module specification

This final project module enables design for publishing students to prepare for independent practice in the workplace or to progress onto higher studies. In this module, students will utilise skills and ideas conceived and developed in the parallel 'Project Design and Development' module, fully realising a self-directed final project brief in appropriate form by the end of the module.

Students will exercise and display their abilities in selecting, analysing and applying knowledge, skills and understanding to a negotiated and fully researched project in order to properly understand their strengths, interests and position in their field, and the potential for their future professional development.

Students will show that they understand the complex and changing nature of problems in the design for publishing field and can devise and apply realistic strategies for constructing, applying and managing a process designed to provide solutions.

A professional standard of realisation, contextualisation and presentation will be expected, providing the elements for a portfolio of practice with which students may enter the field of employment or self-employment or further studies.

This module seeks to enable students to:

• devise a fully holistic process to realise the outcomes of a design research and development project;

• achieve outcomes of a professional standard of realisation and presentation;

• contextualise and present their outcomes to a professional standard, showing that they have understood and managed complex and ambitious tasks;

• develop the capacity to learn from experimentation;

• work independently, self-reflectively and with concern for the ethical issues and principles attached to the project showing understanding of their particular strengths, interests and position in the field, and their potential for further development.

Pass and completion (120 credits) of prior level

Syllabus
Through a negotiated and agreed individual project, students will gain experience of:
• planning, recording, managing and conducting a process for the production and completion of a researched proposal;  LO 1
• aligning skills and knowledge in various areas of expertise and endeavour – technical, intellectual, creative, organisational, critical and interpersonal – to the successful conclusion of an integrated project;  LO 2
• liaison with industry figures in the pursuit of the project;  LO 3
• professional expectations of styles and quality of presentation;  LO 4
• critically assessing their own work against standards expected in the field.  LO 4

Scheduled teaching ensures that independent study is effective and addresses the learning outcomes and assessment tasks. Students are expected to, and have the opportunity to, continue with their studies outside of scheduled classes. There will be a range of learning strategies deployed and individual learning styles will be accommodated. The module’s learning outcomes, its contents and delivery, have been scrutinised and will be regularly reviewed to ensure an inclusive approach to pedagogic practice.

The module and course utilise the University’s blended learning platform to support and reinforce learning, to foster peer-to-peer communication and to facilitate tutorial support for students. Reflective learning is promoted through assessment items and interim formative feedback points that ask students to reflect on their progress, seek help where they identify the opportunity for improvement in learning strategies and outcomes, and make recommendations to themselves for future development. Throughout the module, students build a body of work, including reflections on progress and achievement.

The School’s programme of employability events and embedded work-related learning within the curriculum supports students’ personal development planning. Through these initiatives, students are increasingly able, as they progress from year to year, to understand the professional environment of their disciplines, the various opportunities available to them, and how to shape their learning according to their ambitions.

At the end of the module, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding
LO1 transform and realise the outcomes of a design research and development project into a holistic plan for the production of the practice intended, demonstrating an understanding of the field of cross-disciplinary publishing, and the rapidly evolving possibilities for print-digital relationships;

Cognitive Intellectual Skills
LO2 work independently, managing complex problems and tasks, critically analysing their own work, demonstrating editorial thinking, the ability to research and generate ideas; and defending proposals including in the context of ethical issues arising;

Transferable Skills
LO3 show their work in a fully contextualised way and to a professional standard, explaining or illustrating their position in their field, their strengths and interests and how they can continue to develop their professional capacity;

Subject Specific Practical Skills
LO4 carry out a developed plan, achieving professional standards of project management and realisation or visualisation as appropriate and expected in the design for publishing sector, mastering a range of the materials and processes associated with print and digital media for publishing.

Assessment strategy
At regular critiques or tutorials students are expected to produce a coherent account of their project progress, together with critical evaluation of successes and failures to date. Formative feedback will be given in response to the project plan. The final mark is given at the end of the module, following assessment of a comprehensive portfolio of all relevant developmental and presentation work and the final outcome itself. Satisfactory completion of relevant technical/ workshop activities and continuing independent practice will also be monitored.

All students are required to undertake formal interim presentations with evidence of continuous reflective journals responding to studio critique and tutorial guidance. Work presented will be subject to formal studio feedback from a panel of disciplinary specialists. This will inform final assessment marks and must be considered and acted upon by the student.

Work must be carefully organised and presented to a professional standard to indicate the development of work and the content clearly labeled. Students are required to attend timetabled studio and workshop sessions.

Core Texts:
Brandle, Gimmi, Junod, (2014) 100 Years of Swiss Graphic Design,  Lars Mueller
De Bondt, S., Muggeridge, F. (2015) The Form of The Book Book, Occasional Papers
Franchi, F. (2013) Designing News: Changing the World of Editorial Design and Information Graphics, Die Gestalten Verlag
Godfrey, J. and Heller, S. (2014) 100 Classic Graphic Design Journals, Laurence King
Kühne, D. (2017) True Print, Lars Mueller
Lewis, A. (2016) So You Want to Publish a Magazine?, Laurence King
Mendelsund, P. (2014) Cover, Powerhouse

Other Texts
Berger, J. (2008) Ways of Seeing, Penguin
Birdsall, D. (2004) Notes on Book Design, Yale University Press
de Bondt, S. (2012) Graphic Design: History in the Writing (1983 - 2011), Occasional Papers
Caldwell, C. (2014) Editorial Design: Digital to Print, Laurence King
Fletcher, A. (2001)The Art of looking Sideways, Phaidon
Gatter, M. (2010) Production for Print, Laurence King
Gill, E. (2013) An Essay on Typography, Penguin
Godfrey, J. and Heller, S. (2014) 100 Classic Graphic Design Journals, Laurence King
Haslam, A. (2006) Book Design, Laurence King
Baines, P., Haslam, A. (2010) Type and Typography (2nd edition), Laurence King
Hollis, R. (2012) About Graphic Design, Occasional Papers
Jamieson, R. (2015) Print Is Dead Long Live Print, Prestel
Kane, J. (2011) A Type Primer,  Laurence King
Klanten, R. (2011) Behind The Zines: Self-Publishing Culture, Die Gestalten Verlag
Kubel, H., Williams, S. (2015) Type: New Perspectives in Typography, Laurence King
Leslie, J. (2013) The Modern Magazine: Visual Journalism in the Digital Era, Laurence King
Lupton, E. Miller, A. (1996) Design Writing Research, Phaidon
McLuhan, M. (2008) The Medium is the Massage, Penguin
Moser, H. (2011) The Art Directors' Handbook of Professional Magazine Design, Thames & Hudson
Mueller-Brockmann, J. (1999) Grid Systems in Graphic Design, Verlag Niggli
Noble, I., Bestley, R. (2005) Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design, AVA
O.oo, (2016) O.oo Imperfection Booklets: Risograph, O.oo Risograph & Design
Triggs, T. (2010) Fanzines, Thames & Hudson
Triggs, T. (2001) Below Critical Radar, Slab o Concrete Publications
Tschichold, J. (2006) The New Typography, University of California Press
Walters, J.L. (2016) Alan Kitching: A Life In Letterpress, Laurence King
William Purcell, K. (2011) Alexey Brodovitch
Weisbeck, M., Schmitt, M. (2015) Space for Visual Research, Spector Books

Magazines
Gymclass
Eye
Printed Pages
Creative Review

ONLINE READING SOURCES:

magculture.com
http://eyeondesign.aiga.org/
Design Observer
https://designobserver.com/
www.theguardian.com/media
http://www.stackmagazines.com/
grafik.net
http://www.eyemagazine.com/