Tag Archives: spring 2018

Cross CUNY Campus – BMCC & York College Zine Collaboration

Above: Individual pages submitted by BMCC MMA 100 Foundations of Graphic Design Students

(Click any image to activate the slideshows of individual works)

Below: Individual pages submitted by York College CT101 Digital Storytelling Students

Synopsis – Professor Ryan Seslow’s students at CUNY BMCC & York College have come together to create an experimental cross course and CUNY campus collaborative zine. The zine project synthesizes the two disciplines of graphic design foundation and digital storytelling courses. Both courses were given the same information and assignment below to complete the project from the perspective of their class content and personal experiences.

As individual courses, we were interested in knowing how traditional design principles relate and contrast to the medium of storytelling (and vice versa) through the use of integrated software applications and web tools when applied and presented in a public space? “Public space” has an interesting context both physically and virtually. We wanted to test both.

What will the results be both digitally and non-digitally?

How will the immediacy of publishing to the Internet and the contrast of using a public library (NYPL) to experience the same content effect the overall generating and receiving of the works?

What kind of dialog would this create? (This is the short list of questions, we have many more!)

This blog post displays several examples of the creative learning potential of what can be achieved between two different college courses on two different campuses. It shows the creative potential of how we as human beings see things from our own unique perspectives and how things can always be another way. Solutions are friendly and inspired by collaboration. This blog post also severs as a gallery and exhibition space for the project.

We jumped in. 

The process::

Part 1 – Design

Design Project Specifications & Simulation – You have been selected to contribute 1-2 pages to a collaborative cross discipline magazine that produces a quarterly publication in both a DIY – Do it Yourself printed edition for public access (NYPL Zine Collection) and an online digital version hosted on the CUNY Academic Commons BMCC MMA 100 Website.)

A downloadable pdf. version of the entire zine will also be available upon full completion of the project. (Anticipated publishing date 5/25/18)

Your submission to the publication will creatively communicate:

“How technology and creativity are powerful learning tools for inspiration, expression, digital storytelling and design.”

You have the creative freedom to produce and generate your contributions with full autonomy as to how you experience or define the description above. However, your final submissions should display an integrated composition of imagery (use of layers and opacity) along with descriptive verbiage typeset creatively.

***Size Requirements – 8.5 X 11 inches vertical, please, jpeg & pdf file formats.

Edition #1 of the printed version of the ZINE is now available at the NYPL on 5th Ave NYC.

Part 2 – Commenting & Dialog

In the comments section below: BMCC & York students will respond and react to both the project as a whole (in the space directly below) and individually to each other’s submissions (click on an individual piece that stands out to you and add your comments.)

The Academic Commons is a public platform and space for CUNY and beyond, the C.A.C commons community will also be invited to participate in commenting and creating dialog here.

Please consider addressing the following questions:

*What common threads or similarities do you see between the submitted work?

*What differences do you see?

*How does seeing all of the works organized into one space enhance or disrupt your interpretation of the project and its outcome?

*How do you think the general public will appreciate the project viewing it as a tangible object rather than an online experience? Do you prefer one over the other? Please explain and describe your answers.  The printed zine will be donated to the NYPL’s Zine collection at their 5th Avenue & 42nd Street location – DeWitt Wallace Periodical Room at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building 

The printed ZINES will also be available at the BMCC & York College Libraries as of fall 2018. 

Additional statements and questions can be generated by each student below as well.

 

A HUGE Thank You to all of the participating Students!!

*Featured image above by BMCC student Tugberk Ozpir

* Front and back cover Art by Marquis Gregory & Shaquille Edwards

* Special Thanks to Shannon Keller at the NYPL & The CUNY Academic Commons Committee

For additional queries contact me here – rseslow (at) bmmc.cuny.edu

BMCC MMA100 Computer Lab hours • Locations • Software Spring 2018

Seeking additional lab time outside of class to work on your MMA100 projects and revisions?

Here is the info that you will need – Click here for the spring 2018 open lab hours, locations & software available.

Looking for help outside of class with a tutor? Click here for the availability of tutors.

Download or print a copy and e-mail me with any questions.

Week #6


Week #6

Did you miss week #5 or need a re-cap? Go HERE

**Please print and pin up your Elements & Principles of Design assignments (print as pdf. files)** Class critique.

Class Exercise – Continued lab work on last week’s in class assignment on shape, form, variety, color & composition using Illustrator. Click here for a .pdf example.

*Be sure to add your name and course info as seen in the example.

Color Theory Help?

Adobes awesome Color Wheel Simulator – Shared via Petra (Thank You!)

GO HERE to Experiment

Typography Continued: Class video screening – 

Typography in Adobe Illustrator – Screening – Usefulness

Class Discussion – Applying type to Images, fonts, typefaces, composition, formatting and output to print & the Web..

Class project – Poster Design with Type & the Alphabet.

Typefaces and Fonts are built out of shapes and forms. Integrated with color and interesting compositions they become a powerful tool for creative output and the ability to solve design problems through visual communication.

Assignment – Create a new poster design using typography and a balanced composition using each individual letter of the alphabet. The examples above are just a few potential examples. Find and discover your own inspiration and share the URLs in the comments section below. Each student will add 2-3 Urls in the comment section.

Size requirements – 8.5 inches X 11 inches

Typefaces – Limit yourself to no more than 5-6 different fonts and 4 color values.

Things to consider – Layout & balance – Using rulers and grids. Free transformation & typsetting style.

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**Midterm Project Discussion –

Specific Communication – Composition, Type, Image & Color – Solving Problems

Next week is the mid point of the semester! Wow! Lets discuss our Mid-term project and up coming critique. We will have a full lab session to work on and prepare our Mid-term projects.

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Video Screening – John Maeda

Who is John Maeda and why is he Important in Design? 

Talk on Design – Circa 2008 & 2012