A captive of the digital world, I wander through the realms of design, art, and imaging, stumbling upon creativity when I least expect it. I am shackled to my passion, Photoshop..Illustrator..InDesign, Web Design, Art..Teaching. A little crazy and zany, but definitely slave to all things digital.

Course Description

This course enables students to develop computer illustration and design skills through visual design exercises and projects, including logos and marks, technical and creative illustration, package designs, and simple graphic communications. Students develop an awareness of various illustrative styles and genre. Students also develop proficiency through the intermediate level in the use of vector drawing application, Adobe Illustrator. No prior knowledge of the software is required.

Course Requirements

There are 2 books required for this course and 1 software package. You are expected to have your course materials prior to start of class. If you do not have your textbook and software yet you must order it asap - I suggest overnight shipping. I recommend purchasing these items from the college Bookstore, though you are welcome to purchase them elsewhere. Other optional purchase locations available listed below. These are good sources for purchasing software at educational discounts.

Required Textbooks
 

	Visual Literacy Judith Wilde & Richard Wilde, Watson-Guptill; New Ed edition (April 15, 2000) ISBN 0823056201 Approximate Cost: $24.95
	Adobe Illustrator CS3 Classroom in a Book Adobe Press; Pap/Cdr edition (Apr 26, 2007) ISBN-10: 0-321-49200-5; ISBN-13: 978-0-321-49200-5 Approximate Cost: $55

Required Software

Adobe Acrobat Reader
Free download.

Adobe Flash Player
Free download.

-or--or-

Adobe Illustrator CS3 Extended Software
Full or academic license, NO trial versions
Approximate Academic License Cost: $289-299*

*if you are planning to take the Dreamweaver (MA 101), Photoshop (MA 102) or InDesign (MA 121) or a Flash class I recommend buying the full Adobe Creative Suite with all the software. You will save a significant amount of money. Which collection you buy is up to you! I recommend either Design Premium or Master Collection (the Master collection has video software if you plan to take our Digital Video Production course or After Effects course).

System Requirements

See the Adobe website for official system requirements.

Where to Purchase Software

NEW PURCHASING OPTION FOR ADOBE PRODUCTS

Adobe is now offering several of its most popular packages to California Community College students at significantly reduced rates. You can now purchase the Creative Suite for around $314! Learn more about the offer at the Foundation website: http://www.foundationccc.org/Default.aspx?tabid=221 

To purchase, go to the link available through the Foundation site under Pricing & Ordering. Once on the College Buys website, do the following:

1. Click on “Adobe/Macromedia”
2. In the third yellow box “Adobe Student License Purchase Program” click Start Here.
3. Select software and follow the instructions for ordering.

You will be required to show proof of enrollment at Cerro Coso College. You can do this through a variety of methods. The College Buys website will provide you the list of items acceptable as proof.

Please be aware that the purchasing option has specific licensing limitations so be sure to read the complete licensing agreement before purchasing.

Alternative Purchasing Options

You can also purchase software at regular educational prices through the college Book Nook, or at any of the following sites: (Proof of enrollment is required)

Academic Superstore	Educational Resources	Campus Tech	CCV Software
Journey Ed	Software Express	Creation Engine	Technology Resource Center

Requisite Skills

Internet Skill Level: Intermediate
Readiness for online learning: Take the CC Online readiness quiz
Basic Computer Skills:
No prior knowledge of Photoshop is required. But students should already be computer and internet literate. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• opening, saving, and managing files and directories

• installing software, plug-ins, and fonts

• troubleshooting operating system errors

• navigating the Web

• researching the Web

• sending and receiving e-mail with attachments

• participating in online threaded discussion forums

• posting attachments in discussion forums
   

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful complete of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Create aesthetic illustrations and designs that employ a grid system, gestalt principles, typographic principles, color theory, and/or usability. This will be assessed with a project, scored by a rubric.

2. Identify visual elements that constitute specific aesthetic styles or genre, and create an original illustration in a particular style. This will be assessed with a project, scored by a rubric.

3. Analyze data and create an appropriate technical illustration to best convey that data. This will be assessed with a project, scored by a rubric.

4. Exhibit proficiency in vector application tools, techniques, and features and optimize artwork for prepress. This will be assessed with a project, scored by a rubric.

Online Course Overview

In this online course we will be learning how to use the Illustrator software to create a variety of illustrations. We will discuss the design principles of visual literacy. In this course there are Lectures, Discussion groups, Lessons & Tutorials, and various class Assignments and Projects.

You can expect to put in just as many hours in this online class as you would in a normal 16 week on campus course. In a typical on campus version of this class students are in class 3 hours two times a week for 6 hours of class time. The general rule for work performed outside of class is three hours per every hour spent in class, so you may expect to spend up to 18 hours a week on top of the 6 hours of 'class time'. Although I do not expect that you will have this many hours to spend, nor do the assignments take that long to complete, you should expect to devote considerable time to this course, just as you would in a classroom setting.

There will be extensive utilization of web resources to help you to understand the concepts discussed in the lectures. In order to learn how to design well you need to be able to identify good and bad design in the work of others. Learning from existing good design is one of the best ways to ensure that your own design will be effective.

Participation in discussion groups is important to learning from your peers. We recommend that you visit the discussion groups often, and make efforts to contribute to them in a meaningful way. Try to avoid posting that merely state your agreement with a concept discussed, but rather state your agreement, but then give your reasons as to why. Expound upon the ideas of others, or offer up your own opinions or ideas about the concepts learned in the lectures.