Graphic Design

Technology Setup (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 0.1, which supports Course Competency 3.

You need a Mac or Windows computer. A Chromebook, phone or tablet will not work, because the course uses Adobe apps. If you need a computer, GCC lends Macs and PCs: request one with a Student Technology Request.

Set up these core accounts in Week 1. Apps used only in this course are set up in the module where you first use them.

Submit one Google Doc, Google Slides page or Miro board with:

1. Proof that each core account works (screenshots, or a short written note for screen-reader users).
2. A link to a 10-second test recording with your voice and something from your work, shared unlisted.
3. Your Discord introduction (your name and how to say it, your program, one thing you want to learn, and two examples of past work with alt text or a description) and three comments on classmates’ introductions.

Grading (10 points): core accounts 4; test recording 3; Discord introduction 2; three comments 1.

AI: none; log “No AI used.”

Syllabus and Course Overview Quiz (5 points, Exercises)

Every question is answered in the syllabus. Questions include:

1. When is work due, and what happens if it is late? (Noon, Arizona time, on Thursdays and Sundays. Work up to 24 hours late loses 10%; after that it is not accepted.)
2. Where do private questions, course questions and critique go? (Private questions go to your instructor in the Canvas Inbox. Course questions and critique go in the course channel on the Digital Media Discord, or in the matching Canvas discussion if you cannot use Discord.)
3. When is using AI in this course not cheating? (When the use is assigned, recorded in your AI-use log, and you are graded on your own thinking and work.)
4. Which account must you use for Gemini, and why? (Your Maricopa account. Google states that what you enter there is not reviewed by people or used to train AI models.)

5. What are the three grading groups and their weights? (Process Work 40%, Projects 35%, Exercises 25%.)
6. What two rules hold all semester? (Sketch by hand before the computer, and never stretch or distort type.)
7. What does AI do in this course? (Research, writing, feedback and planning. It never designs, except in Design History.)

Private question (0 points): Will you be under 18 at any point this semester? (Yes or No) This is not scored. It only decides which tool options you get, and only your instructor sees your answer.

AI Primer (10 points, Process Work)

What this is. Your first time using Gemini in this course, and it takes about an hour. No experience with AI is needed. Complete Technology Setup first.

What Gemini is. Gemini is an AI chat tool from Google. You type a request, called a prompt, and it writes an answer. It learned from an enormous amount of text written by people, so it can sound knowledgeable about almost anything. It does not know you, and it has never been where you have been.

Why this assignment. Some assignments in this course use Gemini for research and feedback. Before you use it for that, you will see for yourself what it does well, where it falls short, and what you bring that it cannot.

Your work stays yours. You use Gemini through your Maricopa account, so what you enter is not reviewed by people and is not used to train AI models. See AI in This Course for Google’s exact wording.

This assignment measures Module Objective 0.2, which supports Course Competency 3.

Part 1: Sign in

1. Open Chrome and go to gemini.google.com.
2. If you see Sign in in the top right corner, click it. Sign in with your Maricopa account: your MEID followed by @maricopa.edu, then your MEID password on the Maricopa sign-in page.
3. Check the top right corner. It should show your Maricopa account. If it shows a personal Gmail account, click the picture and switch to your Maricopa account.

If Gemini does not open or says it is not available for your account (this can happen for students under 18), message your instructor in Canvas Inbox. You will receive an equal option with the same grade.

Part 2: Ask the question

4. Click the box at the bottom that says Ask Gemini.
5. Type Do I need to learn AI to get a good job in the digital media industry? and press Enter.
6. Copy your prompt and Gemini’s answer into a Google Doc.

Part 3: Read it like a critic

7. In your Doc, mark:
   • one point you agree with;
   • one point that sounds generic, overstated or like a sales pitch;
   • one question you would rather ask a working professional in the field.
8. Gemini is made by Google, a company that sells AI. Write one sentence on how that might shape its answer.

Part 4: Give it better directions

A stronger prompt tells Gemini four things: a role (who it should act as), a task (what to do), context (who it is for and why) and a format (how the answer should look). Example: You are a hiring manager at a small design studio in Phoenix. List the skills you look for in a new junior designer, and say honestly where AI skills rank among them. I am a first-year community college student. Use a short ranked list.

9. Rewrite your prompt using all four parts, and add one detail about yourself: the kind of work you want to do. Press Enter.
10. Copy the new prompt and answer into your Doc. Write one sentence on how the answer changed.

Part 5: Reflect

11. In four to six sentences: Did either answer change how you think about AI and your career? Where might a tool like this help you in your own work, and where would you not want to use it?

Part 6: Start your AI-use log

12. At the bottom of your Doc, add a table with three columns: Tool, What I asked, and What I kept, changed or rejected. Add one row for this assignment. Every assignment in this course has a row like this, so your instructor can see how you used AI and what was your own.

Submit the link to your Google Doc.

Grading (10 points): critic’s mark-up 3; revised prompt with your own detail 3; reflection 2; AI-use log row 2.

Helvetica Reflection (10 points, Exercises)

This assignment measures Module Objective 1.5, which supports Course Competency 1.

How to watch the film:

1. Open Helvetica on Kanopy, through the GCC Library.
2. Select Watch Now, then Log into GCCAZ, and sign in with your MEID (your Maricopa student ID and login) and password.
3. The film is about 80 minutes long. Turn on captions in the player if you want them.

What to submit:

1. A photograph you take of Helvetica, or a typeface used in its place, where you live or work: a sign, a package, a storefront, a form. Add alt text.
2. 100 words, plus or minus 10, typed into the text box. Name one argument someone in the film makes about Helvetica and about when it comes up. Say whether you agree, and connect your view to your photograph.

Do not summarize the film. You may disagree with a famous designer, but explain why.

AI: No AI use. Your photograph and your position are the evidence. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): names one specific argument and where it appears in the film 3; states a position and supports it 3; position is tied to your own photograph, with alt text 3; 100 words, plus or minus 10, complete sentences 1.

Reading: Letter and Type Anatomy (5 points, Exercises)

This assignment measures Module Objective 1.1, which supports Course Competency 2.

Read:

• Lupton, E. (2010). Thinking with type (2nd ed.). Princeton Architectural Press. Read the Introduction, the type anatomy diagram (p. 32) and pp. 40 to 94. The book is on reserve at the GCC Library.
• Free alternative: Typography Handbook (open textbook, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), the chapters on anatomy and classification.

Submit:

1. A photograph you take of lettering in your surroundings (a sign, a label, a menu).
2. On the photograph, use arrows to label three parts of the letters from p. 32 (for example, x-height, counter, serif). Add alt text.
3. Two or three sentences: what do these letter parts tell you about the lettering’s purpose?

AI: No AI use. The photograph and labels are your own. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (5 points): own photograph with three correctly labeled anatomy terms 3; sentences connect the anatomy to the lettering’s purpose 2.

Word/Meaning Part 1: Fifty Verbs (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 1.2, which supports Course Competency 4.

1. By hand, on paper, list 50 descriptive verbs (action words, such as shrink or bounce). Do not use nouns. You are not drawing an object.
2. Circle your five favorites: the words you can show best with type.
3. Under each of the five, write one sentence on the visual idea you have for it.
4. Photograph the page flat, full frame, in even light.

AI: No AI use. The handwritten list is the evidence. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): fifty descriptive verbs, handwritten, no nouns 4; five chosen, each with a sentence on its visual idea 4; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Word/Meaning Part 2: Thumbnails (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 1.2, which supports Course Competency 4.

Do not submit this part until you have feedback on Part 1.

1. Create at least 20 thumbnail sketches of each word, 100 in all, on paper or a drawing tablet. Do not use computer type.
2. Make each thumbnail about 2 by 2 inches, several on a page. The final is square, so sketch square.
3. Draw black lowercase sans serif letters (letters without small feet) on white. Change size and placement. Use both the letters (positive space) and the empty space around them (negative space).

You may repeat a letter, use a capital if needed, and let letters overlap or run off the page. You may not use color, stretch or distort type, add backgrounds or images, or break letters apart.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): at least 20 thumbnails per word, 100 total 4; by hand, lowercase sans serif, square 2; constraints held: no color, no distortion, no extra elements 2; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Word/Meaning Part 3: Vector Designs (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 1.3, which supports Course Competency 4.

Do not submit this part until you have feedback on Part 2.

1. Use Illustrator or InDesign, not Photoshop, so the type stays vector. Use Futura or another plain sans serif such as Helvetica Bold.
2. Choose your strongest sketch for each word. Set each word on its own 8 by 8 inch page.
3. Export each as PNG or JPG and place all five on one page.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): five 8 by 8 vector designs, one per word, sharp 4; lowercase sans serif, black and white, no distortion 2; meaning carried by placement and scale 2; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Word/Meaning Part 4: Final Designs (30 points, Projects)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 1.3 and 1.4, which support Course Competencies 4 and 6.

Do not submit this part until you have feedback on Part 3.

1. Revise all five designs based on your feedback. Use vector type in black and white, lowercase unless one or two letters need a capital.
2. Place all five on one Miro board with the 8 by 8 page outline showing.
3. Under each design, write one sentence that names the design principle it uses (for example, “Scale contrast makes shrink read as diminishing”).
4. Export one PDF, 8 by 8 inches, one design per page, High Quality Print.

AI: No AI use for the designs. Log “No AI used,” or log any Gemini feedback you asked for on your sentences.

Reading: Hierarchy and the Grid (5 points, Exercises)

This assignment measures Module Objective 2.1, which supports Course Competency 2.

Read:

• Lupton, E. (2010). Thinking with type (2nd ed.). Princeton Architectural Press. Read pp. 103 to 171. Look closely at the kerning, tracking (space across a whole word or line) and line-spacing examples.
• Free alternative: Typography Handbook (open textbook, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), the chapters on spacing and hierarchy; and Baseline, Grid Systems.

Submit:

Choose one line from the recipe you will use in this project. Set it three times in InDesign. Each time, create hierarchy a different way (for example, placement, leading or weight). Leading is the space between lines. Export one PNG with all three versions. Label each with the method and one sentence on what now reads first.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (5 points): three versions, each using a different hierarchy method 3; each labeled with what reads first and why 2.

Recipe Step 1: Placement Only (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 2.2 and 2.3, which support Course Competencies 2 and 3.

1. Find a recipe with words you can play with in type (“stir,” “creamy,” “upside down”). Edit it to 50 to 100 words with a title, ingredients and method.
2. In InDesign, create an 8 by 8 inch document with 12 columns. Set the recipe in Helvetica 12 point (or another plain sans serif).
3. Build hierarchy with placement, leading and kerning only. No bold, no italic, no size change. The title reads first. You may repeat words.
4. Black type on white. Never stretch type.
5. Make two different designs.

AI: Optional: Gemini may help edit the recipe text. Log what you asked and what you kept. The layouts are yours.

Grading (10 points): Recipe edited to 50 to 100 words with title, ingredients and method 2; 8 by 8 document with a 12-column grid in use 2; hierarchy from placement, leading and kerning only 3; two distinct designs 1; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Recipe Step 2: Weight and Case (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 2.3, which supports Course Competency 2.

1. Start a fresh page with the same grid and 8 by 8 format.
2. Use bold, italic and all caps on purpose to build hierarchy. Do not change type size.
3. Make two designs that look nothing like Step 1.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): fresh page, same grid and format 2; weight and case used deliberately for hierarchy 3; size held at 12 point 1; two designs distinct from Step 1 2; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Recipe Step 3: Scale (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 2.3, which supports Course Competency 2.

1. Same 8 by 8 page, same grid, same typeface. Add scale.
2. Black type on white, never stretched.
3. Make two designs that look nothing like the first four.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): scale used purposefully for hierarchy 3; grid, format and typeface held 2; two designs distinct from all four earlier 2; type never stretched 1; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Recipe Step 4: Image in Negative Space (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 2.2 and 2.3, which support Course Competencies 2 and 3.

1. Find an image you have the right to use, from Wikimedia Commons, Library of Congress Free to Use or your own photograph. Record its source and license.
2. Place it in InDesign (File, Place). Do not paste it. Check its effective resolution in the Links panel: you need 300 ppi for print. Effective resolution is the image’s real detail at the size you placed it. Note whether it is RGB (for screens) or CMYK (for print).
3. Use the same page, grid and typeface. You may use scale, weight and case. Put the image in the negative space.
4. Make two designs that look nothing like the other six.

AI: No AI-generated images. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): image in negative space, not dominating 3; placed, not pasted, at adequate effective resolution; source and license given 3; two designs distinct from all six earlier 1; type never stretched; hierarchy holds 1; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Recipe Step 5: Final (30 points, Projects)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 2.3 and 2.4, which support Course Competencies 2 and 5.

1. Rank your eight designs against the hierarchy goal: does the title read first, and do the descriptive words carry meaning? Write the ranking as a short list with one sentence per design.
2. Revise all eight based on your ranking and the critique. Never stretch or distort type.
3. Submit one PDF, High Quality Print, eight 8 by 8 pages, in order: pages 1 and 2 placement only; 3 and 4 weight and case; 5 and 6 scale; 7 and 8 image (color only in the image, never the type).

AI: No AI use for the designs or the ranking. Log “No AI used.”

Milwaukee Step 1: Poster Sketches (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 3.1 and 3.4, which support Course Competencies 2 and 6.

Brand requirements (scored in every step):

• Logo: use only the logo files from the City of Milwaukee Brand Guidelines. Do not redraw, stretch, recolor, add effects to, or crowd the logo. Follow the guide’s clear-space (empty space around the logo) and minimum-size rules.
• Color: only colors from the City of Milwaukee palette.
• Typography: Myriad Pro. If you cannot turn it on, use Montserrat or Bebas Neue, which the guide lists as approved alternates. No other typefaces.
• One logo: no university, sponsor or event logos.
• Credit line on every piece: Student project. Not affiliated with the City of Milwaukee.

1. Read the brand guide, download the logo files and turn on Myriad Pro.
2. Sketch at least 10 poster layout thumbnails by hand on unlined paper, about 2 by 3 inches each. Draw lines to stand for small text. Show clear space around the logo in every sketch.
3. Choose two welcome-kit items: T-shirt (front and back), tote bag, water bottle or sticker set, name badge and lanyard, wayfinding sign, folded city map or pocket guide, or notebook cover.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): at least 10 hand poster thumbnails, each a different layout 4; clear space around the logo in every sketch 2; two kit items chosen 1; Discord post with alt text, three comments that each name a brand rule, compiled in Miro 3.

Milwaukee Step 2: Poster and Instagram Ad (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4, which support Course Competencies 2, 3 and 6.

Poster specifications:

• 18 by 24 inches, with 0.125-inch bleed on all sides. Bleed is extra artwork past the edge, so no white edge shows after trimming.
• CMYK; any image at 300 ppi effective resolution
• Press-ready PDF with crop marks, which show the printer where to cut (InDesign: File, Export, Adobe PDF (Print), Marks and Bleeds)
• Step 1 copy, exactly as written

Instagram ad specifications:

• One feed post, 1080 by 1350 pixels (4:5), RGB, PNG or JPG
• The poster layout, simplified, with this text: Welcome to Milwaukee / Lake Michigan Freshwater Research Fellows / Welcome Reception · Thursday · 5 to 7 p.m.
• Logo and text at least 60 pixels from every edge

Post this caption with your Discord post, not on the image: Researchers from around the world are spending the semester studying our Great Lake. Stop by Thursday and say hello. #WelcomeToMKE

Under your Discord post, list five rules from the brand guide that your poster follows, with the page number of each.

AI: No AI use for the design. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): poster to spec: 18 by 24, bleed, CMYK, crop marks, PDF 2; logo used correctly: downloaded file, clear space, minimum size, unaltered 2; only brand colors and approved type; headline and reception read first 2; Instagram ad to spec, same layout simplified 1; five brand rules listed with page numbers 1; Discord post with alt text, three comments that each name a brand rule, compiled in Miro 2.

Milwaukee Step 3: Welcome-Kit Mockups (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 3.1 and 3.4, which support Course Competencies 2 and 6.

1. Design both items. Follow every brand requirement from Step 1.
2. Show each as a flat mockup: your design on a simple outline or photo of the item, front and back if it has two sides. You do not make a real item.

AI: No AI use for the design. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): two kit items designed and shown as mockups 3; brand rules held: logo, color, type, credit line 3; items read as one family with the poster and ad 2; Discord post with alt text, three comments that each name a brand rule, compiled in Miro 2.

Milwaukee Step 4: Brand Styles in Figma (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 3.3 and 3.4, which support Course Competencies 3 and 6.

Set up Figma:

1. Create a free account through Figma for Education with your Maricopa email. (Figma privacy policy)
2. Watch the Module 3 Figma walkthrough, then follow Styles in Figma step by step.

Build:

1. In a new Figma file, create a color style for every City of Milwaukee palette color, named as the guide names it, with its hex value.
2. Create text styles for a headline, subhead, body and caption in Myriad Pro (or an approved alternate).
3. Rebuild your Instagram ad on a 1080 by 1350 frame using only those styles. No one-off colors or sizes.
4. Share the file so anyone with the link can view.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): color style for every palette color, named to the guide 3; four text styles in brand type 3; ad rebuilt using only styles; link works 2; Discord post with alt text, three comments that each name a brand rule, compiled in Miro 2.

Milwaukee Step 5: Final Revised Set (30 points, Projects)

This assignment measures Module Objectives 3.1, 3.2 and 3.4, which support Course Competencies 2, 3 and 6.

1. Review the feedback on Steps 2 and 3 and make the changes. Fix any broken brand rule.
2. Export a new press-ready poster PDF with crop marks, a new Instagram PNG or JPG, and your two revised mockups.
3. Arrange all four on one Miro board as a final presentation.
4. In your Discord post, list three changes you made across the set and why.

AI: No AI use for the design. Log “No AI used.”

Design History: Sign Up and Scope (5 points, Exercises)

This assignment measures Module Objective H.1, which supports Course Competency 1.

Work alone or in a group of up to three. Sign up in Canvas: go to People, open the Design History tab, and join a group. In the text box, name your period and list three movements or designers you plan to cover.

AI: No AI use for the sign-up. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (5 points): group and period confirmed 3; three movements or designers named as scope 2.

Design History: Research and Verification Log (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objectives H.1 and H.2, which support Course Competencies 1 and 4.

1. In Gemini Notebook or Gemini, ask for an overview of your period. A strong prompt gives a role, a task and a format: “You are a design historian. Give me an overview of the major graphic design movements between [your years] in the United States and Europe, and note significant work elsewhere. Name specific designers, schools and publications. Use bullet points.”
2. Sort at least two pages of notes in a Google Doc into 4 to 6 categories (movements, designers, themes). Give each category 3 to 5 real examples and a one-paragraph summary. Keep a link to every source.
3. Find examples in Wikimedia Commons, the RISD Picture Collection, The Met Open Access and Library of Congress Free to Use.
4. Verification log. Check five claims from the AI’s answer against the GCC Library databases. For each, record the claim, the database record that confirms or corrects it, and the result. Need help? Ask a Librarian connects you with a real librarian.
5. Write three or four sentences on how accurate the AI was: name one error you found and what it tells you about using AI for research.

AI: Assigned: Gemini or Gemini Notebook, with your Maricopa account, for research. Check every claim you keep in a library database.

Grading (10 points): four to six categories, each with three to five real examples and a summary 3; five claims verified against library database records 4; reflection on AI accuracy names a real error 2; Discord post and three comments 1.

Your Brand Step 1: Client and Name (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 4.1, which supports Course Competency 4.

1. Choose one client. Restate the brief (the client’s request) in your own words: audience, goals and how the business should feel.
2. Name the business using word association. Write the client’s main idea in the center of a page. By hand, branch out at least 30 related words. Combine them into at least ten possible names and test them. Circle your choice. The Module 4 video shows this process.

AI: Optional: Gemini may extend your word list after your first 30. Log it and mark Gemini’s words. The name you choose and the brief restatement are yours.

Grading (10 points): brief restated in your own words 3; word-association page by hand, 30 or more words, ten candidates 3; name chosen and explained 2; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Your Brand Step 2: Fifty Sketches (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 4.2, which supports Course Competency 4.

1. In an unlined sketchbook, draw at least 50 thumbnail ideas for the mark, 9 to 12 per page. Work fast.
2. Try many kinds: letter marks, symbols, combinations, abstract shapes. Fifty versions of one idea is still one idea.
3. Photograph each page flat, full frame, in even light.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): at least 50 hand thumbnails, 9 to 12 per page 4; conceptual range, not variations of one idea 4; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Your Brand Step 3: Refine the Top Four (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 4.2, which supports Course Competency 4.

1. Choose your top four sketches. Keep sketching on paper, then refine each in Illustrator.
2. Make at least five versions of each, in black only.
3. Start pairing type with the mark. The business name can be part of the mark or sit beside it. Do not stretch or distort type.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): top four selected and refined in Illustrator 3; at least five versions of each, black only 3; type never stretched or distorted 2; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Your Brand Step 4: Narrow, Type and Palette (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 4.3, which supports Course Competency 4.

1. Narrow to your best one or two marks and refine them. Each must work in black and white and in your colors. No screens (lighter tints of a color) and no gradients. A strong mark is a simple one.
2. Lock one typeface and a palette of no more than three colors, with CMYK and hex values. Check each text and background color pair for contrast with the WebAIM contrast checker.
3. Write a rationale (your reasons) of 100 to 150 words. Tie each choice to the audience in your brief. “It looks good” is not a reason. “Most of the audience is under 18 and the goal is playful, so I chose a rounded sans serif” is.

AI: Optional: Gemini may give feedback on your rationale draft. Log it. The choices and the rationale are yours.

Grading (10 points): narrowed to one or two marks, working in black and white and color 3; one typeface; three colors or fewer, with values and a contrast check 2; rationale ties each choice to the brief’s audience and goals 3; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Your Brand Step 5: Final Logo (30 points, Projects)

This assignment measures Module Objective 4.3, which supports Course Competency 4.

Submit one PDF containing:

1. The logo in full color on white
2. The logo in black only
3. The logo reversed, white on a dark ground
4. The logo at small size (0.5 inch), to prove it holds up
5. Your typeface and palette with values
6. Your audience and goals statement, revised from Step 4

No screens, no gradients, no stretched type.

AI: No AI use for the mark. Log “No AI used.”

Your Brand Step 6: Press-Ready Business Card (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 4.4, which supports Course Competency 2.

1. Design a business card (3.5 by 2 inches) in InDesign using your identity.
2. Build it to spec (the exact print settings): 0.125-inch bleed, crop marks, CMYK, images at 300 ppi effective resolution, fonts embedded.
3. Run Preflight (Window, Output, Preflight) until it reports no errors. Screenshot the panel.
4. Export a press-ready PDF.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): card designed in the identity 2; bleed and crop marks correct 2; CMYK and effective resolution correct 2; preflight passes, screenshot included 2; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Your Brand Step 7: Three-Panel Instagram Campaign (30 points, Projects)

This assignment measures Module Objective 4.4, which supports Course Competency 2.

1. Write a three-part message, one part per panel.
2. Sketch the grid by hand first, with all three panels on one page.
3. Build three 1080 by 1350 pixel panels in Illustrator or InDesign. Each has a heading, an image you have the right to use, and the logo. Keep the grid the same on all three. Change the message and images.
4. Reuse visual elements from the logo (shape, color, type style), called rhetorical elements, so the campaign looks like the brand.

AI: Optional: Gemini may help draft the three-part message. Log it. Gemini never designs the panels or generates the images.

Figma: Your Brand Styles and Wireframe (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective 5.1, which supports Course Competency 3.

1. Start a new Figma file. Build color styles for your palette and text styles for your type.
2. Wireframe three pages (home, about, and contact or services). A wireframe shows structure only: grey boxes, with no color, images or decoration.
3. Share the file so anyone with the link can view.

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (10 points): color styles from your own palette 2; text styles from your own type system 2; three pages wireframed, structure only 4; Discord post with alt text, three principle-based comments, compiled in Miro 2.

Figma: Three-Page Website (30 points, Projects)

This assignment measures Module Objective 5.2, which supports Course Competency 5.

1. Build the three pages from your wireframes, using only your own styles. No one-off colors or sizes. If you need something new, add it as a style.
2. Use the same grid, type sizes and spacing on every page. Use the logo the same way on every page.
3. Check text contrast with the WebAIM contrast checker.
4. Submit your Figma share link. Test it in a private browser window first.

AI: No AI use for the design. Gemini may help draft the page copy; log it.

Portfolio Site (30 points, Projects)

This assignment measures Module Objective 6.1, which supports Course Competency 6.

1. Open or start your portfolio site at sites.google.com with your Maricopa account. You build your site in your Maricopa account now; in AVC248 you can move it to a personal Google account if you want. Add your name (or professional name), a headshot or avatar, a header image and a short professional description.
2. Publish two projects from this course, each on its own page. Show the process work (sketches, steps, changes from critique), not only the final.
3. For each project, write a rationale of 100 to 200 words. Judge the work against design principles and accessibility: what works, what you would change, and why.
4. Add alt text to every image: select it, choose More, then Add alt text (Google’s accessibility help).
5. Choose Publish at the top right, type a short web address, and choose Publish.
6. Choose Share. Next to Published site, choose Restricted, so only people you add can see it. Add your instructor’s email. When you apply for a job, add the employer’s email.
7. Submit the site link.

Who can see it: Restricted is the default. You may switch to Public whenever you choose. If you see an option for Maricopa, it limits viewing to people with Maricopa accounts. If you make the site public, you can tick “Request public search engines to not display my site” in Publish settings. Google says this is a request, not a guarantee (Publish and share your site).

Already have a Behance portfolio from another class? You may use it instead.

AI: Optional: Gemini may give feedback on your rationale drafts. Log it. The evaluation is yours.

Course Review (5 points, Exercises)

This assignment measures Module Objective 6.2, which supports Course Competency 1.

Answer in the text box, 100 to 200 words in all:

1. What can you do now that you could not do at the start of the course? Point to one piece of your own work.
2. What was the hardest part, and what would have helped?
3. What will you keep using after this course?

AI: No AI use. Log “No AI used.”

Grading (5 points): answers all three questions 3; points to specific work, not general statements 2.

Design History: Requirements and Build (10 points, Process Work)

This assignment measures Module Objective H.3, which supports Course Competency 4.

1. Write a one-page requirements document (a list of what the presentation must include): the audience, the categories in order, the era’s typefaces, colors and layout styles with a real example of each, and the sourced images to use.
2. Give Gemini your requirements to build the presentation. Either describe it in Gemini Canvas and let Gemini build it, or build slides yourself from Gemini Notebook output. Use only real, sourced historical artwork.
3. Write a rationale of 100 to 150 words: which typefaces, colors and layouts make it look like your era, and what you fixed when Gemini got the period wrong.

AI: Assigned, the Design History exception: Gemini builds the presentation from your requirements. Log every prompt that shaped it.

Grading (10 points): requirements document with era type, color and layout examples 4; presentation reads as the period; historical artwork real and sourced 2; rationale names choices and corrections to Gemini’s output 3; Discord post and three comments 1.

Design History: Recorded Presentation (30 points, Projects)

This assignment measures Module Objectives H.1 and H.3, which support Course Competencies 1 and 4.

1. Practice out loud. Talk through it; do not read from the screen. Groups can split the sections or present together.
2. Record your screen and voice (OBS or your approved recorder) for 5 to 8 minutes. Include a citations section.
3. Upload to YouTube with your Maricopa account as Unlisted. Fix the automatic captions by hand (edit captions in YouTube Studio).
4. Post the link to Discord and comment on three classmates’ presentations, following Deadlines.

Submit your YouTube link.

AI: Your recorded explanation is your own work. Log any Gemini use for your notes.

Take Your Work With You (ungraded, Week 15)

Your Maricopa Google account may close after you leave the college. Do this before the course ends, so you keep everything you made even if you stop out, transfer or graduate. It takes about 45 minutes.

1. Save your files in one place. Make one Google Drive folder for this course. Put in it your native files (Illustrator, InDesign and a .fig copy of each Figma file), exported PDFs and images, and your Design History presentation and recording and your AI-use log. For each Figma file, choose File, then Save local copy, to download a .fig copy. Videos you posted to YouTube with your Maricopa account are not copied, so download your own YouTube videos into the folder too.
2. Copy everything to a personal Google account. Make a personal Google account if you do not have one. First make your own copy (File, then Make a copy) of any file someone shared with you, because files you do not own are not copied. Then, signed in to your Maricopa account, open Google Takeout Transfer and copy your Drive and Gmail to your personal account (see Google’s help page). It can take up to a week, and the copies arrive unshared. If Transfer is not available on your account, use Google Takeout to download your Drive as .zip files and save them on your computer.
3. Take your AI work with you. Save your Design History work: the requirements document, the prompts from your AI-use log, and a PDF of the presentation Gemini built. The instructions and source files are what rebuild it, so keep each one’s instructions in a Google Doc and its sources in your course folder. To keep your chats, use Google Takeout: choose My Activity, then Gemini Apps. After you leave, rebuild it in Gemini with your personal account: make a new one, paste the instructions and upload the sources. If you used a Gem or Gemini Notebook for research, keep its instructions and sources the same way.
   • Know the privacy difference. Your Maricopa account keeps your Gemini work out of AI training (see AI in This Course in Module 0). A personal account does not have the same protections, and Google may use your activity to improve its AI, depending on your settings. In your personal account, open Gemini, then Settings & help, then Activity (Gemini Apps Activity), and decide whether to turn off Keep Activity. Never put anyone else’s private information into a personal account.
4. Move your Google Site. Takeout Transfer copies Drive, Gmail and Photos. Do not count on it to move a Google Site, if you made one for this or another course. First keep the content: put the site’s text in a Google Doc and its images in your course folder, then open each published page and save it as a PDF (File, then Print, then Save as PDF). Then try a direct copy: in the site editor, choose Share and add your personal email as an editor. Sign in with your personal account, open the site, and choose More (the three dots), then Make a copy. If sharing outside Maricopa is blocked, rebuild the site in your personal account at sites.google.com with the same content and publish it again. The web address changes, so update it on your resume and profiles.
5. Protect your artwork online. No website can fully stop AI companies from copying public images. These steps make it harder and show the work is yours:
   • If you already have a Behance portfolio, it uses your school Adobe ID. Before your school account closes, move your Behance profile to a free personal Adobe account.
   • Post screen-size images, not your full-size print files.
   • Add your name and a copyright line (© Your Name) to the description or the image.
   • In Adobe apps or Adobe Content Authenticity, attach Content Credentials and choose “I request that generative AI models not train on or use my content.” It is a request, not a lock: Adobe Firefly honors it, and other AI companies may not (see Adobe’s help page).
   • Optional: Glaze, a free tool from a University of Chicago research team, adds hidden changes that make it harder for AI to copy your style. It works best on detailed artwork and is not a guarantee.
   • Keep your full-size master files private in your Drive folder. Your portfolio site shows only screen-size images and stays Restricted until you choose to make it public.