Parsons The New School for Design BFA CD/DT

Parsons The New School for Design
BFA CD/DT
Senior Thesis 2
M 12:10pm - 5:50pm
U 617
Pascal Glissmann
[email protected]
www.glissmann.com
79 Fifth Avenue
Floor 16, RM 1605
www.glissmann.com
COURSE DESCRIPTION
In this senior course level students develop their final year Thesis 2 project based upon a
previously approved topic proposed in Thesis 1. Emphasis is placed on students’ ability to
translate their cumulative knowledge into effective visual communication. Students need to
develop a competence in cross media design processes and understand the nature of all
available communication channels in the creative industries. The senior studies are initiated
by topics and not by media or technology therefor the focus in this course is on research,
critical thinking and developing concepts for an adequate visual communication. This course
is taught through a multi-faceted in-depth design project, critique sessions, a series of juries
and culminates in an end-of-year exhibition.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this course, students will be able to
1. demonstrate aesthetic sensibility in more than one discipline of design;
2. show professionalism in the realization of their projects;
3. conduct design research and use the outcome for their own visual language;
4. evaluate their work in the context of the market;
5. create adequate design solutions for different settings and media.
TEXTBOOKS & READINGS
You are required to read a few readings for this class that I will distribute in class as a soft
copy. However it is equally important to find your own readings that are related to your topic.
In order to realize a successful project in thesis 2 you have to become a specialist of your
chosen area/topic. Use this first part of the thesis project to identify and study relevant literature. A list of resources including books, websites, movies, installations that is compiled by
you will also be part of the final deliverables.
ONLINE RESOURCES
This syllabus has a schedule that is tentative. You will find detailed information with homework
and expected preparations on the class website:
http://pascalglissmann.de/parsons/2014/thesis2
Homework and presentations have to be submitted through a shared google drive folder. The
path will be shown in class.
SCHEDULE
27 January
12.10pm- 5.50pm
Briefing for all Thesis 2 students CD/DT:
1. Schedule Spring Term 2014
2. Thesis Publication
3. Critiques with internal and external assessors
4. Portfolio development as part of Thesis 2
5. Student Panel (Thesis 2013)
6. Meet your Thesis 2 instructor
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Classroom with your instructor
Present to your Thesis 2 class your project as it stands now, feedback you received last semester, and strategies for moving forward. Use the PDF you uploaded to the google drive last
semester and use additional online resources if available. Since the time for Thesis 2 is very
limited we will use this first meeting as a full session.
3 February
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Advising in section
10 February
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Advising in section
17 February
Presidents Day, no class
24 February
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Advising in section
3 March
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Advising in section
10 March
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Advising in section
Deadline 1
17 March
12.10pm- 5.50pm
Venue TBA: Thesis 2 “Science Fair” for all Thesis 2 students CD/ DT
Present your thesis prototype to all Thesis 2 faculty, peer students and guest faculty.
Make sure your work is presented in an appropriate way and as finalized as possible to get
feedback for final tweaks.
20 March, 6pm, Deadline 1:
•
Upload a PDF to the CD THESIS google folder
1. Process documentation
2. Prototype
3. Artist/Designer statement
4. Persuasive Text: 250 words that present your project in a less personal but more convincing way. Think of an introductory paragraph that is intended to persuade someone to support your project (kickstarter, brochure, website, etc)
24 March
Spring Break, no class
31 March
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Advising in section
7 April
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Advising in section
14 April
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Advising in section
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Deadline 2
Final Presentation
14 April, 6pm, Deadline 2:
For publication and website provide:
1. 5 print-quality images of final piece or pieces, at least one of them vertical; 4 print-quality
images of process
2. Final introductory paragraph
3. Further details TBA
21 April
12.10pm- 5.50pm
Venue TBA: Industry professionals will assess your work
1. All Thesis 2 students have to participate
2. This is the final crit
3. Thesis 2 projects will be clustered by media
4. Each cluster will have several guest critics who work professionally in the field
28 April, 5 May, 12 May, 19 May
12.10pm- 5.50pm: Guest lecture series and advising in section. TBA
Portfolio development workshop
1. All students should have a website up and running after this workshop
2. How do you get your own Internet Address?
3. How do you use a Content Management System?
4. How do you prepare your graphics and texts?
5. What is the best design for your portfolio?
6. What do you do with your portfolio?
Graduation
GRADUATION
May, 22rd: CDT Graduation Ceremony Tishman (University Center)
May, 23rd: The New School COMMENCEMENT
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
Attendance, participation:
Thesis Project:
Portfolio: 20%
50%
30%
EVALUATION
There will be a few evaluated and graded steps during thesis 2 to make sure you receive a
certain percentage of your grade before the final presentation. As your first demonstration in
class will mostly reflect what you created last semester this will not be graded. If a presentation will be graded I will let you know in advance and deliver a brief to you including the
percentage of the final grade. These steps include:
Understand the authorship of the designer
Students need to depict and describe a topic that is suitable for a senior project and put this
into a brief.
Appreciate the importance of corporate identity and branding
Students will create and apply a visual system to their final project including elements like a
logo, choice and usage of a typeface, colors, visual elements and materials
Study, explore and understand his/her work in the context of the corporate design world
At an early stage students will research the position of their project in the market and analyze
competitors. The outcome is not intended to be a research paper but a short design-related
overview of similar projects to strengthen the specifics of his/her project.
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At an early stage of thesis 2 students need to commit to a main channel of communication for his/her project.
The main channel of communication could be: Type Design, Book Design, A series of information design, Magazine, Campaign, Packaging, Graphics & Spatial Environments, Installation,
Website, Animation/Movie. These are just a few options and of course these can be combined.
Present ideas, developments and outcomes of a project in a professional way
Students must be able to communicate their studies in a presentation that needs to be well
wrapped up in ONE pdf.
GRADING STANDARDS
A
Superior work. You have clearly demonstrated an enthusiasm for the projects, and an understanding of the concepts that guide your decisions. Your work demonstrates original and
creative thinking and your projects are consistently and cleanly executed with a high level
of attention devoted to craft and clarity of writing. You’re able to explain your own work and
offer insightful critique of your classmates’ projects. You are present in class and participate in
discussions.
B
Good work. You’ve completed all of the projects with a sufficient level of quality. Your projects
are less conceptually clear, but you have displayed clear effort in attempting an understanding. Your projects are cleanly executed with a good level of attention devoted to craft and
clarity of writing. You’re able to explain your own work and offer insightful critique of your
classmates’ projects. You are present in class and participate in discussions.
C
Satisfactory work. You’ve shown that you can interact with the concepts presented in class,
but you have not demonstrated a deep understanding or enthusiasm for your work. You do
not demonstrate a high level of attention to craft. You participate in some discussions but
have not added insightful critique.
D
Your work adheres to each project’s guidelines but you have not demonstrated original
thought or depth of understanding of the concepts presented in class. You have not participated in class discussions, or have missed a significant amount of classes.
F
Failing grades are given for required work that is not submitted or for incomplete final projects. Make-up work or completion of missed assignments may be permitted only with the
approval of the instructor and the program director.
A grade of I (Incomplete), signifying a temporary deferment of a regular grade, may be assigned when coursework has been delayed at the end of the semester for unavoidable and
legitimate reasons. Incomplete grades are given only with the written approval of the instructor and the program director. The Request for an Incomplete Grade form must be filled out by
the student and instructor prior to the end of the semester.
For undergraduate students, if a grade of incomplete is approved, outstanding work must be
submitted by the seventh week of the following Fall semester (for Spring and Summer courses) or by the seventh week of the following Spring semester (for Fall courses). Otherwise, a
grade of I will automatically convert to a permanent unofficial withdrawal (WF) after a period of
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four weeks. For graduate students, the maximum deadline for completion of an incomplete is
one year though a shorter period may be imposed at the discretion of the instructor.
DIVISIONAL, PROGRAM AND CLASS POLICIES
Responsibility
Students are responsible for all assignments, even if they are absent. Late papers, failure to
complete the readings assigned for class discussion, and lack of preparedness for in-class
discussions and presentations will jeopardize your successful completion of this course.
Participation
Class participation is an essential part of class and includes: keeping up with reading, contributing meaningfully to class discussions, active participation in group work, and coming to
class regularly and on time.
Attendance – Faculty members may fail any student who is absent for a significant portion
of class time. A significant portion of class time is defined as four absences for classes that
meet two or more times per week. Lateness or early departure from class may also translate
into one full absence. There are situations in life that are a reason to miss a class or part of a
class. But in these cases you have to contact me in advance (if possible) to explain.
Delays
In rare instances, I may be delayed arriving to class. If I have not arrived by the time class is
scheduled to start, you must wait a minimum of thirty minutes for my arrival. In the event that
I will miss class entirely, a sign will be posted at the classroom indicating your assignment for
the next class meeting.
Academic Integrity
This is the university’s Statement on Academic Integrity: “Plagiarism and cheating of any kind
in the course of academic work will not be tolerated. Academic honesty includes accurate use
of quotations, as well as appropriate and explicit citation of sources in instances of paraphrasing and describing ideas, or reporting on research findings or any aspect of the work
of others (including that of instructors and other students). These standards of academic
honesty and citation of sources apply to all forms of academic work (examinations, essays,
theses, computer work, art and design work, oral presentations, and other projects).”
It is the responsibility of students to learn the procedures specific to their discipline for correctly and appropriately differentiating their own work from that of others. Compromising
your academic integrity may lead to serious consequences, including (but not limited to) one
or more of the following: failure of the assignment, failure of the course, academic warning,
disciplinary probation, suspension from the university, or dismissal from the university.
Every student at Parsons signs an Academic Integrity Statement as a part of the registration process. Thus, you are held responsible for being familiar with, understanding, adhering
to and upholding the spirit and standards of academic integrity as set forth by the Parsons
Student Handbook.
Guidelines for Written Assignments
Plagiarism is the use of another person’s words or ideas in any academic work using books,
journals, internet postings, or other student papers without proper acknowledgment. For further information on proper acknowledgment and plagiarism, including expectations for paraphrasing source material and proper forms of citation in research and writing, students should
consult the Chicago Manual of Style (cf. Turabian, 6th edition). The University Writing Center
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also provides useful on-line resources to help students understand and avoid plagiarism. See
http://www.newschool.edu/admin/writingcenter/.
Students must receive prior permission from instructors to submit the same or substantially
overlapping material for two different assignments. Submission of the same work for two assignments without the prior permission of instructors is plagiarism.
Guidelines for Studio Assignments – Work from other visual sources may be imitated or incorporated into studio work if the fact of imitation or incorporation and the identity of the original
source are properly acknowledged. There must be no intent to deceive; the work must make
clear that it emulates or comments on the source as a source. Referencing a style or concept
in otherwise original work does not constitute plagiarism. The originality of studio work that
presents itself as “in the manner of” or as playing with “variations on” a particular source
should be evaluated by the individual faculty member in the context of a critique.
Incorporating ready-made materials into studio work as in a collage, synthesized photograph
or paste-up is not plagiarism in the educational context. In the commercial world, however,
such appropriation is prohibited by copyright laws and may result in legal consequences.
Student Disability Services
In keeping with the University’s policy of providing equal access for students with disabilities,
any student with a disability who needs academic accommodations is welcome to meet with
me privately. All conversations will be kept confidential. Students requesting any accommodations will also need to meet with Jason Luchs in the office of Student Disability Services,
who will conduct an intake, and if appropriate, provide an academic accommodation notification letter to you to bring to me. At that point I will review the letter with you and discuss these
accommodations in relation to this course. Mr. Luchs’ office is located in 79 Fifth Avenue, 5th
floor. His direct line is (212) 229-5626 x3135. You may also access more information through
the University’s web site at http://www.newschool.edu/ studentservices/disability/.

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