A hands-on studio about the foundations of art and design. Introduction to the basic concepts of design. Elements of design: point, line, shape, texture, pattern, color, space and structure. Principles of design: balance, unity, contrast, similarity, scale, proportion, hierarchy, focus, emphasis, rhythm and movement.
Main objective of the course is to teach the fundamental components of art and design practice and theory. While the course is named as basic design, this is a highly challenging course based on reflection-in-action method introducing design thinking approach. While researching, ideation, presentation, stages of a holistic design process will be learned, visual design techniques such as drawing, composition, visual representation, modeling and other experimental techniques will be studied. The course provides hands on experience through assignments, workshops and critique sessions.
We encourage students to learn basic design principles through exploring their own artistic language with the use of different mediums such as found objects, textures, videos, and sound. Design principles are taught mainly based on western oriented conventional principles. Yet we teach these principles as a departure point, not as a set of rules. While learning and applying basic design principles, students establish their own visual languages, playing with different thoughts, and learn to communicate those thoughts visually. For a basic design course it can be a challenge for students to apply theory to practice and understand the point of each assignment that is given at the basic design class. Being more transparent with the flow of the class and allowing them to experience a systematic grading process might allow students to understand how their work will be graded. Grade of a student depends on the process, rather than the output.
Throughout the class, professors and peer students review each other’s work, made suggestions to each other which allowed them to reinforce their knowledge. Students are expected to reflect on the learned new skills in the production of homeworks, actively participate throughout the process of creating a piece, create alternative ideas, sketches and practices in relation to the given topic. They will be graded according to the quality and creativity of the presentation, process of creation and lateral thinking.
Students successfully completing this course will be able to understand design briefs, and answer them via using the visual design vocabulary to communicate their ideas. They will develop the complex skills to be able to seek out the right elements, forms and their balancing relationship in continuous studio projects. Throughout the semester the theoretical and practical development will be collectively iterated, giving the students the opportunity to combine digital and physical studio spaces, and develop a critical eye that is educated by the social and traditional design constructs.