Syllabus

INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA: MUL 110
Spring ’08, T/Th 11:00-12:20, Sec #1112, Bld.100, Room 107B

Instructor: Lisa Tucker
E-mail: ltucker@msjc.edu
Phone: (951) 639-5335 x61112
Website: http://multimedial110.blogspot.com/
Office hours: By appointment

Course Description:
This course will immerse you in the process of planning, designing, and building a professional web site. The first half of the semester will be spent learning Photoshop CS3. The second half of the course will focus on Illustrator, developing the technical skills necessary to manipulate images/text, and designing a website using HTML.

Course goals:
Survey the Multimedia Industry
Survey Multimedia Design Tools: PhotoShop, Illustrator & HTML
Develop Artistic Vision

Objectives:
1. Students will learn the fundamental tools of working with HTML and gain a confident working knowledge of Photoshop and Illustrator.

2. Students will create simple web pages using basic html that will enable them to out put imagery to the web.

3. Students will research and analyze various uses of media within the graphic design industry and develop an awareness of related career opportunities.

4. Students will be able to research, observe, and create professional level materials for use on the Internet.

5. Students will be able to analyze and select appropriate hardware and software as specified for use in the industry, and be able to select tools that are appropriate to a variety of multimedia tasks.

6. Students will design media products in both individual and collaborative settings.

Important Dates:
Consult the Schedule of Classes publication, page 1, for add/drop deadlines and other important dates.

Lab Time:
Each student will devote a minimum of one hour of effort outside the class (or in lab) for each hour of in-class activity. If you cannot devote out of class time in the lab, this is not the course for you. It is probable that you will spend many hours per week working on projects. Check with instructor for lab hours.

Evaluation:

Grading:
Responses to Readings/Participation 10%
Website Reviews 10%
Critiques 10%
Tutorials 20%
Projects 30%
Final Website 20%


Grading Breakdown:
100 pts= Readings (15): 6.5 pts each, last post 9 points
100 pts= Website Reviews (14): 7 pts each, last post 9 points
100 pts= Critiques (5): 20 pts each (10 for being there with work on time, 10 for input for others). Project 1 (gifted), Project 2 (home page), Project 3 (Adobe draft and final project), Project 4 (Logo ), Final Website
200 pts=Tutorials (9): 22 pts each, last tutorial 24 pts
300 pts= Projects: Gifted (50 pts), Homepage (50 pts), Logo (100 pts), Adobe Design (100 pts)
200 pts= Final Website

Total Points Possible= 1000

A= 900-1000 pts
B= 800-899 pts
C= 700=799 pts
D= 600-699 pts
F= 0-599 pts


Accessibility:
(Americans with Disabilities Act Information): This course requires good hand/eye coordination to operate the mouse in Photoshop especially. While these tasks are best accomplished with good vision, they are not impossible if you have some physical impairment. Please let the instructor know immediately if such a physical impairment exists so that arrangements can be made to insure your success in the class.

Required Materials:
Portable USB Drive and/or CD-Rs for image transfer and backup

Readings and Tutorials will be provided.

General Policies:
Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Offensive language, and/or downloading inappropriate material will lead to removal from the class and referral to the proper college authority.

Please do not surf the web while instruction is in progress.

Assignments/Schedule:

Readings:
Readings will be assigned each week on the class Blogger page. It is your responsibility to read the material and post your response to the question provided on the class blog before midnight each Monday, for a total of 10% of your final course grade. As you answer the question, thoughtfully consider the text and use clear examples from the reading to support your position.

Website Reviews:
Every week during the semester you will write a review of a web site. You can choose any site you like: a commercial site, a web designer/artist, or a website that relates to your final project. The review should be objective, detailed, and brief. Do NOT print or email these. You should post them on your Blogger page by midnight on Wednesdays, along with a small screen shot from the site. The reviews will constitute 10% of your final course grade.

Blogger:
Each student will set up a Blogger account in the first class session. This account will be where you post your website reviews and link to your eventual website. No need to be concerned with aesthetics initially. Just set up your account and we will address design in class.

Course Schedule:
Week
1
1/22 Introduction to class and methodology. Adobe Photoshop CS3 Tutorial 1 (selection tools).
1/24 Set up Blog account. Review websites and reading for next week.

2
1/29 Discuss reading and critique websites: Guidelines for a Great Website.
Image acquisition: In class demo

1/31 Project 1: Gifted (due 2/14)

3
2/5 Reading and site critique: Form and Function
Tutorial 2: Layer Basics (due 2/14)

2/7 Tutorial 1 (Selection Tools) due today

4
2/12 Reading and site critique: Elements of Design.
Tutorial 3: Basic Corrections (due 2/21)

2/14 Tutorial 2 (Layer Basics) due today
Project 1 (Gifted) due today for critique

5
2/19 Reading and site critique: More Elements of Design
Tutorial 4: Masks and Channels (due 3/6)
Project 2: Homepage Design (due 3/13)

2/21 Tutorial 3 (Basic Corrections) due today

6
2/26 Reading and site critique: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Tutorial 5: Retouching and Repairing Photographs (due 3/6)

2/28 Lab day: Work on Project 2 or tutorials 4 and 5

7
3/4 Reading and site critique: 10 Mistakes Made by New Designers.
Tutorial 6: Advanced Layers (due 3/13)

3/6 Tutorial 5 (Retouching) due today

        Tutorial 4 (Masks) due today

8
3/11 Reading and site critique: Blah-Blah Text
Tutorial 7: Pen Tool (due 3/20)

3/13 Project 2 (Homepage) due today, with critique
Project 3: Adobe Design (Proposal due 3/20, draft due 4/10, final project due 4/24)
Tutorial 6 (Advanced Layers) due today

9
3/18 Reading and site critique: Concept and Content
Tutorial 8: Vector Masks, Paths, and Shapes (due 4/3)

3/20 Adobe Project Proposal due today (Draft due 4/10)
Tutorial 7 (Pen Tool) due today

10
Spring Break

11
4/1 Reading and site critique: Don’t Make Me Think!
Introduction to Illustrator and Typography: Text demo
Project 4: Logo (Research and thumbnails due 4/15, Refined sketches due 4/17, Final logo due 5/8)

4/3 Lab day: Work on Adobe Project
Tutorial 8 (Vector Masks) due today

12
4/8 Reading and site critique: Banner Blindness
Converting hand drawn images to AI files: Drawing demo

4/10 Draft of Adobe Design Achievement Award Competition due (crit in class)

13
4/15 Reading and site critique: Favorite Artist Sites and Page design

4/17 Lab day: Bring scanned drawings to class

14
4/22 Reading and site critique: The Web as Art Space
Tutorial9: CS3 Webpages (due 5/1)

4/24 Adobe Design Achievement Award entry due in pdf format
Final crit of work

15
4/29 Reading and site critique: Interactive Narrative
HTML Introduction
Final Website : Use previous projects as a base, including logo project (due 5/20)

5/1 Lab day: hand coding webpages
Tutorial 9 (due)

16
5/6 Reading and site critique: Non-linear Design or Mystery Meat?
Lab day: Final Websites

5/8 Logo due, critique

17
5/13 Reading and site critique: Bruce Mau’s Manifesto for Growth
Lab day

5/15 Lab day


18
Final Project Presentations