visual communication
VISC 302

 

 

Syllabus :: Resume :: Conference _ Conference Resources :: Class Google Drive

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Professor: Andrea Herstowski
353 Chalmers Hall
Office hours: by appointment
email: herstow@ku.edu

 

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Conferences are an excellent opportunity for people to learn, collaborate and engage. Every great conference needs a theme. What’s the unifying message that your speakers will deliver and what’s the key takeaway for conference attendees? The best themes are catchy, relatable, and trigger an emotional response. You want the conference to inspire and stimulate conversation. Your theme has to enable that. For instance, “Stronger as a team” is probably a better theme than “Achieving improved efficiencies through increased cross-functional collaboration.” The theme is more than just a rallying cry for all participants; it will also guide your branding and promotion, from designing a logo to coming up with social media hashtags to printing your posters, brochures, and other collateral

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We will be using a combination of Zoom and Google docs to conduct class, get and receive feedback. I will post the Zoom links on this page so you can easily access the class. We will start class at 9:00am. Hopefully teh 9am start will give you time to set up, get files online and opened on your computer and be awake and ready for class.

*Please make every effort to join the zoom session of class. If for some reason you are not well, you are taking care of someone that insn't well, you can't get online ... please just let me know you can always email me or text me my phone number is 785 393 9382. I am hoping this will create a bit of community for you. If you feel overwhelmed or are sick or caring for someone that is sick and need to meet with me one-on-one. Just keep in mind I am one person and I have about 50 students in my classes so emails won't be able to be returned immediately. Please wait at least 24 hours before reminding me you emailed. (but do remind me after 24 hours :)

To prepare for class... please have your most recent work on the google drive so I can pull them down to open and share. Also if you could have the file open on your screen -- it will make it easy for you to share your screen. :)

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C A L E N D A R (click on the date and it will take you directly to that day :) 
Thursday, March 26
Tuesday, March 31
Thursday, April 2
Tuesday, April 7
Thursday, April 9
Tuesday, April 14
Thursday, April 16
Tuesday, April 21
Thursday, April 23
Tuesday, April 28
Thursday, April 30
Tuesday, May 5
Thursday, May 7
Finals Week: May 11 -15 TBD

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Thursday, March 26

Project: Conference

Your next challenge is to imagine, design and produce the materials for a 2-day conference on a topic based on any Ted.com/topics. To give your conference line-up some seriousness you will use TED.com to identify at least 6 of the 8 speakers in your speaker line-up. You need 8 speakers total. At least 6 from Ted.com

What is the big idea behind the conference?
Why would people want to attend?
Who would be the speakers?
Who would attend it?
When and where would it be held.

Look and Feel: The final solutions must be an organic/kinetic series.
Kinetic Systems| PopTech | YBCA | Espacio | Fathom | we work | BrandNew Awards

The audience shouldn’t be able resist your promotional piece, want to find out more AND want to go to your conference and keep the materials.

Optional Deliverable will be outlined later but will include:
Brand Guidelines | Barre | Medium | KAE |

*Only restriction is it can’t be a Design conference. You can have a designer(s) speak but it can’t be the focus. What is a topic outside of Design that is interesting? 

PLEASE... DO NOT GO TO LOOKING EXAMPLES OF CONFERENCES
ie... WHAT YOU THINK IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

You will get sidetracked on making something cool and not having a concept. Don’t look. Just think. :look at the TED.com/topics. Watch TED talks. Read. Research. Brainstorm. What would be a cool conference in regards to CONTENT. IDEAS. You will make this project look cool but do not start there! It is dangerous to your future to image what you want it to look like first.

Think first. Take your time to do the list above and you will have a great start.

HOMEWORK


****Type it up. Organize it as a 1920px x 1080px presentation (use InDesign)***
— What are TED.com/topics sound interesting. Consider at least 3 and pick 1.
__ What did you consider and what did you select. Why?
__ Watch at least 8 videos on the topic and pick your 6 - 8 speakers.
__ Also look at 1 - 3 written articles.
Capture ____key points ____phases ____words they use ____things they refer to.
— What is a common theme(s)/thread(s)? (you have to define at least 1)
— What 3 - 6 question(s) can be answered?
— What 6 questions that can be asked?
— From that what could be the arching/ big ideas about the conference?
** you may have to watch a couple of times. you need this list complete for your concept!
— Who are your 8 speakers?
__ Is there someone that is not a TED speaker that you would like to include? Can have 2.
— Use TED.com to identify at least your 6 - 8 speakers.
** Make sure your speaker line-up is diverse in topic, perspective…

Capture all of the above and start thinking about how want to put it together as an on-screen presentation 1920x1080px

Use as many pages/screens as you need (don't crowd it -- design it). Use a grid. Pick your typography. Use style sheets.

Save it as a pdf and upload to the class google drive (in the folder are examples from your classmates if you need a visual. PLEASE name the file yourname_01.pdf and put it into this folder.

**When class starts please have your pdf in the google drive folder AND called up on your screen. It maybe easier to share screens so be prepared.

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Tuesday, March 31

Full class crit today so have some beverage and snacks handy. Learn on to turn your video off if you are walking around. (or put a sticky note over your camera :)

Zoom link. https://kansas.zoom.us/j/176267113

Please log in by 9:00am so we can start. FYI when you log in you will come in as muted. Keep muted until you want to speak otherwise everytime you make any sound the video goes to you. And please have your pdf in the google drive folder AND called up on your screen. It maybe easier to share screens so be prepared.

HOMEWORK
WHERE
Let's make it all virtual since that is the world we are in right now and maybe more conference would be like this in the future.

WHO

Why do people go to conferences?
What will they expect to get out of your conference?
What are some ways you can meet those expectations?
Who will you conference attend? *do not say anyone be specific :)
How will people find out about your conference?

CONCEPT
Now that you have done the who and where. Develop a concept.
Brainstorm words that can capture, expand, twist your thread.
Maybe a metaphor?

Look at some Action Verbs.

Start with these ideas
… expansion, expanding, unfold, unravel, extend, distend, broaden, develop, multiply, disjoin, combine, reveal ... or any other words..

What 2 words could you put together to make a thread?
How can you "think wrong" about your name, tagline? what will be the dog with a hat? somthing that makes someone think for a second.

Examples for concept help...
ConferenceResources

WHAT
: What is the concept? The Big Idea?
-- Name of the Conference
-- Tagline
-- Write 3 -5 sentences about your conference. These should support your name and tagline.

Present 6 different ideas.
6 different names,
6 differnt taglines,
6 short paragraphs
+ 3 words for each concept (words that help find visuals)
+ 1 - 3 images that express the mood or tone
(tech, organic, east coast, west coast, retro, vintage, etc just try.)

so one more time.. on each page
Conference Name
Tagline
Short Paragraph
3 words (words that evoke emotion or a visual)
1 - 3 images that express the mood *don't have a visual that matches your topic ie: coral or a mind or a book you want to have an imates that shows the mood or tone like something that looks like tech or looks organic, or looks complicated or menacing or .... get it? just try.

(you do the above 6 times each one a different name, tagline, paragraph, words)

Start off your pdf with all the stuff you had for last class, where, then the who, then all the concepts...
Put one idea per page in your presentation so we can easily absorb the idea.

Then at the end of the presenatation put all 6 titles and 6 taglines on one page so we can discuss them easily.

Save it as a pdf and upload to the class google drive. PLEASE name the file yourname_02.pdf and put it into this folder.

Zoom link. https://kansas.zoom.us/j/176267113

Please log in by 9:00am so we can start. FYI when you log in you will come in as muted. Keep muted until you want to speak otherwise everytime you make any sound the video goes to you. And please have your pdf in the google drive folder AND called up on your screen. It maybe easier to share screens so be prepared.

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Thursday, April 2
Full class crit today so have some beverage and snacks handy.

Zoom link. https://kansas.zoom.us/j/176267113

Please log in by 9:00am so we can start. FYI when you log in you will come in as muted. Keep muted until you want to speak otherwise every time you make any sound the video goes to you. And please have your pdf in the google drive folder AND called up on your screen. It maybe easier to share screens so be prepared.

During the crit lets figure out the best title, subtitle, paragraph combination.

HOMEWORK
Refine your concept: title, subtitle, paragraph.
If you are still between 2 different ones that is fine.

Write an audience persona. Very specific. Think of a person that would go to your conference. Try not to think about a peer but a person out there in the world. What is their name, how old are they, what level of education do they have, where do they live, who do they live with, do they have a pet (name the pet), do they binge watch -- what is it? do they read -- what do they read? what is the last movie they have watched? where do they shop? Walmart vs Target, Dillons vs the Merc? etc. Write it in a narrative.
Read this pdf

Then think of another person that maybe interested in your conference and write a narrative about them.

Let't start getting a visual story to the words.

Moodboards. You can (you don't have to) create moodboards if that is where you like to start. If so make 3 - 5 different moodboards. If you want to make them in illustrator, Pinterest or https://www.are.na/ -- example : more examples

Type Studies: Take your title and tagline and make at least 25 different type only lock-ups. don't crowd them on a page. Give space around each. Can be type studies with different fonts but also what about scale or treatment. How can you make an interesting lock-up. Minimum effort is at least looking at different fonts

You can start to make a tool kit. We will be making 3 total over the weekend please make at least 1 to get feedback or you can make all 3 this weekend.

Toolkit (remember you did them as freshman :)
What does the type look like for the title/tagline, quote, date, body text?
What is the color palette?
How you are going to use color? Full, as tints, as overlays, as...
How you are going to treat photography? is it black and white, color, bit mapped, colorized?
If you are using illustration how does that look?
__ typography, font, styles, how it will be used.. 1 | 2 |
__ color palette: define a palette and how you will use it/ overlay. pure. bold. soft
__ images: what images would you use/objects, place... no headshots of speakers for this part
__ images manipulation… full color, bw, bitmapped, juxtaposed/collage...
__ patterns/textures: if you are using them what do they look like?
__ icons if you were going to use them what is the style?

Add it all to the pdf you have been showing to class, and add it to your folder on the google drive.

Can we test this out? Explort or Save each of your toolkits as a pdf or jpg and upload it to here.

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Tuesday, April 7
Meet as a class at 9:00am
Zoom link https://kansas.zoom.us/j/176267113

Present Audience Personna. Type Studies and Toolkits.
Moodboards can you save them each as pdf or jpg and post it here.
Save each of your toolkits as a separate pdf or jpg and upload it to here.
Type Studies. Save your type studies as a pdf and upload it here.

HOMEWORK
Refine anything that you need to.
Create 3 great complete and usable toolkits. If you have 3 already what about creating one more?

Add it all to the pdf you have been showing to class, and add it to your folder on the google drive.I created a folder for each of you. Upload your homework to the google drive. That is how I am going to "grade" process. You will make one pdf for your process book.

Let't try the padlet for your toolkits
Save each of your toolkits as a separate pdf or jpg and upload it to here.

Optional if you are ready: If you have created 3 toolkits that you love! Pick 1 or 2 toolkits and start building out how things can work together in a kinetic system. :: Use this illustrator file :: . Please put the content that is requested on each format. Those directions are on a layer so turn them off.

Save your kinetic systems to your pdf and add it to your google drive and save them separately and post to the padlet page. You will need to create 6 different systems you can start now if you are ready.

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Thursday, April 9
Meet as a class at 9:00am for any questions and clarifications.
Intro Kinetic System.
Zoom link https://kansas.zoom.us/j/176267113

Sign up for one on one meetings here... please show up :) if there isn't a time that works for you please just email me we will find a time.

*if you haven't made comments on all of these boards please do so...
Moodboards: see them here
Type Studies: see them here
Toolkits: see them here

HOMEWORK
Pick 1 or 2 toolkits and start building out how things can work together in a kinetic system. :: Use this illustrator file :: . Please put the content that is requested on each format. Those directions are on a layer so turn them off.

Explore 5 different kinetic design directions. Use the illustrator file for each direction. There are 6 different formats with different content -- read the notes.

A kinetic system is not a cookie cutter solution. It means you are not just scaling things to fit into the next format. (make sure you understand that) How can you change the proportions of the items to make a system? The 6 formats within the 1 solution are not range per se they are change in form/ format/ hierarchy, they are pushing the directions, cutting it up, changing it up, changing the proportion.

You can use 1 or 2 of your toolkits to explore how these things actually look like. These are rough sketches of what the design can look like in 6 different formats. Your are exploring. Freely exploring your toolkit. Do not get stiff and conservative. The only wrong answer is to not explore. Have FUN this should be the fun part.

Again save everything to your pdf and upload it to the google drive and post to the the Padlet page. Google drive is serving as your process book. You will have one long pdf of process for the process book.

Kinetic systems post to the padlet page.
Comment on your classmates post: critical but encouraging language please :) you can say something isn't working but be nice about it.

Feel free to email me over the weekend if you have questions, want me to see something and give you feedback. This is an important step in the process.

If you are interested in a resume workshop please fill out the form.

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Tuesday, April 14
Large Group at 9:am
Will email you the zoom link.
KU has asked that we don't post the links online.

Lets talk about deliverables. Present and crit Kinetic Systems -- ask someone before Tuesday if you are not sure you are doing it correctly.

If you are interested in a resume workshop please fill out the form.

HOMEWORK: testing out the kinetic system...
INSTAGRAM
What should the go on an instagram post? Are you introducing the conference? the dates? do you want people to sign up? do you want to promote a speaker?
Type up an outline of what you think shoud go on a post so you have it handy when you are desiging.

*If you are thinking about animation. Just note it -- you don't have to plan it yet.

Design an instagram campaign. Create at 3-6 different posts for the campaign. (posts can be one image or a series of images). They are still but if you want to think about animating them great. (oh google gives us this). Instagram size1080 x 1080. *if you want to design stories (images in that proportion) that can also work they are a different size google it)

Design 2 - 3 different campaigns (campaign has 3 - 6 posts). Thinking kinetic system.

FACEBOOK (eek, I know)
Follow the process you did for the instagram campaign. The FB campaign(s) should relate to your instagram campaign. Create a kinetic campaign for Facebook. Use all four sizes in a campaign. Try a couple of solutions for each size. What should go into each format? Don't make them the same.

Post to Padlet :) https://padlet.com/Herstowski/nwtyd0n3yzlnno2n 

Add explorations to your pdf (you can scale the posts down 50%). Would like to look at them all on Thursday.

WEBSITE: just the planning stage, no design. (start inclass on Tuesday)
site architecture. start buildng out a site map/wireframe with content
do your best effort so we can address questions... and give feedback on content.

*these are not designed pages they are wireframes (watch), no visuals, no system. just the text -- the plan of what will go on every page so that when you are ready to design you have all the information you need.

Watch at 10:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wpTJl_u_Hs

https://designconference.aiga.org/
https://2019.max.adobe.com/
https://conference.99u.com/
brandnewconference/2019/
brandnewconference/2017/
brandnewconference/2016/

Take sometime and look at websites through the lense of usability. How do you know to click on something? How do you create interaction on the page? Online you have lots of opportunities that print does't allow. Hidden information until you rollover or click on it, video, sound, ....

Sign up for one on one on Thursday

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Thursday, April 16
Meet one on one.

Have your kinetic system ready to show.
Present your instagram campaigns
Present your FB campaign
Present your wireframe of your website

HOMEWORK: testing out the kinetic system on a website.
in Illustrator, design the homepage and another page (speaker page?, schedule? whatever you want)
Make sure you use a grid.
Use/Expand your kinetic system to work for what you need.
Don't forget about SCALE, contrast and hierarchy.

Include main navigation.
What does the nav look like when rollover it?

What sort of interaction would be on the page: does something highlight when you rollover it? change color? change into something else?

Take sometime and look at websites through the lens of usability. How do you know to click on something? How do you create interaction on the page? Online you have lots of opportunities that print doesn't allow. Hidden information until you rollover or click on it, video, sound, ....

Try 2 - 4 different designs of a homepage.
The page can scroll as long as you want :) just be aware of the "fold"

Save them as a pdf and be prepared to show the class.
Also here is the padlet: https://padlet.com/Herstowski/uuqajempko787xvg

Start to think about "other deliverables" what else do you need to make for your conference? Write them down. Plan them out. It can be anything.

Start thinking /collecting idea on how to present your project for the final.
Behance examples | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | start collecting examples on how people show interaction on behance -- this will come in handy later :)

Even better would be looking at how design firms present projects on their website | Firebelly | ...

Optional: If you want to have your instagram animate try that over the weekend. Get started so you have time to refine. Can be a simple gif or animated in aftereffects.

Optional: If you want... you could think start to think about how you would present your instagram and FB posts in a presentation. Try some ways. Think about the Behance post. Do you show it in a screen, is it a real phone or just an outline? combination or screen and flat images. Make sure you use RGB and 1400 wide.

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Tuesday, April 21
Meet as a large group
Conference Intro "animation"

HOMEWORK

Website:
Refine 1 website direction.
Think more about the content. What you call things. Hierarchy.
Think about how to show interaction.
Use a grid. Refine Typography.
Make an optional design if you are not sure.

- - - - - - - -
(optional this will be weekend homework. So only if you wanted to get started...)

Intro Animation to the conference or Speaker Bumper

here is the illustrator template. Create a storyboard with 6 - 9 images. When designing think about HOW one image will transition to the next. Try making 2- 3 different storyboards. (old process books for more)

Required for the project deliverables is the storyboard, here is the illustrator template.

Create a storyboard with 6 - 18 images. When designing think about HOW one image will transition to the next. Try making 2- 3 different storyboards. (art of the title | MITM | dr no | manhatten | fitc | fitc 19 |

Conference Intro Animation
Thinking about an online experience how could you create a animated intro to your conference. This would could run at the top of your website, or be on the screen before a speaker, or during breaks. A looping animation.

Content: Name of the Conference, tagline, and whatever else you want (more text, dates, quote...)

AND/OR

Speaker Bumper Animation: Using one of your successful intro animations how could you expand it to create an intro to one of your speakers? Required is the storyboard,

Content: Speaker Name, Title of the talk and a quote.

Making it move/ animated is optional

If you make a storyboard ... Upload to padlet :) https://padlet.com/Herstowski/564malv5229i25je
(some examples are on there)

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Thursday, April 23
Meet one on one.

HOMEWORK

Website: Refine 1 website direction. Keep making it better.

Add one screen for the iphone and one screen as an ipad. Take any content you want to show on the phone and ipad. Has to be RESPONISVE to your website. (you may want to create a couple versions).
No two columns of text on an iphone! nope you have never seen 2 columns on a phone. Just one column. Ipad typically has 2 columns.
Website can have more columns..

Watch this... do not worry about the photoshop or indesign just watch it to understand how to design something responsive.

For the final deliverables you will need a storyboard (still images) of a Conference Intro or a Speaker Bumper (you can do both but not required)

Create a storyboard for the Intro Animation to the conference or Speaker Bumper

Intro Animation to the conference or Speaker Bumper

here is the illustrator template. Create a storyboard with 6 - 9 images. When designing think about HOW one image will transition to the next. Try making 2- 3 different storyboards. (old process books for more)

Required for the project deliverables is the storyboard, here is the illustrator template.

Create a storyboard with 6 - 18 images. When designing think about HOW one image will transition to the next. Try making 2- 3 different storyboards. (art of the title | MITM | dr no | manhatten | fitc | fitc 19 |

Conference Intro Animation
Thinking about an online experience how could you create a animated intro to your conference. This would could run at the top of your website, or be on the screen before a speaker, or during breaks. A looping animation.

Content: Name of the Conference, tagline, and whatever else you want (more text, dates, quote...)

AND/OR

Speaker Bumper Animation: Using one of your successful intro animations how could you expand it to create an intro to one of your speakers? Required is the storyboard,

Content: Speaker Name, Title of the talk and a quote.

Making it move/ animated is optional

If you make a storyboard ... Upload to padlet :) https://padlet.com/Herstowski/564malv5229i25je (some examples are on there)

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Tuesday, April 28
Large group present storyboards to the group.

HOMEWORK
Refine storyboards. If you want to animate start. Keep it simple.

Also start thinking about Other Deliverables. What are you other deliverables? Zoom backgrounds, swag (mugs, buttons, tote, notebooks, app, backgrounds, emojis...) What can be mailed to the person before or after? What else do you need to make this conference more of an experience? Start making at least 2 extra deliverables -- what makes sense or would be engaging/fun for your audience.

Optional Deliverable. Brand Guidelines. If you are into branding and would like to make a brand guideline get started. It can be printed/pdf or an online guideline. Do some research on brand guidelines. Be prepared to share what you have found and started on Tuesday. (this is optional)

Brand Guidelines
| Barre | Medium | KAE |
look at Firebellly Design, This is Collins, Starbucks, Uber,
... look at design firms case studies.

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Thursday, April 30
Meet one on one

Present intro animations and/or speaker bumpers as a pdf.

HOMEWORK
You have from now to Finals to refine and build out this project. Start thinking about how to present it on behance and in your process book. Refine your toolkit. Refine your social media campaign(s). Refine your website. Responsive iphone and ipad. Refine your storyboards for the conference. Refine your storyboards for the speakers. Refine your other deliverables.

If you are into branding and would like to make a brand guideline get started. It can be printed/pdf or an online guideline. Start planing it out. Do some research on brand guidelines. Be prepared to share what you have found and started on Tuesday.

If you want to animate things -- instagram post or intro or speaker:
use this next week to animate. Keep it simple. See the final for what all is due on your behance post.

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Tuesday, May 5
Meet with your peer group (see the email for more info.

I will be online if you need / want to talk to me after you meet with your group.

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Thursday, May 7
Meet one on one

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Final May 14/May 15
Finals week: I am around all week if you need help, feedback...

Final CRIT May 14
9:am (optional. if you want to show your work or just see what everyone did)
see email for zoom link.

All work must be on behance by 5pm on May 15.
Behance post and a process book pdf uploaded to issuu and hyperlink it to behance.

Please put your url to your final behance post here.

In any order...

Name of the Conference, tagline, paragraph, 1 audience personal 2 - 3 sentences
Website: homepage
Website: speaker page, schedule or something else you wanted to design for your website
iphone: screen
ipad: screen
Social media: instagram campaign at least 3 posts (animated optional)
Social media: FB campaign. four sizes in this campaign
Swag or other deliverables: (at least 2)
Conference intro: storyboard (animated optional, gif or aftereffects) and/or
Speaker bumper: storyboard (animated optional, gif or aftereffects)
Brand Guidelines (optional) turn your tool kit into brand guidelines (print/pdf or online)

Tips:
Toolkit (does not have to be at the top of the page! can be at the bottom or in the middle...
Don't show typography as just the the alphabet
Name the colors in your color palette show the numbers in both RGB and hex values
Space things out on the post you don't have to jam it together.
Use mock-ups, stills or line drawings. You do not have to use mock-ups. Keep consistent.

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