60
Design
REGGIO DI CALABRIA
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
the course provides the theoretical concepts and application procedures for the creation of papers ranging in the field of Infographics: from Data Visualization to Information Visualization, Information Design, Data Art with reference to the common theme identified by the teachers of the Communication Design Curriculum.
The proposed didactic path will analyse the context (common to all courses in the curriculum) and its data: history, morphology but also abstract data relating to statistics and curiosities. Through the process of defining the visualization project, project proposals will be elaborated.
The key themes of the Infographic will concern: the history of Information Graphics, the process of data visualization, and the design of proposals for infographics with particular attention to: data representation (analysis of the multiple existing diagrams), interactivity, annotation, colour and composition. Through the unfolding of the lessons and the related topics, the student will have access to the different representation techniques and to the different applications that have been made of these in the field of art, industrial design and graphics.
The student will be able to apply, re-elaborating them, the methodologies learned to a case study agreed with the teacher. He will be able to find and select the data and information useful for carrying out his communication project.
Communication skills will be central in the training of the student who, at the end of the course, will be able to elaborate communication strategies appropriate to the reference target and elaborate them graphically in an appropriate and creative way. The skills acquired during the course will make the student autonomous in the implementation of his skills.
Course Prerequisites
The educational path is based on some notions learned in the Course of Tools and techniques for design and communication, 1st year and on the mastery of software for the management and design of raster and vector images (Photoshop and Illustrator).
Teaching Methods
The course is also divided into 4 teaching modules.
First module. Definition of the theme of the year. Bibliographic and multimedia research of the starting data.
Second form. Experimentation with the various IT tools, elaboration of a first design draft.
Third module. History of applied infographics. Identification of three or more contemporary authors, graphic description and analysis of the selected works.
Fourth module. Final editing. Planning and representation of the conceived communication project.
The course alternates lectures and classroom exercises.
01. Prolusion
02. History of Infographics
03. History of Infographics
04. Classroom workshops
05. Data Visualization
06.Data Visualization
07. Classroom workshops
08. Organization of the theme of the year
09. Date Art
10. Information Design
11. Classroom workshops
12. Editing
12. Classroom workshops
Assessment Methods
The exam is individual. It can be accessed after verifying the minimum attendance required by the course and the papers required for the exam. The exam consists of a discussion on the papers produced during the course and on the topics covered during the theoretical lessons.
Voting:
30 - 30 cum laude: excellent ability to graphically conceive and develop a communication and representation project in the field of design;
excellent language and communication skills also on different registers (drawing, presentation, etc.);
26-29: good ability to conceive and graphically develop a project of communication and representation in the field of design; good ability to articulate a specialized discourse also through different communicative registers;
22 - 25: Sufficient ability to graphically conceive and develop a communication and representation project in the field of design, as well as to articulate a specialized discourse;
18-21: Minimum ability to graphically conceive and develop a communication and representation project in the field of design
Insufficient: strong difficulties in conceiving and developing a project; strong training gaps; inability to apply the acquired knowledge; inappropriate language.
Texts
Barthes, R. (1997). Elementi di Semiologia. Einaudi. Benjamin, W. (1991). L’opera d’arte nell’epoca della sua riproducibilità tecnica. Torino: Einaudi
Mc Luhan, M. (2015). Gli strumenti del comunicare. Il Saggiatore.
Testa, A. (2003). La pubblicità. Il Mulino.
Kirk Andy, Data Visualisation: A Handbook for Data Driven Design, SAGE Publications Ltd,2019
Otto Neurath, Linguaggio internazionale per immagini. Le prime regole dell'ISOTYPE, Mimesis, 2018
Riccardo Falcinelli, Filosofia del graphic design Copertina flessibile, Einaudi, 2022
Fusco Renato, Una semiotica per il Design, FrancoAngeli Milano, 2005
At the end of each lesson, a handout will be prepared containing all the teaching materials and bibliographic references necessary for the study and preparation of the graphic works
Contents
General Information
The course is structured into lectures, practical exercises, and seminars, following a teaching schedule divided into two phases.
The first phase is dedicated to the study of the theoretical and practical foundations of the discipline; the second phase, mainly application-oriented, focuses on the development and production of the final projects.
Seminars, delivered by experts in the field, are coordinated with the other instructors of the curriculum.
At the end of the course, students will be able to analyse and develop infographics characterized by high graphic quality and innovative approaches.
Topics covered in theoretical lectures
The course is organized into four teaching modules:
Module 1. Definition of the annual theme. Bibliographic and multimedia research on the initial data.
Module 2. Experimentation with different digital tools and development of a first design proposal.
Module 3. Applied history of infographics. Identification of three or more contemporary authors, with graphic description and analysis of selected works.
Module 4. Final editing. Design and visual representation of the developed communication project.
Knowledge and understanding
At the end of the course, the student will have acquired knowledge of the main techniques and strategies of visual communication and infographics, also through the analysis of significant case studies from the history of the discipline. They will have developed both theoretical and practical competences related to design processes and digital tools for the creation of graphic outputs using different multimedia platforms.
Applying knowledge and understanding
The student will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to the design and production of infographics, relating the analysed case studies. They will be able to develop original and autonomous design solutions, consistent with the educational objectives of the Degree Programme, by integrating theoretical, methodological, and technical-operational aspects.
Making judgements
The student will be able to critically analyse complex data and content, assessing their reliability, relevance, and most effective modes of visual representation. They will be capable of selecting and organising information from heterogeneous sources and of developing autonomous design solutions, identifying communication issues and defining effective problem-solving strategies.
Communication skills
The student will be able to communicate information, ideas, and design solutions clearly and effectively through infographics, using appropriate visual languages and specific technical terminology. They will be capable of structuring, presenting, and discussing their work, adapting communication to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, also through the use of graphic and digital tools.
Learning skills
The student will develop autonomous learning skills that enable them to update and deepen their competences in the field of visual communication and data visualization. They will be able to use new resources, tools, and design methodologies, adapting to technological developments and different application contexts.
More information
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