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THE
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Tony
Colombini
Graphic Design Instructor, Platt College
Philadelphia University
Idea Generator, Corner, Costa Mesa
Context: Platt College, Newport Beach is a private post-secondary vocational
college with three campuses under one management including Los Angeles and
Ontario. Our campus is not directly related to other Platt Colleges, Cerritos,
San Francisco, and San Diego.
We offer an AA Degree in Graphic Design (15 months) with classes available
in the morning (7:45-12:45), afternoon (12:45-5:45), and evening (5:45-10:45).
Students gain knowledge in General Education, Foundation Design (Typography/Production/Color
Theory), and Computer Graphic Design (Photoshop, QuarkXpress, Illustrator).
In all of our classes, students have their own workstation.
We also offer a Multimedia Certificate specializing in Web Design, 3-D Modeling/Animation,
Interactive Design and Video Editing.
At Platt College, our main focus is to place our students in the Graphic Design
or Multimedia industries in their first 3 months of graduation. With that
focus we are able to change and adapt our curriculum to best meet the changing
local job market. Our students learn interviewing skills, and must produce
a professional resume and portfolio prior to graduation.
The student body consists of approximately 5% recent high school graduates,
10% GED, 15% other degree, 20% vocational rehab, 50% college with no degree.
The number one reason students choose Platt College is because they want to
change their career. The second most popular reason is speed. They want to
enter the field quickly, and Platt College provides intense accelerated training.
The third reason is location. We have found that our students don't recognize
the differences in curriculum in brochures from college to college.
As a full-time practitioner and part-time instructor, I have found that students
know the process of design and idea generating, yet leave to find the work
process is different than that in their academic setting. I am about bringing
professional sensibilities to the student in their process. I want to show
the value in the delicate relationships between clients, vendors and colleagues
in graphic design making. I teach "real world" sensibilities of commercial
production, where a design is not about if the student likes the piece, but
will the audience favor the design by opening their wallets and buying the
product or service presented. In essence, I am teaching the student what my
colleagues and I are looking for in a new designer.
Abstract:
How can a student experience the same challenge a professional designer has
in presenting ideas to an apprehensive client?
This abstract presents strategic conceptual thinking examples, which enable
a student to have a more "Real World" project experience. Three main points
in this abstract include value-added approach to problem solving, result oriented
design, and a sample assignment, which introduce the concept of relieving
the client of risk associated with creative work.
My first example introduces value-added principles where I teach the student
to ask critical problem solving questions of the client. What is the true
problem or challenge? For example it is not to design a poster but to increase
awareness of an event. Is a poster the best solution for awareness building?
Is there another use for the poster? For example: Can a poster that serves
as an invitation to an aeronautics show also include instructions to fold
into a paper airplane?
My second example asks the student to think about the end result of their
design. How can the student be compensated or criticized for the potential
end result of the project? Teaching measurable solutions, like that in direct
mail response rate or Internet page statistics. Another tool of end result
thinking is by using tools to better understand the client's industry. These
tools consist of a Design Brief, Client Interviews, and feedback from an Industry
Leader Guest Speaker/Critic.
Thirdly, I present a sample assignment, which could involve an industry leader
guest speaker to present their challenges with clients and deliver a topic
appropriate for the objective of the course. The guest would present an assignment
and be available for a formal critique or written review. The review would
include probable and anecdotal client comments.
Value Added Approach
Studio Concerns Client Keeping Strategy - Doing good work that gets results and is optimal for continued billing.
Type of Work - Advertising and Marketing Campaigns and Brand Building.
Client Concerns
Risk Management - Want something creative, yet they want to be sure it will work.
Multiple Uses - Can a sales brochure be used in other ways. Extension of design project.
Budget - How do you price creativity? What is the most effective way to spend a marketing budget?
Brand Building - Is this design supporting an existing brand, revising the brand or creating a new brand image? How will my customers receive this new brand image?
Student Concerns
Applicable Assignments - Am I learning processes that are used in the field today?
Learning Process over Creativity - When is it important to give personal expression of ideas over commercial application? Am I being a "sell-out" and compromising my design aesthetic?
Getting a Job - What is the likelihood of getting a job? What am I expected to earn? What type of environment will I be working? How is it rewarding?
Results Oriented Design
Research
-
Design Brief To fully understand the design challenges for any project, a
design brief of 10 key points must be defined. These 10 points are; Corporate
Profile, Market Position, Current Situational Analysis, Business Objectives,
Target Audience, Brand Identity, Budget, Schedule, Medium and Practical Constraints.
Corporate Profile
Please supply a synopsis of your current line of business, market emphasis
and reach.
Market Position
What is a realistic evaluation of your organization or service relative to
your competitors?
Current Situational Analysis
Please provide a brief explanation of the situation that instigated the need
for this project.
Business Objectives
What objectives do you want to achieve?
Target Audience
Who are you trying to reach? Are you reaching them now? If not, what is missing?
Business Personality
What is your position in the marketplace? How do you want to be perceived?
Budget
When it comes to budget at this early stage, it is important to build in flexibility,
so that you don't miss an opportunity to get a perfect solution.
Schedule & Deadline
What absolute targets must be met? Are there any interim targets that must
be met during production? Design Medium
What medium do you have in mind for the design? In some cases, the situation
will dictate the medium; in others, the best medium may emerge through audit
and analysis of your needs.
Practical Constraints
Are there any certain parameters that must be met? Don't base your parameters
simply on the fact that "it's always been done that way," because you may
prevent the designer from coming up with a solution that no one has ever considered
before.
Source: @ Issue Magazine Vol. 2 No. 2.
Strategic Thinking of Expected Outcome
Measurable Results - Parameters of Design
Physical - All the design elements: from use of color, type, and images. Determine if all these elements are supporting the concept.
Intellectual - What is the meaning of the design? When people receive this piece, what will they think of it? What does it mean to them on a personal basis?
Emotional - How does the design make the viewer feel? In order to elicit a positive response from the audience, we must touch their heart. What emotions come up from the design?
Guest
Speaker
A guest speaker would come in to the class to introduce themselves, their
studio, and present a project for the students. The instructor guides the
students along on the assignment and schedules the guest to return for a critique.
The critique would include probable reactions from the client and their customers
as well as critical analysis of the use of design principles and processes.
Sample Assignment Outline
Purpose:
Teach the student that their whims are not what constitute good design, but
through teamwork with the client, vendors, and colleagues. That their ideas
have to match that of a well-thought-out process. Teach the student Critical
Thinking of client/studio concerns through a professional presenting and critiquing
an assignment. A professional designer will present a creative brief outline
that the student will complete.
Objective: The student will create a design project from sound research,
theme development and conceptual strategy that comes from a real-world setting
and presented to a professional that can teach them of likely responses from
the client. The design project can range from Corporate Identity, Advertising,
Marketing Collateral, or Interactive Design.
Goal: The student will leave with a new awareness of the complexities
of the design business. That it is more than simply a design project, but
a collaboration of ideas, processes, and politics that can change the outcome.
That the student will be better aware of their unique abilities and communicate
them better to an apprehensive client.
Outcome: This new awareness will be measurable with a completed design
brief, and written description of their design in respect to projected customer
reaction developed through careful research.