From the Publisher
Graphic Design Educators Share Essence of Their Teaching in Unprecedented Effort to Collect Course Syllabi
Some educators can teach by sheer instinct. But for most teachers, having a syllabus is crucial to providing a high-quality learning experience. Wether hand-scribbled note or elaborate blueprint, the syllabus enables teachers to balance their personal vision with the requisites of the class, needs of the students, and expectations of the school. A new book by Steven Heller provides design educators with a powerful tool for creating course syllabi for any type of subject and learning level. Co-published with the School of Visual Arts by Allworth Press, Teaching Graphic Design brings together forty-six syllabi and course descriptions from leading educators throughout the U.S.
Heller, who sifted through several hundred syllabi before making his choice, praises educators for their cooperative attitude: "When asked to submit to this volume not one teacher balked. In fact, they were extremely anxious to share their methods with others in the educational community." The selection process was more difficult, requiring a careful balancing between traditional courses and innovative models, detailed instruction guides and inspirational outlines, standard versus "eccentric" styles. The result is a mix of syllabi complete with weekly breakdowns, projects, and selected readings.
With a focus on graphic design studio classes, the syllabi are divided into three sections—undergraduate, graduate, and undergraduate and graduate levels—and range from classic courses such as Typography I and Photoshop to more innovative courses such as web, film, and game design. Highlights featured in Teaching Graphic Design include
* "Flash Intensive" by Natalie Zee, Susan Harris, Anna McMillan, and Josh Ulm
* "Corporate Culture and Alternative Visions" by Maud Lavin and Sol Sender
* "Music Design" by Stefan Sagmeister
* "Service Learning: Connecting Community and Design" by Elisabeth Charman and Susan Agre-Kippenhan
* Graphic Design Thesis: A Survivor’s Guide by Michael Vanderbyl, Leslie Becker, Jennifer Morla, Karen Fiss, Bob Aufuldish, and Mark Fox
* "Professional Practices in Design" by Terry Stone
"Knowing how other designers teach" is one of the most frequently expressed needs among today’s design educators. With Teaching Graphic Design, designers have the opportunity to see how their peers across the U.S. manage to teach demanding subject matter, engage their students through meaningful assignments, meet the expectations of their schools, and keep themselves motivated.
About the Author
Steven Heller is the co-chair of the MFA Designer as Author program and co-founder of the MFA in Design Criticism and MFA in Interaction Design programs at the School of Visual Arts, New York. For thirty- three years he was an art director at the
New York Times, and currently writes the “Visuals” column for the
New York Times Book Review. He is editor of the
AIGA VOICE: Online Journal of Design and contributing editor to
Print, EYE, Baseline, and
ID magazines. He contributes to
Design Observer and writes the
DAILY HELLER blog for
Print magazine. He is the author or editor of over 130 books on design and popular culture, including
Design Literacy, Design Disasters,
Born Modern: The Life and Design of Alvin Lustig, and
Vintage Type and Graphics. He is the recipient of the 1999 AIGA Medal for Lifetime Achievement. Heller lives in New York.
