EDLD+5366,+Reflections


 * Reflections on the History and Principles of Design and Creating a Digital Newsletter **

EDLD 5366 might best be described as a "crash course" in graphic design history, tracing the evolution of design from cave paintings to the golden records (Voyger, 2012) launched into space in hopes of communicating with extraterrestrial life. I especially enjoyed exploring printed media from various cultures and time periods (an ancient Chinese scroll, a Medieval illuminated Bible, and a 14th century Qur'an) via the British Library's virtual book collection (Online Gallery: Turning the Pages, n.d.). Viewing these documents helped me understand the origins of basic graphic design principals, such as the Golden Ratio and the Rule of Thirds (Bradley, 2011), as well the more recently formulated C.R.A.P. (contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity) rules (Steinbrink, 2012) that govern modern print media and advertising.

This broad survey and multimedia adventure culminated in a single final project, a four page newsletter, which required application of all graphic design principles studied. Having to create my own rubric for scoring the project forced me to be more critical of my work than I have ever been before. There's no better way to ensure that students take charge of their own learning than to involve them in the evaluation process! I'll certainly consider using this strategy when working with students in the future.

__References__: Bradley, S. (2011, May 16). How to use the Golden Section proportions in your designs. //Vanseo Design//. Retrieved from @http://www.vanseodesign.com/web-design/golden-section-proportions/ Online gallery: Turning the pages. (n.d.). //The British Library.// Retrieved from @http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/ttp/ttpbooks.html Steinbrink, A. (2012, April 15). How to use C.R.A.P. in your design [inforgraphic]. //Copyjuice//. Retrieved from @http://copyjuice.com/2012/04/crap-graphic-design/ Voyager Golden Record. (2012, October 18). In //Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia//. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Voyager_Golden_Record&oldid=518531574