Design history presentation

Courses and Programs · Case study

A team project in Graphic Design (AVC 183), two students per group. Each pair becomes the class authority on a period of design history and teaches it back, in a presentation designed in the visual language of the era.

Learning objectives

By the end of this project, a student can:

• Research a design era using academic databases, the library, and AI tools, and organize the findings into four to six coherent categories.
• Design a presentation in the visual language of the period, so the decade is legible before a word is read.
• Present and record a spoken explanation of the era’s significance for an audience of peers.
• Critique classmates’ presentations in Discord using shared design-history vocabulary.

Each objective is written as an observable action and is evidenced by a graded artifact, the research document, the designed presentation, the recorded talk, and the logged Discord critique, so every outcome the project claims is tied to something the rubric measures.

Examples

Here are examples of past student projects. The first four were made in Prezi, a presentation tool known for its zoomable, motion-based layout. The last one is the extra credit example, built with AI.

Design goals

This project asks you to research, understand, and present the historical significance of designers and design movements across a period from 1895 to 1989. You will become the class expert on your time period and teach your peers what you have learned.

• Research your assigned time period using academic databases, the library, and AI tools.
• Work through a design process as a team: brainstorm, sketch, then build.
• Present your research using the visual language of your time period. Someone should be able to guess the decade before they read a word.
• Present to the class. Record your presentation and post the link in Discord.

Time period assignments

Focus on graphic design: typography, posters, publication design, illustration, and visual communication. Architecture and furniture are fine where they connect to the movements you’re covering. Broader cultural context like film or technology is welcome where it directly influenced design.

Research primarily the United States and Europe, but keep your eyes open, significant movements were happening elsewhere too.

How to sign up

1. Go to People in the left menu of this Canvas course.
2. Select the Design History tab.
3. Add yourself to a group. Nothing to submit here; your instructor will check the tab.

Part 1: Research

• Your first draft of research notes should be at least 2 pages.
• Use the Google Doc your instructor created for your team. Find it under Collaborations in Canvas. Do not create a new doc.
• Keep links to every source as you go. You will need them for citations.
• Identify 4 to 6 major categories to organize your presentation around: movements, designers, themes, or time spans within your era.
• For each category, collect 3 to 5 strong examples: posters, images, publications, or objects that represent it well.
• Write a paragraph summary for each category. This can become narration or on-screen text in your presentation.

the college Library

Your faculty librarians are one of the most underused resources on campus. The Library Research Guide linked in this Canvas course has curated sources for design history. A few places to look for images and sources:

• Wikimedia Commons: large collection of public domain images including posters, book covers, and design artifacts. Good for finding images to use directly in your presentation.
• RISD Picture Collection: Rhode Island School of Design’s digital image library, strong on design history and poster collections. Free and publicly accessible.
• The Met Open Access Collection: hundreds of thousands of public domain art and design images, searchable and free to use.
• Library of Congress: exceptional collection of posters, photographs, and printed ephemera. Especially strong for American design history.

You can also reach a real human librarian 24/7 through the Ask a Librarian service below, not a bot.

Using AI for research

AI is a useful first step for getting oriented before you move on to deeper sources. The four tools available to you are Claude, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and ChatGPT. Faculty in Digital Media Arts recommend Claude, the one we use and trust. Copilot is available through Maricopa at no cost.

A strong prompt has three parts: Role (tell the AI what expert to be), Task (be specific about what you want), and Format (tell it how to respond: list, summary, bullets, and so on). Here is a starter prompt:

Once you have a basic response, push deeper. In Claude, try Deep Research. In Copilot, look for Think Deeper. In ChatGPT, use the Research option. Or just follow up with “Tell me more about [specific thing].”

Part 2: Design

Once your research is organized, design the presentation. The design should feel like the period: typography, color, layout, and imagery should all reflect the era. Someone should be able to guess the decade before they read a word.

Presentation options

Use whatever tool you are most comfortable with:

• Miro: you already know this one. You can build your entire presentation here, designing each frame to reflect your period. No default templates.
• Google Slides or Keynote: design from scratch to match your era. No default templates.
• Gemini Notebook: Google’s AI research tool that synthesizes your sources into summaries, timelines, and audio overviews. You can also upload images and design examples from your time period and ask it to analyze the visual style. It works best as a research companion, but it is excellent for organizing what you have found and understanding your period before you start designing.
• Prezi: a presentation tool with a zoomable, non-linear layout. The past student examples above were all made in Prezi. It has a learning curve, so give yourself extra time if you go this route.
• Or build a tool with AI, see the Extra credit section below.

Use real artwork and images from your time period: posters, photographs, book covers, advertisements. Do not let AI generate the historical images. AI-generated images are fine for layout and decorative elements, but the historical content needs to be real and sourced.

Part 3: Presentation and recording

• Divide up who covers which sections, or present together, either works.
• Practice out loud before you record. It should flow naturally, not be read off the screen.
• Record using OBS. Capture your screen and voice as you present. Your instructor can help with setup.
• Upload your recording to your student YouTube account as an unlisted video (same workflow as class).
• Post your YouTube link in Discord. If you built an interactive tool for extra credit, post that link too and make sure it actually works before you share it.
• Comment on every one of your classmates’ presentations in Discord, not just a few. You are each other’s audience.

Accessibility

Your presentation has to work for a classmate who cannot see it or cannot hear it. This is part of the grade, about 10 percent of the points.

• Captions on the recording. After you upload to YouTube, open YouTube Studio, go to Subtitles, and correct the automatic captions line by line. Fix every designer’s name, movement and term by hand; automatic captions alone are not enough.
• Alt text on every image. In Google Slides, right-click each image and choose Alt text; in Google Sites, select the image, open the three-dot menu and choose Alt text. Write one or two sentences on what matters (the work, its type and color, what makes it of its movement), never “image of.”
• Readable slides. Real slide titles, enough contrast for your type (check it with the WebAIM Contrast Checker), and say aloud what each key image shows.
• A Google Site keeps headings in order, uses link text that says where it goes, and gets checked with WAVE before you post it.
• Discord. Add a description (alt text) to every image you upload.

Citations

Include a citations section in your presentation: a final slide, a scrollable section, or a linked document.

• Every image, artwork, or media clip needs: artist or designer name, title, date, and source.
• Cite your written sources: articles, books, databases, websites.
• Note which AI tools you used and what you used them for.

If you are not sure how to format citations, Ask a Librarian.

A note on AI use

AI is encouraged here, for both research and design. What matters is how you use it. AI should support your thinking, not replace it. Be prepared to talk about your process and explain your choices.

What to submit

Everything is due at noon, Arizona time. Post your recording link to Discord by noon the day before it is due, and leave your critique comments by the due time. Late work is accepted for 24 hours at 10% off; nothing is accepted after noon the day after. Check the module for the specific days. Sign up for your group as soon as you can. The sooner you sign up, the more chance you will get the time period you want.

Extra credit: build an interactive tool

Use Claude, Gemini, Copilot, or ChatGPT to build something with AI that students can actually use.

You already know how to use AI to write and research. This is the same skill, pointed at a different output. Instead of asking AI to write a paragraph, you ask it to build something: a slideshow, a quiz, a matching game, a timeline, a flashcard set, whatever fits your time period. No coding. Just clear prompts and iteration.

→ View the class example: 1910 to 1920 design history slideshow and sorting game

Step 1: Write your requirements first

Before you open your AI tool, write down what you want to build. This is called a PRD (Product Requirements Document). It sounds technical but it is just a list of decisions you have already made. The more specific you are upfront, the less back-and-forth you need.

Answer these questions in a Google Doc:

• What does this tool do? (One sentence.)
• Who is it for?
• What are the main sections or features?
• What should it look like? What colors and type feel right for your period?
• Walk through it step by step: what happens when someone opens it?

Step 2: Write your starting prompt

Paste this into your AI tool and fill in the bracketed sections with your own content:

Step 3: Find your images

Your AI tool will give you a list of filenames after it builds the files. Go to Wikimedia Commons and search for each artwork by artist name and title. Save each one with the exact filename it listed, and put them all in a folder called img.

Step 4: Iterate

If something looks wrong, go back to your AI tool and describe what to change. You do not have to start over. Examples of things you might say:

• “The title type is too large, make it smaller and more refined.”
• “The card descriptions are giving away the answers, remove them.”
• “The Constructivism slide should feel more bold and geometric.”

Prompt, look at the result, describe what to adjust, repeat. That is the whole process. You can switch tools between sessions if one times out.

Step 5: Publish it

You publish on Google Sites. Both routes below are free.

Option 1: Google Sites (from Gemini Canvas or one HTML file)

If you built your tool in Gemini Canvas, export it straight to a Google Sites draft, then publish the site.

1. Otherwise, create a site at sites.google.com with your district Google account.
2. Choose Insert, then Embed, then Embed code, and paste the code from one HTML file. Add a page for each HTML file.
3. Images in an img folder do not load inside an embed. Use Option 2 for a folder of files.
4. Click Publish, copy the link, and post it in Discord.

Google’s help page shows each step: Add files, videos and website content (Google Sites Help) →

Option 2: a folder of files, shown on Google Sites

1. Put all your HTML files and your img folder together in one folder on your computer.
2. Go to app.netlify.com/drop and drag that entire folder onto the page. Netlify uploads everything and gives you a live URL within seconds. Sign up for a free Netlify account to keep it live permanently.
3. In your Google Site, choose Insert, then Embed, then By URL, and paste the Netlify link so the tool runs on your Sites page.
4. Publish the site and post the Sites link in Discord.

What makes a strong submission

• It teaches something. Someone should learn something real about your time period, not just see images.
• It looks like the period. Same standard as the main presentation.
• It works. Test it before you submit. Check it on your phone.
• Everyone can use it. Every image has alt text, every button works from the keyboard (Tab, then Enter), and the page passes a WAVE check. Add this to your PRD and your prompt: “Make it keyboard accessible, with alt text on every image.”

Post the link in Discord along with your presentation recording. Before you post, click through your tool and make sure it actually works. If you built a game or interactive piece, it should be ready for your classmates to use right then. In your Discord post, describe your process: what you prompted the AI to build, what you had to iterate on, what turned out well, and what you would do differently or still want to fix.