Project 3: Translations

^ Smiling Sun, Anne Lund

Project Description

To this point, we've explored graphic design as a means of close observation and self-expression. For this project, we will broaden our aperture. Whether working for a political campaign or a news organization, graphic designers may engage visually with politics to persuade and inform a perhaps disinterested audience.

Launching from your manifesto in which you spent time understanding what it meant to represent the intangible parts of yourself in a written and visual format, you will now move into representing a component of a culture and political movement that is not your own.

From here you are given the latitude to determine the outcome. We're asking you to draw on either your UI/UX or your animation skills to best interpret your research. At first this may feel like a vast sea of possibilities — one without beacons for orientation. It is up to you to provide those beacons for yourself in order to develop a route that cleverly and artfully delivers information.

Grading

Your grade for this project will make up 1/4 of your grade for the class. You will be evaluated based on your capacity to curate and present a set of thoughtfully designed visual studies grounded in a single subject, a well-articulated and meaningful statement, and a composition that showcases meticulous attention and professionalism in achieving the objective.

Project Goals

    • identify and explain a researched political or protest movement from the the past three decades outside America to an English speaking audience.
    • demonstrate understanding of the visual culture within which the movement took place.
    • create the front-end of a website OR an animated video explainer that’s conceptually driven by the culture to explore that movement.
    • Part 1: Research
      1. You will select political or protest movement from the last 30 years in a country outside America.
      2. A shared Are.na channel that includes at least 10 individual entries.
        • These entries can include paraphrases, along with an MLA citation of the source.
        • Relevant photos of the political movement and/or political campaign. Please note that these photos should be for a general audience.
        • Direct quotes from relevant figures from the movement.
    • Part 2: Visual Outcome
      • Your visual outcome will use the research you've collected to develop a graphic piece communicating the movement to a general audience. Outcomes can be framed as either...
        • A Website:
          • At least 3 sub-pages
          • At least 3 dimensions accounted for: Desktop, Tablet, and mobile.
          • Front-end built in Figma. You do not need to have it coded, although you may use Glitch to host the working website, if you'd like to showcase any html skills.
        • An Animation:
          • aim for no more than 90 seconds, although this is also flexible per need
          • sound is optional (but encouraged!)

Resources

Reading

Inspiration

Rubric

EXCELLENT VERY GOOD GOOD FAIR NEEDS IMPROVEMENT UNACCEPTABLE
CONCEPT Work demonstrates deep understanding of the project and ability to apply this understanding to outstanding visual and, if applicable, conceptual execution of the objectives. Strong understanding of the project goals and requirements. Student’s visual execution thoughtfully  fits the concept and objectives. Evident understanding of the project goals and requirements. Attempts have been made to explore visual execution and the idea is understandable, yet the piece needed more attention. Project met most, if not all of the minimum criteria. Needs improvement to exhibit fluency. Visual exploration is limited or incomplete and ideas are difficult to follow and/or too basic. Poor quality work that does not meet the project goal or objectives. Visual exploration is weak. Unsatisfactory. The work either does not evidence any of the project’s objects or has not been completed.
Objective 01:
To develop a website (or animation) that clearly and effectively communicates the protest movement you've chosen.
Objective 02:
To identify and successfully implement a relevant visual tone of voice.
CRAFT Excellent design craft:
No noticeable inconsistencies in form or execution. Surprising and effective craft choices in form.		 Strong design craft:
Negligible inconsistencies in form or execution. Effective craft choices in form.		 Solid, well-done work, could improve on the items noted in the Excellent list, in particular: better attention to detail, willingness to experiment without sacrificing quality. Does average work, fulfills the assignment. Feels rushed in execution or sloppy in attention to details.  No attention to detail, and barely qualifies as finished. Unsatisfactory. The work either does not hold together at all or has not been completed.
Objective 03:
To demonstrate care in the craftsmanship of a website (or animation).
Objective 04:
To select images with clarity to support a website (or animation).
Objective 05:
To effectively document the final outcome for your portfolio.
PROCESS Excellent, well-documented design process, ability to sketch and articulate ideas. A thoughtful and flexible honing of your project over the course. Thoughtful design process, ability to sketch and articulate ideas. A gradual honing of your project over the course. Solid, well-done work: could improve on the items noted in the Excellent list, in particular: more iteration and experimentation and willingness to articulate distinctive ideas. Limited iteration; student explores only a few other ideas, and they seem stubborn in their unwillingness to experiment. Singular solution that changes very little throughout the assignment. Unsatisfactory. No iteration or evidence of process.
Objective 06:
To annotate readings thoughtfully, participate in critique, and give and receive feedback
Objective 07:
To develop your website (or animation) from your first draft to your final. As a designer, your process should make your thinking visual.