Spring 2025
Portfolio Development for Graphic Design
Approved: Initials/date Portfolio Development for Graphic Design | ARTC 2335.1A1 CREDIT 3 Semester Credit Hours (2 hours lecture, 4 hours lab) MODE OF INSTRUCTION Hybrid PREREQUISITE/CO-REQUISITE: None COURSE DESCRIPTION Preparation of a portfolio comprised of completed graphic design projects. Evaluation and demonstration of portfolio presentation methods based on the student’s specific area of study. COURSE OBJECTIVES Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to: • Arrange and refine projects for inclusion in a graphic design portfolio. • Identify industry requirements for employment. • Identify current events, skills, attitudes and behaviors pertinent to the industry and relevant to the professional development of the student. • Create a presentation portfolio. INSTRUCTOR CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Susannah N. Dingmon, B.F.A. Email: sndingmon@eagle.lit.edu Office Phone: (409) 247-5328 Office Location: TA4 100B Office Hours: Day of the Week Time Monday - Tuesday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM Wednesday 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM Thursday 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM Friday 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM REQUIRED TEXTBOOK AND MATERIALS • External Drive with a Minimum Storage Capacity of 1TB o Do not rely on the computers or strictly cloud services to save your work o Note: You may need to purchase a USB Adapter to plug your hard drive into the school’s computers. The port on the school computers are USB C. • Camera o You may use your cell phone • Portfolio Cover & Clear Sleeve inserts o Do NOT purchase immediately. We will discuss this piece in more depth when we start assembling your physical portfolio. ATTENDANCE POLICY Regular and punctual, class and laboratory attendance are expected of all students. If you’re unable to come to class, you will be counted absent. After 3 absences you will be required to meet with me after class to evaluate your progress. You will be counted absent if you: • Are not present in class • Leave class early without instructor permission • Disappear in the middle of class for a significant length of time If you arrive 15 minutes past class start time, you will be counted tardy. Being tardy 3 times will equal to 1 absence. Excused absences, such as, illness, bereavement, school activities or weather conditions that cause the school to be closed are accepted. Supporting documentation will need to be provided to prove your absence is excused. If you are absent on the due date of an assignment you are still responsible for turning it in via Blackboard. No exceptions. DROP POLICY If you wish to drop a course, you are responsible for initiating and completing the drop process. If you stop coming to class and fail to drop the course, you will earn an “F” in the course. DROP DATES Last day for students to drop with refund: February 5 Last day for students to drop WITHOUT academic penalty: February 17 Last day for students to drop with academic penalty: April 9 COURSE CALENDAR – Dates are subject to change with proper notice given. DATE TOPIC READINGS (Due on this Date) ASSIGNMENTS (Due on this Date) 1/24/2025 Building your Brand Introduction to Syllabus Project 1: Self-Branding 1/31/2025 Building your Brand (cont) Reflect on your skills, values, goals, and target audience. Identify key themes or messages that align with your identity and vision. Assignment Present your research and reflection. 2/7/2025 Building your Brand (cont) Develop a brand strategy and a mood board to define the brand’s visual direction. Assignment Present your brand’s mission statement, values, tone, and visual identity. 2/14/2025 Building your Brand (cont) Peer Review Logo Files are due in Blackboard 2/6 at 11:59PM 2/21/2025 Building your Brand (cont) Outline logo usage, color palette, typography, and tone of voice. Peer Review Business Card, Resume, Social Media Files are due in Blackboard 2/13 at 11:59PM 2/28/2025 Building your Brand (cont) Introduction to Project 2: Portfolio Critique for Project 1 Research Portfolio formats and cases Bring past work to class to select best work and revise as necessary Self-Brand Creation – Project 1 Files are due in Blackboard 2/27 at 11:59PM 3/7/2025 Portfolio Write project descriptions, design philosophy, and bio 3/14/2025 Spring Break NO CLASS NO CLASS 3/21/2025 Portfolio (cont) Assignment Submit project descriptions, design philosophy, and bio 3/28/2025 Portfolio (cont) Peer Review Session Portfolio Files are due in Blackboard 3/27 at 11:59PM 4/4/2025 Portfolio (cont) Introduction to Project 3: Website NO CLASS Critique for Project 2 Research competitor websites NO CLASS Portfolio – Project 2 NO CLASS 4/11/2025 Website (cont) Wireframing your website, planning your design 4/18/2025 Website (cont) Development and testing Assignment Submit your wireframes and UX design roadmap 4/25/2025 Week 14 Website (cont) 5/1/2025 Week 14 Website (cont) 5/9/2025 FINALS WEEK Critique for Project 3 Website – Project 3 COURSE EVALUATION Personal growth and development in software usage and familiarity of computer related terminology as well as design will be used to gauge the student’s effort into the subject materials. Their level of growth will be a significant variable to the evaluation of the student and their grade. It is expected that each student participates effectively and often during critiques and discussions. A well thought out idea shall be researched and understood by the student so that they will defend their choices in their works during critique while accepting constructive criticism from their peers. Final grades will be calculated according to the following criteria: Project 1: Branding 20% Project 2: Portfolio 20% Project 3: Website 20% Critique/Peer Review 20% Assignments 20% GRADE SCALE • 90-100 A • 80-89 B • 70-79 C • 60-69 D • 0-59 F FINAL GRADE REQUIREMENTS To receive course credit for a General Education course you need a letter grade of “D” or better. To receive course credit for a Program Specific course you need a letter grade of “C” or better. To understand if a course is a General Education requirement of a Program requirement for your degree, please check DegreeWorks on my.lit.edu INCOMPLETE GRADE There is an application to request for an “Incomplete” for a grade. Be aware this is an application, whether you receive an “Incomplete” as a grade is up to your Instructor’s discretion and usually only awarded in dire and extenuating circumstances where the student is truly unable to finish the course. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS The latest technical requirements, including hardware, compatible browsers, operating systems, etc. can be online at https://lit.edu/online-learning/online-learning-minimum-computer-requirements. A functional broadband internet connection, such as DSL, cable, or WiFi is necessary to maximize the use of online technology and resources. DISABILITIES STATEMENT The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 are federal anti-discrimination statutes that provide comprehensive civil rights for persons with disabilities. LIT provides reasonable accommodations as defined in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, to students with a diagnosed disability. The Special Populations Office is located in the Eagles’ Nest Room 129 and helps foster a supportive and inclusive educational environment by maintaining partnerships with faculty and staff, as well as promoting awareness among all members of the Lamar Institute of Technology community. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Special Populations Coordinator at (409)-951-5708 or email specialpopulations@lit.edu. You may also visit the online resource at Special Populations - Lamar Institute of Technology (lit.edu). STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT It is the responsibility of all registered Lamar Institute of Technology students to access, read, understand and abide by all published policies, regulations, and procedures listed in the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook. The LIT Catalog and Student Handbook may be accessed at www.lit.edu. Please note that the online version of the LIT Catalog and Student Handbook supersedes all other versions of the same document. AI Statement Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) recognizes the recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as ChatGPT, have changed the landscape of many career disciplines and will impact many students in and out of the classroom. To prepare students for their selected careers, LIT desires to guide students in the ethical use of these technologies and incorporate AI into classroom instruction and assignments appropriately. Appropriate use of these technologies is at the discretion of the instructor. Students are reminded that all submitted work must be their own original work unless otherwise specified. Students should contact their instructor with any questions as to the acceptable use of AI / ChatGPT in their courses. My Policies on AI 1. Permitted AI Usage a. Idea Generation i. You may use AI to brainstorm ideas, generate mood boards, or explore visual concepts as a starting point for your work. b. Technical Assistance i. AI may be used for tasks like resizing, color correction, or automating repetitive tasks within design software. c. Inspiration and Reference i. You can consult AI-generated content for inspiration or references, but the final design should be significantly altered to reflect your own creativity. 2. Transparency and Disclosure a. Citing AI Tools i. Clearly indicate which AI tools were used and for what purpose. b. Process Documentation i. In your project documentation, explain how AI contributed to your design and what manual changes or creative decisions you made. 3. Ethical Considerations a. Overreliance i. Excessive dependence on AI to generate designs, without meaningful human input or creative direction, is not permitted. The goal is to develop your design skills, not to replace them. b. Bias and Fairness i. AI can perpetrate bias and stereotypes depending on the data it is fed. Strive for diversity and inclusivity. c. Copyright i. Passing off an image made wholly by AI as completely your own is unethical. AI is a tool meant to support, not replace. STARFISH LIT utilizes an early alert system called Starfish. Throughout the semester, you may receive emails from Starfish regarding your course grades, attendance, or academic performance. Faculty members record student attendance, raise flags and kudos to express concern or give praise, and you can make an appointment with faculty and staff all through the Starfish home page. You can also login to Blackboard or MyLIT and click on the Starfish link to view academic alerts and detailed information. It is the responsibility of the student to pay attention to these emails and information in Starfish and consider taking the recommended actions. Starfish is used to help you be a successful student at LIT. ADDITIONAL COURSE POLICIES/INFORMATION How to submit projects Assignments are to be turned in via Blackboard following a prescribed naming convention and save format that will be outlined in the project brief and the assignment submission folder. If a project requires a physical submission then you submit files to Blackboard and provide the physical project to me directly. It will be returned when grades are posted. Missed or Late Work Projects • For everyday that a project is late it will receive -5 penalty for every day that it is late. • Example: Project 1 is turned in 3 days late, Project 1 receives a -15 penalty. Maximum grade that could be achieved is an 85. Assignments • Late work not accepted Critiques/Peer Review • Critiques are graded by presentation and participation. o Presentation: If you work is not submitted by the deadline you will not receive credit o Participation: If you do not participate in a class critique at least three times you will not receive credit Critique Projects will be turned in the night before in class critique takes place. If your work is not submitted on time you will not receive credit. Critique Rules 1. Be ready with your work a. Critiques are a learning environment the readier your work is the more feedback you are able to receive for improvement. 2. Be ready to say something about your work a. Describe your concept - what inspired you to create your piece, why do you think it fits the brief? Don’t “poison the well” with what you think you did wrong, present your piece as if talking to a client. 3. Invite constructive criticism a. Ask questions, such as, what do you think is the least successful part of my design? Where do you think I can make improvements? 4. Keep an open mind and avoid being defensive a. Feedback is to help you improve, but it allows you to learn the perceptions of others to adjust how your design communicates to others. Feedback are also suggestions for improvement, not condemnation of you’ve done something wrong. 5. Don’t take it personally a. You are not your artwork. If your piece does not communicate the way you intended it is not the end of the world as you have learned the view point of an audience. The lack of success in a design does not equate to the lack of success to you as an individual. 6. Takes notes or have someone take notes for you a. If you would like to record audio feedback that is acceptable as long as you voice the request to record the session to the class. 7. Be positive and polite a. We are professionals. When giving feedback touch on what you believe works and what doesn’t. Do not launch into problem solving mode when delivering feedback, ask first, “May I make a suggestion?” 8. Critiques are suggestions, not the final say a. Not every idea is a good one or you may end up with conflicting ideas when you receive feedback. I suggest you listen to feedback, but you do not have to implement every single actionable item that is discussed. Choose how you want to revise your piece. Scholastic Dishonesty A student attending LIT assumes responsibility for conduct compatible with the Academic Honesty statement in the LIT handbook. Students have the responsibility to submit coursework that is the result of their own thought, research, or self-expression. Students must follow all instructions given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking examination, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Plagiarism, copyright infringement, trademark infringement, or cheating, in any form, IS NOT acceptable. You instructor reserves the right to check any and all submitted work for plagiarism. Cell Phone Policy Cellphones and other electronic devices must be turned off while in class or used only with permission of the instructor. Computer Requirements Computer lab hours will be allotted to the students for the completion of classroom assignments and projects so please use your time wisely while on campus. Please bring a personal set of headphones to use when reviewing lesson tutorials/working ahead. Adobe Creative Cloud can be accessed on your personal home computer as well, but you will need to meet minimum application specifications for the programs to run properly. Problems with your personal devices are not the instructor’s responsibility. Computer Literacy It is expected that you have working knowledge of basic computer skills. These skills include but are not limited to powering up your computer, uploading and downloading files, opening and closing web browsers and programs, saving your work, knowing the difference between hardware and software. These concepts will not be taught in this course. Classroom Policies 1. Food and bottled drink are allowed but keep them away from the computers. 2. Internet Usage – Students are expected to use proper net etiquette while participating in course emails, assignment submissions, and online discussions. 3. Headphones are encouraged if you are watching videos or listening to music, but during lecture/tutorials please take them off. If you require headphones for sensory purposes notify me ahead of time. Netiquette (Online Etiquette) Please adhere to the same standards of behavior and professional respect online that you would follow in face-to-face communication with others, but most particularly when writing emails or when taking part in collaborative and discussion board activities. General Guidelines to Respect All Participants • Respect the right of each person to disagree with others. • Treat people the same as you would face-to-face. • Respect the time of others. Guidelines When Communicating with Others (Email, Discussions, Blogging, and etc) • Always sign your name to any contribution you choose to make. • Be constructive in your responses to others in the class. • Do not use all caps (Doing so may be interpreted as shouting) • Re-read your postings before sending them. • Always think before you write. • Respond carefully. • Use appropriate grammar and structure. • Spell-check your postings. • Use appropriate business language at all time. (No text lingo) Instructor Communication For all forms of communication with me (Email and Phone calls): Please allow 24-hours for me to get back to your inquiry. Note: If you email or leave me a message on Friday, I will get back to you Monday morning. Discord Communication The graphic design program has a discord channel for students to communicate with each other outside of school. You can post memes, videos, artwork, birthdays, etc. Graphic Design Organization We do have an organization known as LGA or Lamar Graphics Association. It is a student-led organization that encourages creativity and fostering a community with other designers. This organization is how the program fundraises so we can take trips to design studios or events held in Houston or further. If you’d like to join you can speak to me or to the group’s President Kyle or Representative Mia. Optional Material Resources The following resources are not required for this course, but will give you a more in-depth understanding in regard to subject matter will be covering. AIGA membership - $50/year for students AIGA is the professional association for design. This membership will give you opportunities to have your portfolio reviewed, invites to design conferences, and access to other creative professionals. ***I reserve the right to make adjustments to the syllabus with proper notice to students.***