought provoking, I found myself caught in between laughing out loud and taking notes. I xeroxed articles for friends.

365: AIGA Year in Design 22
By AIGA

The new AIGA annual is in my opinion the smartest annual in years (then of course I would say that since our projects are featured in it).

Publisher

AIGA Transitions is published once a month, every September through May, nine times a year by AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts), 164 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, www.aiga.org. The executive editors are AIGA national board members Terry Irwin and Petrula Vrontikis. AIGA Transitions is a benefit of student membership and is not available to nonmembers. AIGA seeks articles for this publication from knowledgeable, respected and experienced authors whose opinions are deemed relevant to the student and educator community. The opinions expressed by the authors are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or judgment of AIGA; further, they represent only one point of view and are not intended to be an exhaustive treatment. For further discussion of the issues with your colleagues and peers, please visit the AIGA Design Forum at www.aiga.org.