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Graphic Communication Jan - Apr 2015
Syllabus for Graphic Communication (CS 2032) taught at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Semester 2 Academic Year 2014 - 2015.
Download: Syllabus CS 2032.pdf
Project 1: Passport cover
Inspired by Lao-Tzu's adage that the journey of a thousand mile begins with a single step, the 1st project is aptly re-titled "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single stamp." Students are required to design a protective cover meant for containing and protecting a passport while "advertising" a message from either a real or fictitious travel agency. In essence, it is a promotional item for "selling" a destination which does not necessarily be of Singapore's. The front of this cover measures 10 cm (w) x 14.5 cm (h) and the overall dimension measures 20 cm (w) x 14.5 cm ((h) + 2 flaps that fold inwards to secure the front and back pages of a passport.
Requirements:
- Work minimally with only 2 colors (excluding the color of the cover background)
- Exercise visual thinking as this is primarily an image-based project.
- Choice of colors must ideally exude characteristics that best represent a destination of your choice.
- May incorporate the name of a hypothetical or real travel agency into your layout
- Include a modified saying by Lao Tzu, "The journey of a thousand mile begins with a single stamp," (in English) as in the stamp found on passport pages.
Project goal:
To explore and understand how simple graphics and minimal colors can be used as a marketing message which also serves to "sell" a message on an otherwise mundane surface through the use of captivating visuals.
Ng Bao Yi's solution is based on a Singapore-based travel agency that provides packages for attractions mainly around Asia. With the influences from Korean and Japanese dramas, the demand to travel to these countries have been riving and the agency called 851 works towards planning sightseeing trips that fulfill their customer's desire to visit scenic locations while experiencing local cultures. Since the theme is based on Hirosaki, the unique selling point is the castle town which holds the Sakura-matsuri festival, best known for its cherry blossoms that draw people from near and far. The targeted audience is Singaporean youths, aged between 15-24 who enjoy Korean/Japanese dramas as well as students.
Passport cover explorations
Here are some snippets from Bao Yi's binder showing explorations for her passport cover idea. Her ideas are based on real object observations which are further simplified graphically using Adobe Illustrator for a clean look.
Project 2: Phobia-induced typography
Shown here during the class presentation on March 23, 2015 (co-incidentally the day when the founding father of Singapore, the 91-year old Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away) was Angeline Yeo Jian Ling who explained her design rational for the typographic project.
Project 2: Phobia-induced typography
Project 2 is about getting students to confront an internalized phobia in a typography based project which starts off by getting the students to log on to http://phobialist.com/ to pick from a list of phobias that best describe their fears or a phobia that intrigues them. Working with primarily texts, they will develop 3 printed panels measuring 20 cm x 20 cm each.
Requirements:
- 3 printed and foam-core mounted panels with soft copy
- 1st panel consists of a short description of the phobia (e.g. Altophobia- Fear of heights).
- 2nd panel typographically visualizes the torment and anxiety that run amuck in the minds of the sufferer and the final panel typographically illustrates the silver lining, a possible way to cope (overcome or assuage or accept) with the condition.
- Research the conditions and their design solution must emotionally convey the intensity of the conditions through careful arrangements of juxtaposition and typographic manipulations to typographically describe the phobia.
Project goal: This project can help students to see type as image, bridging meaning with form and to explore techniques or software related to producing the desired effects.
Shown here is Xavier Koo Zhi Wei's actual phobia of cockroaches or "katsaridaphobia." In rationalizing his fear, Xavier documents that he hates the fact the roaches are literally everywhere and they will sneak up on people. He also fears the way coraches always appear from nowhere, the way they feel on our skin, as well as the way they appear: black and shiny. To represent his fear, he experiments with textured background to give a scratchy visual appearance.
Project 3: Poster for tomorrow global contest
Angeline Yeo's idea for Poster for Tomorrow is based on a social commentary on how healthcare is inaccessible to the poor because of its cost. Project 3 is an accumulation of the students' knowledge in applying their understanding of the elements and principles of design for a global poster competition. Poster For Tomorrow 2015 Call for Entries - Universal Right to Healthcare is in its 7th year calling for entries for social communication poster designs. This year, the theme is the universal right to healthcare. With no entry fee, students can submit up to 10 posters.
What makes it challenging is that the poster must address the three areas:
- Universal access to healthcare now!
- Eradication of preventable Diseases
- Access to clean water
with the following requirements:
- Poster in portrait format.
- Designs submitted to the contest must be original artworks previously unpublished.
- Soft copy presented in vertical format, submitted as JPG files of 2953 x 4134 pixels at a resolution of 150 dpi (corresponding to 50 x 70 cm in printed size) saved in RGB color space.
Calendar
Brief released: 10 March
Call for entries open: 10 July
Call for entries close:
20 July
Online jury works open: 10 September
Online jury works close:
10 October
Competition results published & Worldwide exhibitions open: 10 December, 2015
Poster for tomorrow will reward the best 100 designs by including them in the "Open Up!" exhibition, as part of an event called "a day for tomorrow", that will be held in a series of cities around the world on 10th December 2015 to celebrate the anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights.
A book about the exhibition will be published. The selected participants are entitled to a copy of the book free of charge, but are asked to cover the postage costs at their own expense.
Project 3: Poster for tomorrow global contest
Cheo Peijun's idea is based on the Russian dollars but instead are pills that continue to reduce in size which co-incidentally describes the state of steep hierarchical order of health care which seems insurmountable.
Poster for Tomorrow
Badron Adnan used Maya to render the gachapon (ガチャポン) which refers to a variety of vending machine popular in Japan which dispenses capsule toys. His inspiration is further fueled by the selection of typefaces to mimic game posters.
Project 3: Poster for tomorrow global contest
According to the World Health Organization, statistically, 50% of Africans do not have access to essential medicine in hospitals, a trip there may as well be their last. Therefore, Xavier Koo Zhi Wei's idea for his poster is a double whammy: A call for help and without the help needed, it might as well be hell. The hospital symbol is only held back by one screw and as the symbol drifted to the side, another negative symbol, an "X" is created, appropriately linking Hell with the X.
My last batch of students from the Graphic Communication course at Nanyang Technological University with Bryan Koh Theng Hui, Ng Bao Yi, Badron bin Adan, Xavier Koo Zhi Wei, David Lam ying Cai, Theresia Marten, Angeline Yeo Jian Ling, Cheo Peijun and Cheryl Sim Hui Chin. .
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YEOH AS EDUCATOR
- MY STUDENTS' CREATIONS
- MY WRITINGS
Select below to view my students' awards as well as their creations from Nanyang Technological University, Texas Tech University, and Southern Arkansas University.
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