Course Syllabus

 

Instructors

Dr. Aaron Ganci Department Chair + Associate Professor Visual Communication Design aganci@iu.edu Office: HR 150

Michelle Winkelman Associate Director of Career Development Herron Career Services miwink@iu.edu Office: HR 126G

 

Course Overview

This course provides students an overview of career options in the field of design and prepares them to create the materials necessary to enter the field. Through a variety of projects, students will hone their skills in job searching, interviewing, and professional presentation.

Course Content

In this course, you will acquire a foundational knowledge and skills necessary to launch your career in design. Special attention is devoted to differentiating types of design careers, the job searching process, networking, portfolio development, interview strategies, and professional communications. You will apply your learning through a variety of exercises and projects. These projects include resume and portfolio development, a networking exercise, and mock interviews. Coursework will primarily happen asynchronously online. At the end of the course, you will schedule a meeting with the instructor to review your materials and take part in mock-interview, both in-person. The specific day and time of the final in-person session will agreed upon by you and the instructor.

Course Structure

This course is divided into two modes: five weeks of asynchronous, remote content followed by a 3-week period where each student will meet for a single one-on-one meeting with the instructors. For the online portion of the course, all content and activities will be grouped into modules. Modules will be released every Monday morning. 

Learning Outcomes

You will learn to...	In order to help you become a...	You'll know you've learned this through your performance in...
Distinguish between design career paths.		Written Reflection, Discussion
Develop a portfolio and resume according to industry standards	Communicator	Project work (Portfolio, Resume, Web Presence)
Utilize networking skills with design professionals.	Communicator	Informational Interview
Explain professional preparedness in an interview setting	Communicator	Final Meeting with Instructors

Readings

Monteiro, Mike. Design is a Job: The Necessary Second Edition. A Book Apart, 2022.

The Graphic Arts Guild. Graphic Artists Guild Handbook, 16th Edition: Pricing & Ethical Guidelines. MIT Press, 2021                

Assignments

Project 1: Digital Portfolio (30%)

Brief: Develop an web-based portfolio to showcase your work and process.

Project 2: Resume (30%)

Brief: Design a resume using industry-accepted formatting.

Project 3: Informational Interview with a Professional (20%)

Brief: Identify and interview a professional designer about their career. Report on the findings.

Canvas Reflections and Discussions (10%)

Brief: Participate in discussion prompts on Canvas, responding to weekly lecture content.

Final Meeting with Instructors (10%)

Brief: Participate in a mock interview with Herron’s Office of Career Services.

Grading

A rubric will be provided for each project at the beginning of the project. Instructor feedback will be delivered as written notes, audio or video recording, or in-person discussion. We will use the following grade scale for each project. Deductions for late work will be assigned on a case-by-case basis.

Grade	Percentage
A	93-100
A-	90-92
B+	87-89
B	83-86
B-	80-82
C+	78-80
C	73-77
C-	70-72
D	60-70
F	50-60

 

Schedule

Weeks	Topic/Activity
1	Lecture: Careers in Design
2	Lecture: Resumes, Portfolios, and Digital Presence
3	Lecture: Networking and Professional Communication
4	Lecture: Job Searching Strategies
5	Discussion: Careers in freelance or small business
6-8	Individual meetings with instructors

 

Policies

This course abides by all Indiana University Indianapolis policies. You can reference them here: Campus Course Policies (or in the Canvas course navigation)

Contact with Instructors: Please use the Canvas messaging system (Inbox) as the primary form of communication with instructors. It is best for us to keep all student-based course communication in one place.

Participation:  This is a short course and requires your focused attention. You are responsible for checking the Canvas site regularly. Weekly modules will be released on Mondays. Because there is only 5 weeks of content, if you are not paying attention, you will fall behind quickly. If we notice you not participating, we will reach out to see how we can help.

Accommodations:  Students seeking accommodations because of disability must register with Accessible Educational Services and follow the procedures of that office before accommodations will be given. All forms must be completed and students must identify themselves to me sufficiently in advance of any exams so that I have time to make the accommodations.  Accessible Educational Services is located in UC (Taylor Hall rm. 137, aes@iu.edu, tel. 274-3241. I follow their recommendations and I consult them for advice when I have questions.  

Academic misconduct:  Academic dishonesty of any sort undermines the very principles on which educational pursuits are founded, and if encountered, will be dealt with as the most serious of offenses. If you are ever in doubt about what constitutes cheating or plagiarism, please consult the university's Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, or ask me directly.  Ignorance of the standards is not an excuse.

Administrative Withdrawal: Students who miss more than 50 percent of their class meetings of a given section during the first four weeks of the fall or spring semesters may be administratively withdrawn from that course unless documentation of contact with their course instructor, academic unit, or academic advisor is provided. Undergraduate students may be administratively withdrawn regardless of class level.

Regular Withdrawal:  I hope you won’t need to drop this class!  But if you do, pay attention to the date and make sure you are aware of all the potential ramifications for your tuition, financial aid, and degree progress.  Information about withdrawing can be found here: https://indianapolis.iu.edu/academics/classes-registration/register/withdrawal/

Religious holidays: IU Indianapolis respects the right of all students to observe their religious holidays and will make reasonable accommodation, upon request, for such observances. Students seeking accommodation for religious observances must make a request in writing by the end of the 2nd week of the semester to the course instructor and should use the Request for Course Accommodation Due to Religious Observance Form. 

Technical Standards Policy:  Herron School of Art & Design applicants and enrolled students must be able to fulfill the requirements and demands of the courses for the degree program they have chosen. Reasonable accommodations will be made for students who are registered with IU Indianapolis Accessible Educational Services.