Undergraduate Classes, 2009 Fall

10 DESIGN CULTURE



Lecture, three hours; outside study, 12 hours. Open to nonmajors. Understanding design process, with emphasis on development of visual language; study of historic, scientific, technological, economic, and cultural factors influencing design in our physical environment. P/NP or letter grading.




11B DESIGN HISTORY II



Lecture, three hours; outside study, 12 hours. Enforced requisite: course 11A. Development of ideas and projects in design, with focus on graphic design primarily in U.S. from 1930 to 1990. Beginning with proposition that there is no one way to practice or analyze contemporary design, lectures focus on evolution of range of issues that include role of designer, practice of design, and consumption of design. Design as art, service, science, politics, and other definitions of practice -- and investigation of physical realizations of those practices as way to understand pluralities of design today. P/NP or letter grading.




21 COLOR



Studio, six hours. Introduction to theories of color to understand interdependence and interaction of color and form, color and quantity, color and placement, and after-image. P/NP or letter grading.




22 FORM



Studio, six hours. Interrelation of two-dimensional surfaces and three-dimensional forms with traditional and experimental materials as foundation for creativity; origination and solution of problems. P/NP or letter grading.




23 DRAWING



Studio, six hours. Translation of perception through delineation, drawing, and other descriptive media. Emphasis on development of students' motor control by means of freehand and mechanical drawing and by development of analytical and objective observation from life and three-dimensional objects. P/NP or letter grading.




24 MOTION



Studio, six hours. Introduction and integration of traditional design tools, camera, and digital technologies for application to visual thinking and fundamentals of design. P/NP or letter grading.




28 INTERACTIVITY



Studio, six hours; outside study, six hours. Introduction to concept of interactivity and field of media art that follows history of computer as media for artistic exploration in relation to print, animation, and interactivity. Discussion of potential and ideas related to interactivity, with focus on required skills for creating interactive work. Development of programming skills in service of creating examples of media art. Concepts and skills taught enhance student ability to excel in future courses about Internet, animation, interactive media, and game design. Discussion and readings on four themes -- form/programming, motion, interactivity/programming, and interface. P/NP or letter grading.




101 INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA ARTS



(Formerly numbered C101.) Lecture, three hours; outside study, 12 hours. Limited to and required of Design | Media Arts majors. Survey of media arts, their history, aesthetics, and cultural roles from late-19th century to present. Investigation of media arts within broad historical and cultural framework. Discussion of parallels and links with other cultural forms, including history of technology and various art and design practices. P/NP or letter grading.




153A VIDEO 1



Studio, six hours; outside study, nine hours. Preparation: completion of preparation for major courses. Use of video technology (video systems, cameras, displays, editing, and storage) to integrate image, sound, time, and motion. Emphasis on expression, continuity, and sequential patterns for video communication. P/NP or letter grading.




154A VISUAL COMMUNICTN 1



Studio, six hours; outside study, nine hours. Preparation: completion of preparation for major courses. Enforced requisite: course 101 or 104 or C106. Focus on relationship of type to content, image, and materials. Acquisition of knowledge of and sensitivity to typography in context of complex communication problems in print and digital media. Research, concept and content development, and articulation of methodology for visualization. P/NP or letter grading.




154B VISUAL COMMUNICTN 2



Studio, six hours; outside study, nine hours. Enforced requisite: course 154A. Focus on creating compelling messages and appropriate communication strategies. Development of coherent verbal and visual systems, research, concept and content development, and articulation of methodology for visualization across various media. May be repeated once for credit. P/NP or letter grading.




156A 3D-MODELNG&MOTION 1



Studio, six hours; outside study, nine hours. Preparation: completion of preparation for major courses. Enforced requisite: course 101 or 104 or C106. Through lectures, discussions, and studio work, introduction to basic elements of three-dimensional computer visualization, including modeling, image mapping, lighting, project construction, and rendering. P/NP or letter grading.




157A GAMING 1



Studio, six hours; outside study, nine hours. Preparation: completion of preparation for major courses. Enforced requisite: course 101 or 104 or C106. Emphasis on graphic and information design for interactive media applications. Introduction to multimedia and hypertext. Focus on learning role of conceptual designer as visual communicator and design manager. P/NP or letter grading.




158 ENVIRNMNTL COMUNCTN



Studio, six hours; outside study, nine hours. Preparation: completion of preparation for major courses. Enforced requisites: courses 101 or 104 or C106, and 154A. Introduction to environmental communication design through experience in design studio. Focus on aesthetic issues concerning creation of design elements incorporating concepts of spatial dimension, human/environmental scale, motion, and time. Overview of history, technologies, and future of environmental graphics. P/NP or letter grading.




160 SPECIAL TOPICS IN AREA STUDIES



Studio, six hours; outside study, nine hours. Preparation: completion of preparation for major courses. Enforced requisite: course 101 or 104 or C106. Selected topics in design and media arts explored through variety of approaches that may include projects, readings, discussion, research papers, and oral presentations. Topics announced in advance. May be repeated for maximum of 15 units. Only 10 units may be applied toward area studies. Letter grading.




161A CREATIVE INTERNET



Studio, six hours; outside study, nine hours. Preparation: completion of preparation for major courses. Enforced requisite: course 28. Emphasis on gaining deeper understanding of technical concepts in networking while learning history of Internet and becoming familiar with state-of-art tools of moment. Storyboard and project development integrated into all aspects of class. Letter grading.




162 SOUND



Studio, six hours. Enforced preparation: completion of preparation for major courses. Limited to majors. Basic concepts pertaining to sound and digital audio; exploration of how sound impacts human perception. Emphasis on learning practical techniques in creating original sound assets for integration with other media. Topics include physics of sound, DAW (Digital Audio Workstation), recording tools and techniques, electronic sound synthesis, MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), digital audio formats and standards, how we hear, sound and impact on human orientation. Basic understanding of how to conceptualize and execute sound designs. Students learn techniques to create original sound design elements at intermediate level. Letter grading.



* Classes are closed to non-majors. Students seeking to enroll must consult with the instructor on the first day of instruction. Non-majors are limited to a maximum of five DESMA courses. '-C' indicates class concurrently enrolls undergraduate and graduate students.