New Decade. What's Old is New Again.

GrD4950 – Graphic Design Portfolio
CRN # 14358
Stan Anderson
Coordinator, Associate Professor
Office: 362 Hours: Wednesday 12-2:30p
Tuesday/Thursday 11-1:50p
460 CMC Lab\Hours: Wednesday 12-2:30p (or by appts.)
3 Credit Hours
Office Phone: 404-413-5234
Course Blogsite:
www.seniorportfolio2010.blogspot.com
stananderson@gsu.edu
stan450@bellsouth.net
______________________________________________________________________________

Stan Anderson schedule for Spring 2010:
Tuesdays and Thursdays
11-1:50p – Graphic Design Portfolio (Seniors/Majors) CMC 460 Lab
2:30-5:20p – Graphic Design for Film & Television (Juniors/Majors) CMC 460 Lab
8a-10:50a – Graphic Design Internships 4300 (Juniors/Majors) Times to meet TBA



Course Description from GSU Catalogue:
This is a CTW Course and must follow all guidelines for assessment from the University.
Graphic Design Portfolio. Prerequisites: GrD 3200 with grade of C or higher, and consent of graphic design coordinator or instructor. Preparation of final professional portfolio; consolidation and revision of previous projects; addition of projects reflecting student's specialized interests; self-promotion; presentation; interviewing; the language of graphic design in the context of the fine arts. Lab Fee: $20.00.

Requirements:
Seniors must satisfy all the College of Arts & Sciences, School of Art and Design and University requirements prior to
their expected graduation date. Seniors must have already applied for Graduation and also have delegated an official audit transcript from the Registrars office prior to the end of this semester. Seniors must insure that they have the minimum amount of credit hours to graduate from the University and have fulfilled the required number of credit hours within their discipline.

Further, Portfolio is designated as Critical Thinking Through Writing course. The CTW component is addressed through the development of the artist statement that supports the final portfolio work. Each written artist statement will be assessed for 1) clear use of language, correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar 2) communicating essential idea embodied in your work 3) formulate analytical understanding and insight development in regards to the work 4) personal discoveries and truth concerning your work and social, cultural, environmental awareness surrounding your work.

It is students’ responsibility to present a professional portfolio, along with clearly labeled digital CD file of all the work done in the Portfolio, accompanied with a List of Work, Artist Statement, and Résumé to be kept in the Program record.

Seniors must complete this class with a passing grade of C or Higher before they can graduate.
Seniors will be asked to complete a certain number of new design projects during the spring semester as well as work on finishing up other portfolio requirements. Seniors will be asked to sign an official course contract which will exists between the student and the Professor. Seniors should honor this contract as a formal declaration of completing work described on the contract. At the end of the semester the Professor will sign off on the contract thereby allowing the student to graduate.

Seniors must show up to class on time and have coursework to show during those class meetings. There will be formal critiques and discussion and presentations which all seniors must be present. No senior will be permitted to miss more than 3 class periods unless authorized by the Professor. If the student misses more than 3 class periods, the student will be notified via email confirmation as well as a verbal directive of this final absence. After official notification by professor as previously mentioned, the Professor has the right to drop student from enrollment.

Seniors who are graduating from the Ernest G. Welch School of Art and Design at the end of this semester must go through a formal Exit Review with the faculty from the graphic design department. Each student will be allowed 45 minutes each to present
Their portfolio of work (minimum of 20 boards) as well as exhibit their working website. Students can use this time to show print, animations and various other work of their choice. Students will also leave copies of the following for each of their faculty reviewers:

-Stationery sets
-Hi-Res PDFs of all their work, including all animations and video work (several CDs)
-Specialty Leave Behind or Self -promotional piece
-Current Resume
-Working Website
-Portfolio case

Projects and Workshops for this semester:
1.Individual Voice Project: You choose
2.Photographing your work
3.Creative a Brand for yourself (that should coincide with your GrD4600 Website design)
4.Creating a “Leave-behind” or promotional piece for yourself.
5.Interviewing techniques with your Portfolio
6.Senior Portfolio Exhibition and Selection of work you want included.
7.Creating a Resume (including letter of introduction and follow up letter from interview,)
8.Mapping your Senior Exit Review work (should coincide with GrD4600 as well-web and work hierarchy
9.Rehearsing the Senior Exit Review on camera.
10.Stationery: Branding yourself with envelopes, business cards, Letterhead sheet and secondary sheet.
a.ALL business cards must be professionally printed. No Xerox. No Laser. No Homemade.

CTW INFORMATION:
CD/DVD Documentation of your Work:
I.Label your CD/DVD with your full name, GrD4950 Portfolio, semester and year.
(Example: Shauna Perry, GrD 4950Portfolio, Spring 2010)

II.Your CD/DVD will have two folders inside:
a.Folder #1
Contains your TEXT documents
Label: Last Name¬¬,Text files
(Example: Perry,Text Files)
Contents: Artist statement, list of works, and resume.
Example:
1)Perry_Resume
2)Perry_Artist Statement
3)Perry_List of Image

b.Folder #2
Contains your IMAGE files only.
Label: Last Name,300ppi Image Files
(Example: Perry,300ppi,ImageFiles)


III.Images of Work
a.Label your works in the following manner, so they will code to the image list.
If the image list says,
MODA Poster 2009, 12” x 14” Silkscreen on paper. Then…
Your image label will say 1.MODA Poster, 09, 12”x14”, Silkscreen

It is important to have only numbers and letters in the image name and to have the title stay fourteen characters or less. It is important to have the images numbered and have the numbers first for two reasons.
1.They will coordinate to your image list
2.The computer will order them for you.
b.These will be jpegs of work, 300 ppi, at least 6 x 8 printable size.
Here is a sample image size window for a good size jpeg.


IV.List of Works
a.See above: the list should be numbered and correspond to the image numbers.

V.Printed Hard Copies
a.These must be at least 8 x 10, which is the reason for the 300ppi image size above.

VI.Artist Statement
YOUR ARTIST STATEMENT: Who you are at this point in your creative life

QUESTION:
Why do I have to write an artist statement?
If I wanted to write to express myself I would have been a writer.
The whole idea of my art is to say things visually.
Why can't people just look at my art and take away whatever experiences they will?
ANSWER: Artist statements are not stupid; they are essential. And you don't have to be a writer to write one. And people already look at your art and take away whatever experiences they will.
Your artist statement is about facts, a basic introduction to your art; it's not instructions on what to experience, what to think, how to feel, how to act, or where to stand, and if it is, you'd better do a rewrite.

On this planet, people communicate through language, and your artist statement introduces and communicates the language component of your art. People who come into contact with your art and want to know more will have questions. When you're there, they ask you and you answer. When you're not there, your artist statement answers for you. Or when you're there, but you don't like to answer questions, or you're too busy to answer questions, or someone's too embarrassed to ask you questions, then, your artist statement, does the job. Just about all artists want as many people as possible to appreciate their art.

A good artist statement works towards this end, and the most important ingredient of a good statement is its language.
WRITE YOUR STATEMENT IN LANGUAGE THAT ANYONE CAN UNDERSTAND, not language that you understand, not language that you and your friends understand, not language that you learn in art school, but everyday language that you use with everyday people to accomplish everyday things. An effective statement reaches out and welcomes people to your art, no matter how little or how much they know about art to begin with; it never excludes.

Like an introduction to a book, your statement presents the fundamental underpinnings of your art; write it for people who are about to read "your book," not those who've already read it. In three to five paragraphs of three to five sentences each, provide basic information like WHY YOU MAKE YOUR ART, HOW YOU MAKE IT, WHAT IT'S MADE OUT OF, and perhaps briefly, WHAT YOUR ART MEANS TO YOU. Don't bog readers down, but rather entice them to want to know more. As with any good first impression, your statement should hook and invite further inquiry, like a really good story is about to be told. Give too little, not too much. People have short attention spans.

Getting Started in 2010:

Each Senior Designer is expected to gather up all their past work created either at GSU as well as any work that might have been done for a client in freelance, part time, fulltime or internship. The first few weeks of class will be spend combing through every designers past work and then cataloging that work into what each student plans to use on their website as well as during their exit review. Every designer will go through the process with every member of the class. Time has been set aside to review individually and collectively this work. Designers should keep a working list (mapping) of the work that they feel might need some type of revision as well as work that will be completely removed from the portfolio process.
A list of categories where each previous work will fall should be kept:
(Categories such as “Definitely” or “Needs Revision” or “No Way” or “Total Re-design” can get the process started. This should be done prior to the in class review the first few weeks of semester.

Designers should also think about which work needs to be re-printed as well as work completed in another discipline (photography, book arts, printmaking, etc.) This other work can be sparing shown in the Senior Graphic Design Exit Review but can really be displayed in more depth on their websites.

Project One:
Finding Your Own Voice

Since entering the Graphic Design program at GSU a few years ago, each of you have been asked to perform and experience certain degrees of proficiency which are universal to most graphic design majors in their respective schools.

Throughout your time at GSU I’m sure each of you have discovered your strengths and your weaknesses but most importantly is that each of you have perhaps identified areas of interest which you have wanted to pursue with more in depth investigation. This semester you will have a chance to identify what you feel are those missing creative “gaps” in your design education and portfolio by writing your own creative contract on work to be completed. This contract will exist between student and instructor.

In this project each student will identify a set of creative goals/ideas by writing them down with some detail of what they wish to accomplish in its final presentation. These ideas should be specific in what each student wishes to accomplish. Students will also present their ideas to the rest of the class for feedback before initiating the agreed upon individual project.

Graduating students will bring in their entire portfolio of work to review with the class and Instructor prior to starting their
Individual project. This process will take some time but will result in a more thoughtful and applicable project for the semester.

The idea of how to begin this senior design class began during a senior trip to NYC in October 2007 to visit design studios. Many of the Art Directors (Psyop and Trollback and Nick) stated that they are always looking for new design recruits based on what they can “uniquely” offer to their respective companies and design firms. They are seeking designers who have a style that is unique which has been described as their “inner design voice.” This project will allow you to literally ‘flush out” your uniquely personal graphic design goals. You might wish to create a set of animations based on your interest in art or travel or language; others might wish to create a uniquely different set of print work; many of you might wish to work on typographical areas of your portfolio which you feel need more attention.

Each project for each student should be uniquely different. That is the strength of this project.
You think it and you design it!
Do you need more print and editorial work?
Do you need more Illustration work?
Do you need more animation?
Do you need more political work?
Do you want to show more of your multimedia work?

Learning to discover (and uncover) your unique “voice” as a creative person can be a life-changing experience.
Finding your “inner voice” as a designer certainly will allow you to become more self-confident when you begin your job search upon graduation.

Projected Time allotted is 4-6 weeks.
Project Two:
Student Branding / Stationery Project

“Who am I anyway? Am I my resume?”
This musical quote comes from one of Broadway’s greatest and most successful musicals entitled “A Chorus Line.”
This entire production is about Branding (dancing perhaps in this case) but really about who we are as individuals.
How do you single yourself out from the rest and make a name and place for yourself in the design world?

What’s in a name?
What’s in your name?
Will you create something iconic for yourself or will your name be a special font/typeface which your adhere to in your
Professional world?

Do you create an alter ego name or brand for yourself or do you use your own name as your brand?
The work you are doing in GrD4600 Senior Workshop should tie into this branding project as you work on your individual
Websites (which are required prior to graduation.)
Seniors are required to have a printed business card and stationery set ready prior to graduation.
This may include (but not limited to) letterhead, business cards, envelopes.

Project Two Part II:
Specialty Graphic Design “Leave-Behind” aka The Self-Promotional Project

Seniors are asked to design a specialty piece that is unique to each senior graduating at the end of spring semester.
These specially designed pieces should be designed to catch the eye of the client the student will be interviewing for
jobs in the future. Many times an interviewer may not remember the students name or even their work but will remember
their “leave behind” design. These can take many forms such as brochures, books, 3-D pieces, pop out material, etc.

There is no formula for this as each piece is different for each student.
At the Senior Exit Review each graduation senior will leave these specialty pieces with each of their faculty as well as a set of
Student stationery sets with the faculty.

Think about the message you want to send to the person reviewing your work. It might be a freshly designed mouse pad or
an iPod cover design or printed book of all your work or a calendar of the forthcoming year which was specially designed.
Clever is key in this individual project. We will view numerous self-promotional work from the previous classes.


Project Three:
Senior BFA Exhibition Work

Another mandatory part of graduation from the Graphic Design program at GSU is participating in the Annual BFA Exhibition at the end of spring semester. This senior exhibition is geared to focus on all the graduating senior’s artistic achievements in their respective majors. Graphic Designers can choose to exhibit animations, print and editorial work, film and television and various other conceptual work for the senior exhibition. The work must have been done while as a student at GSU or outside professional work with consent of professor only.

We’ll discuss and identify some of your best work considered to be included into the spring exhibition while also finding ways to creatively display those pieces of work for the show.

During this time of identifying work for the senior BFA show, we will spend several days in class to actually photograph many pieces and parts of your portfolio. We’ll take a look at how the professionals have photographed their work in the various Design Annuals and Periodicals and discuss what seems to work and what definitely doesn’t work as a photograph. Everyone is encouraged to bring new ideas regarding how they wish to photograph their work (3D, brochures, book covers, CD redesigns, etc.)

Discussion of how each designer should begin to select and get work ready for their senior BFA exhibition.
All seniors are required to have work in this senior exit exhibition.
Framing and mounting will be discussed.

Seniors will probably be encouraged by the gallery director to have only one entry…however, this one entry can be a series or designs such as posters on a certain subject or a triptych of a project. Many time the gallery director will allow students to show video work (everyone’s video work compiled into one DVD and projected at the exhibition) as well as printed work.
This is up to the discretion of the Gallery Director, Cathy Byrd.
Seniors must attend the Gallery BFA Senior Exit review meeting prior to the exhibition.
Work usually must be picked up after graduation or designers will have to make other arrangements for pick up.

All work in this exhibition by all the disciplines in the School of Art & Design must come from work completed during your time at GSU as an undergraduate.
How do you display your 3D work? What do you need to show your animations? Can I submit more than one entry?


Project Four:
Client Project:

This semester it might be a Music Project (Print and Motion) or a MODA Project, or a project with HGTV.

As you know by now, the information on your resumes should reflect what you did during your academic
Education. By providing you with real clients to work with during the calendar year I feel it gives you the edge over other graphic designers. Your portfolio will reflect it and so should your resume.
Don’t think it doesn’t because it indeed does.

Listing ”Academic Experience” or “Client Experience” in your resume things like:

The Hollywood Reporter Student Key Art Competition, Los Angeles, CA or
The N Network, New York, NY or
The Cookie Studio, Atlanta, GA or
The Jane Hotel, New York, NY or
Miracle House Organization, NY or
Chuck Loeb, Musician, NY

All these high profile clients agreed to give you permission to use their names as a reference so use them.
It should replace things on your resume that might say:
Bartender, MJQ, Atlanta,GA or Restaurant Cook, Atkins Park, Atlanta.

______________________________________________________________________________

Tentative Spring 2020 Semester Calendar

Tuesday Jan12 Intro to course: Who, What, When and Where? Blogs and Assignments
Thursday Jan14 2009 Taxes and beyond: Discussion on how to prepare your taxes

Tuesday Jan19 Portfolio Reviews Begin Part 1-5 (Initial Individual Projects discussed)
Thursday Jan21 Portfolio Reviews Begin Part 6-11

Tuesday Jan26 Portfolio Reviews Begin Part 12-17
Thursday Jan28 Portfolio Reviews Begin Part 18-20

Tuesday Feb02 Individual Projects Statements DUE:
Prepared Work Sheets/ Mapping your work printouts DUE:
Thursday Feb04 Individual Projects ½ class Discussion

Tuesday Feb09 Individual Projects ½ class Discussion
Thursday Feb11 Individual Projects work in progress- Work in class

Tuesday Feb16 Individual Projects DUE
Thursday Feb18 Music Project: work in progress

Tuesday Feb23 Music Project: work in progress
Thursday Feb25 Music Project: work in progress

Tuesday Mar02 Music Project: work in progress
Thursday Mar04 Music Project: DUE

Tuesday Mar09 Spring Break
Thursday Mar11 Spring Break

Tuesday Mar16 Stationery Project
Thursday Mar18 Stationery Project

Tuesday Mar23 Stationery Project
Thursday Mar25 Stationery Project CRITIQUE

Tuesday Mar30 Group Project #2
Thursday Apr01 Group Project #2

Tuesday Ap06 Group Project #2
Thursday Apr08 Group Project #2

Tuesday Apr13 Group Project #2 CRITIQUE
Thursday Apr15 Senior BFA Show Work Discussed

Tuesday Apr20 Self Promotion Discussed
Thursday Apr22 Final Practice for Exit Review in Class
Artist Philosophy DUE

Tuesday Apr27 Final Practice for Exit Review in Class
Thursday Apr29 Final Class Critique : Group Project #2

Big Celebratory Party after all work is finished!





PORTFOLIO and GRADUATION CONTRACT 2010


I, __________________________________________________________________ understand that I am undertaking an intensive encounter with my own creativity from January 2010 until May 2010. I will commit myself to the 16-week duration of this creative workshop. I understand that I must fulfill the course requirements of this class as mutually agreed upon by myself and my Instructor and sign at the bottom of this agreement.

(*A complete official list of projects to be completed will be attached to this contract which will detail all said work to be completed by student by the end of spring semester 2010 at Georgia State University.)

All my work listed in the appendix of this contract must be completed in order to graduate in May 2010 without exception, unless I am be permitted an extension in order to complete this work, but understand that an extension does not guarantee my graduation in May 2010.

I further understand that this creative workshop course will raise a wide range of ethical and professional questions for me to deal with during the semester and I will not let my personal life (or personal drama) interfere with my academic goals prior to graduation.

I will keep my vision clear, simple and focused on what I expect not only from myself and classmates but also from what I expect from my Instructor, Stan Anderson.
I will meet all agreed upon deadlines.
I will contribute to all class critiques and learn to better discuss my work without apology.
I will try to better understand the relationships between verbal communication and visual communication.
I will make sure that I check-in with all my graphic design Instructors to go over my portfolio prior to my final exit review.

I will try to learn what it takes to compete in my chosen profession as a graphic designer.
I will arrive to class on time and leave only after being dismissed.
I will strive to share my graphic design experiences with undergraduates and those applying to the GrD program.
I will keep abreast of the contemporary design work being produced outside the classroom and view all art as a viable resource to my own art regardless of its manufacture or usage.

I will also learn how to edit my own work prior to my final portfolio review and understand that the work I will be showing at this final review is of my own choosing. The work should represent my time and experiences while at GSU while also exposing my desires in specific areas of design.
I will own all my work prior to graduation. I understand professional and academic courtesy within the classroom.
I will support others during this workshop course, to allow and respect each student’s freedom of expression and will extend professional courtesy to those around me as I also expect the same in return.

I will commit myself to excellent self-care, adequate sleep, diet, exercise, laughter, concentration and ample time to replenish my creativity for the duration of this course prior to graduation.
I also guaranteed that all work within my portfolio, verbiage and visual, is my own and/or I have contracted this material for use legally and can prove such if questioned.
I understand that I will not be treated any differently from any other student with regards to grades, attendance and professional courtesy in the classroom.

Signature__________________________________________Date________________________________


Professor Signature____________________________________________________________________






Bachelors of Fine Arts Program - Studio Art Major
Learning Outcomes Assessment Form for Undergraduate Student in Portfolio II

Semester / Year____________________________________________________

Student’s Name: _____________________________________Student ID______________
(last) (first) (m.i)
Studio Discipline______________________________________________________________

Portfolio Documentation Collected: ___Portfolio Slides Or Disk ____Written Artist Statement _____ Resume

Learning Outcomes Assessment Evaluation
Outcome Goal
1.Poor
2.Fair
3.Good
4.Very Good
5.Excellent
6.Outstanding
7.Not Applicable
Technical Skills:
a. Formal
b. Perceptual
c. Technical
Interdisciplinary Knowledge:
a. Cross discipline
b. Experimental Approaches
Technology Skills:

Health and Safety

Collaborative/
Group Skills


Contemporary Issues:
a.Art Theory
Historical Knowledge:
a.Broad factors that influence art
Multi-Cultural Awareness

Professional Preparation in Art
Bachelors of Fine Arts Program - Studio Art Major (Cont’d)

Comments (optional):

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

Portfolio Faculty Signatures

Print Name Signature Date

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________________

4. ___________________________________________________________________________

5. ___________________________________________________________________________



ARTWORK RELEASE



I, ________________________________, give the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia by and on behalf of Georgia State University (“Georgia State”) the rights to reproduce my artwork throughout my enrollment at Georgia State. I also give my consent to Georgia State, and those acting pursuant to its authority, to file, photograph, videotape, publish, republish, or otherwise transmit the image(s) in any medium throughout the world without compensation to me. I understand the image(s) may be used in composite or altered or modified. I waive any right to inspect and approve any finished product or the text that may be used in connection with the image(s). I release Georgia State and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia from any claims or remuneration associated with any damage, foreseen or unforeseen, associated with the commercial or artistic use of the image(s). I agree that this Release is binding on my heirs and assignees. I certify that I am at least 18 years of age and have the full legal capacity to execute this authorization. This contract will terminate when the signee is no longer a student at Georgia State University.



Name Address



Signature Date