GD Capstone 09

ART 499 Capstone
[Design is to see things of our world in their interconnection and, where possible, to make things better. by Armin Hoffmann]

Course Description:
Researching in the arts and producing a major body of work that integrates different perspectives from the student’s previous academic work. This final project is chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor, and is displayed to the public on campus and in the community. It is expected to be a culmination of the knowledge, skills, and sense of judgment learned at Zayed University.

Objectives:
1. To understand an industry people, work process and working ethics
2. To practice a real client project
3. To experience the working environment and design as designer not as a student
4. To prepare a capstone project in terms of project management and marketing strategy.

COURSE EXPECTATION
The expectation for the capstone course is that each student will create a document and display of their art work or design work. The primary outcome for the student is to demonstrate synthesis of ideas in this document and display (exhibition). The specific items that are required for the course include the following:

CAPSTONE PROJECT
The Capstone Project is a culmination of the students’ skills and abilities as a designer. Projects may take on a variety of forms, while placing the student in a leadership role in the final project. The student will create a body of work that demonstrates growth as an intelligent and learned new member of the artistic and professional community.

CAPSTONE DOCUMENT
The Capstone document is a record of the student’s work, and should demonstrate a unique and original approach to synthesizing their experiences within their major discipline. The document is not limited in medium, form or scale. It is only limited by the students’ imagination, creativity and willingness to create a form both accessible and appropriate for their audience. Documentation for example may be in the form of an exhibition, CD or DVD, interactive website, book format or audio/visual presentation.

Criteria for the Capstone document include:
• Must be 20 pages or more in length.
• Students must demonstrate a high level of research in their chosen area of interest.
• A comprehensive bibliography must be included in the document.
• Strong visuals are one of the basic requirements.
• Must be well designed and easy to understand.
• Must be original and fall within high standards in English writing skills.
• Must address the departmental learning outcomes.
• Must show the development of the student as a designer/artist.
*** It is strongly recommended that a final draft be submitted to the instructor by week 11 of the semester.

Zayed University Learning Outcomes
1. Information Literacy and Communication: ZU graduates will be able to recognize information needs, access and evaluate appropriate information to answer those needs, and communicate effectively to a variety of audiences in both English and Arabic.
2. Information Technology: ZU graduates will be critically aware of the implications of information technology on the individual and on society, and be able to use IT to communicate and solve problems in an ethical way.
3. Critical Thinking and Reasoning: ZU graduates will be able to use information, reasoning, and creative processes to achieve goals and make responsible decisions.
4. Global Awareness: ZU graduates will be able to relate to communities beyond the local, perceive and react to differences from an informed and reasoned point of view, and be critically aware of the implications and benefits of cultural interaction.
5. Teamwork and Leadership: ZU graduates will be able to work efficiently and effectively in a group. ZU graduates will be able to assume leadership roles and responsibilities in a variety of life situations and accept accountability for the results.

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Instructor: Coordinator and Facilitator

• Lectures
• Project Briefs
• Books
• Case Studies
• TED, design e2, other podcast, or resources
• Feedback and Critique

Students: Driver and Designer

• Communication
• Management
• Projects
• Research
• Studio Work
• Personal Productions
• Submission

Instructor+Students+Public: Community

• Environment
• Survey
• Interview
• Exhibition

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COURSE MANAGEMENT
It’s an art to manage a course with creative skills. Plan for your own process and managing solutions.

1. General Preparation: Your own computer with latest programs possible, Text books, sketch book, 3-ring binder, other materials, and your creative mind.

• Reading: Reading chapters in text books should be done prior to a class.
• Writing: Try to write a reflective journal on your blog.
• Research: Assignments with JPG/PDF/SWF format should be posted on the course blog.
• Sketch Book: Ideas/thoughts/inspirations, sketches, paper mock-ups
• Design Process Book should be built as you develop the project. Don’t wait till last min.
• Backup: File Management is critical. Organize your files and always save backups. No excuse!
• Print: Manage to Print from Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign CS. or any other applications
• Communication: Mainly the blog will be used, but your personal matters can be discussed via e-mail.

2. Course Management Website: You need to take some time to study the course website and get familar with the content and structure of this course. Syllabus and Course documents are available.

• SYLLABUS: Read carefully and thoroughly
  
• PROJECTS: Project Briefs are the main information about the project. Projects outline and Design Specifications should be understood clearly before you begin your work and they will guide you to the final design.
• DESIGN TEMPLATES+DOCUMENTS: design document templates in pdf, ai, indd files+ articles
  
• RESOURCES+TOOLS: useful links
  
• PRESENTATIONS+EXHIBITIONS
• NEWS+EVENTS: ZU, UAE, other international design events and competitions

3. Your Personal Blog As An Online Process Book.You will present the entire design and development process on your website. This is one of your project, which is mandatory for this course.

• ZU Blog: http://community.zu.ac.ae/blogs/z8400
• Wordpress Blog: http://yunsun.wordpress.com
• Optional: Web Hosting with ZU: http://webapp.zu.ac.ae/dxbstudent/u20012345

4. Self-Learning Tools
Learning tools: www.lynda.com, www.adobe.com
Resource website: www.commarts.com, www.aiga.org, www.thedesignencyclopedia.org, www.print mag.com, www.howdesign.com, www.designingwithtype.com

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FINAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
No late submission is acceptable. Each project will have a deadline separately.

• Naming: The project title, course number/name, instructor, designer names should be written on your work, process book and CD. [file name i.e, yunsun_bookcover.ai/psd and yunsun_bookcover.pdf]
• Final Design printed and mounted. Write your name and the course at the back.
• Design Process Book either printed or presented in your sketch book.
• CD with 2 Folders: Final PDF and Working folders: File naming and structure should be organized. The process files must be the final stage file only with resources that you have used in either ai or psd.
• Website: Final projects should be uploaded after optimized properly. Don’t forget to reduce your file size to A4. I don’t need a actual size file.
• Time and Date: TBA
• Place: CL1 002 Yunsun’s Office will be open only for one hour.

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COURSE MATERIALS

• Computer and Software
• Digital Camera, Flash drive, 2 blank writable CDs and CD cases
• Sketchbook and Designer Journal are mandatory to bring/use in the studio
• Black form boards
• Color markers/pencils, 4H & sharp pencil, ruler, ex-acto knife, eraser
• Special papers for any print design, black foam board, Super 77 spray glue

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TEXTBOOKS+RESERVED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS

Text Books and Some Reference Books

* The Anatomy of Design by Steven Heller and Mirko Illic

* Designing Brand Identity: A Complete Guide to Creating, Building, and Maintaining Strong Brands by Alina Wheeler

* Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things By William McDonough, Michael Braungart

* 10 Ways Design Can Fight the Climate Change by Sophie Thomas

* Green Design Edited By Buzz Poole

* Sustainable by Design: Explorations in Theory and Practice By Stuart Walker

* The Philosophy of Sustainable Design by Jason F. McLennan

* ecoDesign: The Sourcebook Revised Edition By Alastair Fuad-Luke

* Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution By Paul Hawken

* Design for Sustainability: A Sourcebook of Integrated, Eco-logical Solutions By Janis Birkeland

* Interactive Design for New Media and the Web by Nicholas V. Iuppa

* Documentary Storytelling by Sheila Curran Bernard

* Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman

* The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman

* The Green Imperative by Victor Papanek

* The Inconvenient Truth by Al Glore

* The Meaning of the 21th Century by James Martin

* The Good Life, Sixty Years of Self-Sufficient Living by Helen and Scott Nearing

Related Sites
www.design-e2.com
www.inhabitat.com
www.thomasmatthews.com
www.design21sdn.com
www.treehugger.com
www.usa.autodesk.com (AutoDesk Sustainability Center)
www.dhub.org
www.architectureforhumanity.org
www.panda.org
(Living Planet Report: www.panda.org/news_facts/publications/living_planet_report/index.cfm)
www.climatecrisis.org
www.earth.columbia.edu
www.climateark.org
www.worldviewofglobalwarming.org
www.howtogogreen.com
www.greenprogress.com
www.greenbusinesscentre.org
www.worldchanging.com
www.worldwildlifefund.org
www.o2.org/index.php
www.wearewhatwedo.org/actiontracker
www.greenandmore.com/shopping.html

Podcast and Vlog Sites
www.ted.com
www.pbs.org/podcasts
www.design-e2.com
www.treehugger.com
www.inhabitat.com
www.youtube.com

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EXPECTATIONS AND COURSE POLICE

• Professional Attitude: Professionally interact with one another.
• Plagiarism and cheating: Please refer to ‘Student Handbook 2006-2007’ (pg. 51)
• Deadline: No work will receive a passing grade after a deadline has passed.
• Attendance: 3 late (over 10 min.) considered as 1 absence. 3 absences without consultation deserves F. For more information on attendance please refer to ‘Student Handbook 2006-2007’ (pg.48)
• Backup: Your working files will be deleted from the lab computers at anytime.
• No No No: No chat/e-mail, no food/drink, or no mobile ringing is permitted in class time.
• Basics: Leave the room as it was and keep it clean.

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EVALUATION AND GRADES
Your grade will be determined by 3 areas below. Only the outstanding work deserves A with meeting other requirements. Your dedicated effort and design outcomes will earn the grade.

80% Projects (Creative Concept/Development/Execution)
The success of your project is measured by 3 categories. The creative conceptual solutions will show how you resolve the design problems proving the originality of your ideas.The creative devel- opment will present how you explore techniques and technology through various revisions. The creative execution is meeting design specifications with finest neatness and submission on time.

Each Project will have these categories to measure your success in total 100%:
– RESEARCH+SKETCHES 25%
Your research will present what you studied and how you analyzed the information you gathered. Each project should have 2-3 final sketches out of 10-20 preliminary sketches.

– CONCEPT+ DESIGN 25%
Your design solution will present unique creative approaches to design problems.

– DEVELOPMENT+ EXECUTION 25 %
You will demonstrate how you have improve and define your design throughout revision process and final delivery

– PRESENTATION+FINAL SUBMISSION 25%
Presentation (1.introduction/overview 2.content 3.organization 4.delivery 5.conclusion) You will present the final design to the class/clients asserting the success of the art direction. Design Process Book and CD (working and final files)Record the entire design and development process including project specifications, production plan, creative brief, sketches, revisions, and personal notes. Provide a pocket for the CD

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A. Research & Gather Information
5. Participated and provided excellent information and content and exceeded team’s needs
4. Participated a great deal in research and all of the information met team’s needs.
3. Participated some in research and most of the information met team’s needs.
2. Participated very little in research for the team.
1. Unwilling to participate in research for the team.

B. Share Information/knowledge
5.Created a collaborative learning environment by actively sharing knowledge and skill
4. Relays a great deal of information in research and all relates to team’s needs
3. Relays some basic information and most relates to team’s needs
2. Relays very little information to the team
1. Unwilling to relay information to the team

C. Conceptual and Technical Creativity
5. Provided excellent creative solutions for the conceptual and technical design problems
4. Provided very good creative solutions for the conceptual and technical design problems
3. Provided good creative solutions for the conceptual and technical design problems
2. Provided acceptable design solutions for the conceptual and technical design problems
1. Provided unacceptable solutions for the conceptual and technical design problems

D. Organization / Responsibility / Punctuality / Attendance
5. Hands in all excellent quality of organized assignments on time and/or is always present
4. Hands in all very good quality of organized assignments on time and/or is always present.
3. Hands in most assignments on time and/or is present most of the time with organized work.
2. Hands in most assignments late and/or is absent often with not organized work.
1. Does not hand in any assignments and/or is almost never present.

E. Collaboration and Communication
5. Always helps team to reach a fair decision and listens/speaks as needed with positive outlook
4. Usually helps team to reach a fair decision and listens/speaks as needed.
3. Usually considers all views yet hardly allows anyone else to speak, not argumentative
2. Often sides w friends instead of considering all views/challenges teammates argumentatively.
1. Usually wants to have things their way instead of listening challenges teammates

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Research
[analitical problem finding + solution identifying]
exceeding expectations, you have passed with flying colors my friend
- the force must be strong within you

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Concept + Sketch
[idea development + creativity]
your well mapped out ideals and impeccable problem solving concepts are mind-blowing.
Truly an A*

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Execution
[problem finding + solution identifying]
thorough, well planned and to the point
- a very successful and cutting edge final productions

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Presentation
[display + level of engagement + design document]
creative >
unexpected >
your storytelling is out of this world–and beyond >