Course Schedule, Spring 2027

Fifteen weeks plus spring break, four projects, a Design History project and a portfolio. Fully online and asynchronous.

InstructionJan 16 to May 9

DueThursday and Sunday, noon

DeliveryOnline, asynchronous

Credits3

Everything is due at noon, Arizona time. Nothing is ever due at midnight.

There are two deadlines a week, Thursday and Sunday; Week 1 has one, on Thursday. Projects and project steps (Process Work and Projects) are posted to the class Discord by noon the day before they are due, and you leave three critique comments on classmates’ work by the due time. Exercises, readings, quizzes and reflections have no Discord step. Late work is accepted for 24 hours after a deadline with a 10 percent deduction. Nothing is accepted after noon the day after the due date. When a holiday falls on a deadline or its hard close, the deadline moves a day earlier, so nothing is due when campus is closed.

Comments on classmates who post during the 24-hour window are encouraged and ungraded. They are good community citizenship, not extra credit.

The fifteen weeks

All times are noon, Arizona time. Each assignment’s hard close is noon the day after it is due.
Wk	Week of	Module	Due
1	Jan 18Term begins Sat Jan 16. One deadline this week.Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Mon Jan 18, campus closed.	Module 0	Syllabus and Course Overview QuizDue Thu Jan 21, noon Technology SetupDiscord Wed Jan 20 · Due Thu Jan 21, noon Helvetica ReflectionDue Thu Jan 21, noon
2	Jan 25	Module 1 Module 2	AI PrimerDiscord Wed Jan 27 · Due Thu Jan 28, noon Reading: Letter and Type AnatomyDue Sun Jan 31, noon
3	Feb 1	Module 2	Word/Meaning Part 1: Fifty VerbsDiscord Wed Feb 3 · Due Thu Feb 4, noon Word/Meaning Part 2: ThumbnailsDiscord Sat Feb 6 · Due Sun Feb 7, noon
4	Feb 8	Module 2	Word/Meaning Part 3: Vector DesignsDiscord Wed Feb 10 · Due Thu Feb 11, noon Word/Meaning Part 4: Final DesignsDiscord Fri Feb 12 · Due Sat Feb 13, noon
5	Feb 15Presidents’ Day Mon Feb 15, campus closed.	Module 3	Reading: Hierarchy and the GridDue Thu Feb 18, noon Recipe Step 1: Placement OnlyDiscord Wed Feb 17 · Due Thu Feb 18, noon Recipe Step 2: Weight and CaseDiscord Sat Feb 20 · Due Sun Feb 21, noon
6	Feb 22	Module 3	Recipe Step 3: ScaleDiscord Wed Feb 24 · Due Thu Feb 25, noon Recipe Step 4: Image in Negative SpaceDiscord Sat Feb 27 · Due Sun Feb 28, noon
7	Mar 1	Module 3 Module 4	Recipe Step 5: FinalDiscord Wed Mar 3 · Due Thu Mar 4, noon Milwaukee Step 1: Poster SketchesDiscord Sat Mar 6 · Due Sun Mar 7, noon
8	Mar 8	Module 4	Milwaukee Step 2: Poster and Instagram AdDiscord Wed Mar 10 · Due Thu Mar 11, noon Design History: Sign Up and ScopeDue Thu Mar 11, noon Milwaukee Step 3: Welcome-Kit MockupsDiscord Wed Mar 10 · Due Thu Mar 11, noon
	Mar 15	Spring break	Spring break, March 15 to 21. Campus closed, no deadlines.
9	Mar 22	Module 4	Milwaukee Step 4: Brand Styles in FigmaDiscord Wed Mar 24 · Due Thu Mar 25, noon Milwaukee Step 5: Final Revised SetDiscord Sat Mar 27 · Due Sun Mar 28, noon Design History: Research and Verification LogDiscord Sat Mar 27 · Due Sun Mar 28, noon
10	Mar 29	Module 5	Your Brand Step 1: Client and NameDiscord Wed Mar 31 · Due Thu Apr 1, noon Your Brand Step 2: Fifty SketchesDiscord Sat Apr 3 · Due Sun Apr 4, noon
11	Apr 5	Module 5	Your Brand Step 3: Refine the Top FourDiscord Wed Apr 7 · Due Thu Apr 8, noon Your Brand Step 4: Narrow, Type and PaletteDiscord Sat Apr 10 · Due Sun Apr 11, noon
12	Apr 12	Module 5	Your Brand Step 5: Final LogoDiscord Wed Apr 14 · Due Thu Apr 15, noon Your Brand Step 6: Press-Ready Business CardDiscord Sat Apr 17 · Due Sun Apr 18, noon
13	Apr 19	Module 5 Module 6	Your Brand Step 7: Three-Panel Instagram CampaignDiscord Wed Apr 21 · Due Thu Apr 22, noon Figma: Your Brand Styles and WireframeDiscord Sat Apr 24 · Due Sun Apr 25, noon
14	Apr 26	Module 6 Module 7	Figma: Three-Page WebsiteDiscord Wed Apr 28 · Due Thu Apr 29, noon Design History: Requirements and BuildDiscord Sat May 1 · Due Sun May 2, noon
15	May 3Last day of classes Sun May 9.	Module 7	Behance PortfolioDiscord Wed May 5 · Due Thu May 6, noon Course ReviewDue Sun May 9, noon Design History: Recorded PresentationDiscord Sat May 8 · Due Sun May 9, noon

How the grade breaks down

Grading groups (weighted)
Group	What is in it	Weight
Process Work	Every project step, 10 points each, submitted with process evidence	40%
Projects	Each project final, 30 points each	35%
Exercises	Readings, quizzes and reflections, 5 to 10 points each	25%

Process outweighs the finished piece on purpose. Designers who show only final work cannot explain their decisions, and explaining decisions is the job.

Questions

Ask software and project questions in #avc183-graphic-design-1 on the Digital Media Arts Discord. For anything private, use Canvas Inbox. Both receive a reply within one business day.