The course aims to provide basic knowledge in the field of graphic design and visual communication. The main objective is to provide tools for understanding the relationships between history, theory, practice and criticism in relation to graphic and typographic languages. The laboratory nature of the course offers a practical approach to themes and issues of contemporary graphic design and communication with reference to languages, tools, processes and material and immaterial conditions of production.

The course, developed over six weeks, for two sessions lasting three consecutive hours per week, alternates lectures with exercises and moments of collective and individual review. The exercises propose work organized around three main topics: 1) the sign, captured in its informative and value-based dimension in relation to the context; 2) the image, conceived as the result of diversified production processes: appropriation, modification and stratification; 3) the context, seen both as a place for visual investigation and situated graphic production. Each thematic nucleus is approached starting from a historical case study that serves as methodological input for contemporary design. The program is completed by a series of activities such as in-depth readings and discussions, research and presentations by the students aimed at expanding the themes of interest. The course includes some hours of remote teaching that will be dedicated to reviews.

Knowledge and understanding:
– knowledge of the main historical-critical references in the field of graphic design and visual communication;
– knowledge of the basic principles of graphic design and visual communication;
– knowledge of the languages and contexts of application of the graphic design and visual communication;

Applied knowledge and understanding:
– ability to recognize and contextualize the languages of the project in relation to the main historical-critical references;
– ability to understand the context of application of graphic-visual languages;
– ability to apply graphic-visual languages in relation to the context;

Autonomy of judgment:
At the end of the course the student will have developed the ability to observe, describe, evaluate and critically apply graphic-visual languages in relation to the contents, context and target audiences.

Communication skills:
The student will be able to use specific terms relating to the areas of graphic design and communication, both as regards the description of historical facts and critical issues, and as regards contemporary technical and design issues. He will be able to describe objects, contexts and issues in the field of interest, communicate needs and formulate specific requests.

Ability to learn:
The student will be able to acquire information independently with respect to the disciplinary area of interest, to update and integrate their knowledge on the basis of the specific needs of each project. He will also be able to learn new communication processes and possibilities within graphic design and visual communication.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

Teaching

Laboratory activities, lectures, individual and collective reviews, collective readings and discussions.

Innovative teaching methods

The course teaching is centered on a practice-based laboratory model and includes moments of flipped classroom.

Attendance

Attendance is not mandatory but strongly recommended. Students attending classes for a minimum of 3/4s of the lessons are considered as attending students.

Course books

– Falcinelli R. (a cura di) Filosofia del graphic design. Torino: Edinaudi, 2022.
Selected articles will be provided during the course.

Assessment

The final evaluation will be carried out by means of semi-strcutured tests (the three exercises developed during the course) and a final non structured test (an oral exam) that will focus on the presentation and critical discussion of the projects produced during the course, on the assessment of knowledge relating to the contents of the lessons, as well as the subjects of the texts. The evaluation criteria are the following: the quality of the projects presented, the ability to analyze facts and design elements, the level of mastery of knowledge, the degree of articulation of the answers, the use of appropriate specific terminology. All the criteria are evaluated on the basis of a four-level rating scale. The final evaluation is expressed out of thirty.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.