Every week, we’ll be discussing four different design principles from the Universal principles of design book. The book can be read online for free through the Cal Poly library.
After taking the quiz about the four principles of the week, check the schedule and see what principle is assigned to your group. Each week, you will be randomly assigned to a different group, and each group is assigned to a different principle. (Eight groups total, four different topics, but you only need to work with your own group.) Each student is expected to work on the quiz and then submit examples before the lab.
Check the schedule and see what principle is assigned to your group. Your group changes every week.
Find one physical example to represent the principle assigned to your group. For the physical product, magazine pages, billboards, and even logos are acceptable. But also, of course, a real object like a car or a pencil.
Find one website example to represent the principle assigned to your group. (An app is not a website.)
Submit both images with a very brief explanation on why you think they’re good examples. At this point, a few bullet points are sufficient.
No example designed by Apple, Google, or Netflix is allowed in either category.
As a group, discuss what are the most effective examples for the physical and web examples.
Write one paragraph for each image, explaining why it is an example of good design and good use of the principle. Use the theory of the book as well as your own words.
Submit your paragraph descriptions as a text file on Canvas. Do not write your name, the name of the principle, date, or anything. Write two and only two paragraphs per submission: in the first paragraph, you write about the physical example; in the second paragraph, you write about the website example.
Submit your text as a .txt file on Canvas. Use the name convention of the word group, followed by your group number with no spaces: group1.txt, group2.txt, etc. Make sure to read the text file you’re submitting. (If you use Google Docs, don't forget to delete the notes that are automatically imported from it.)
Each image should be 1200px wide, at least.
For the web example, read these instructions on how to take a good screenshot on a Mac. (This is by far the main reason why students miss points in this assignment.) For the physical example, you don’t want a browser screenshot; just submit a nice image.
Submit two images to Canvas using this name convention:
group, followed by your group number. -) (not an underscore). 1 for the physical example; or 2 for the web example. An optional sequential lowercase letter, in case you have additional images for the same example.
(If you want to submit more than one image, just add lowercase letters after the numbers: group1-1a.jpeg, group1-1b.png, etc., but keep the physical examples as #1 and web design examples as #2.)
I’m happy to check your examples in the lab before you submit them.
Note: If you have to resubmit a file, Canvas won’t let you replace it keeping the original name. But that’s the system’s fault, not yours. If you catch a mistake after uploading the file, go ahead and resubmit it. Don’t worry about the extra number in the end. If the name convention is correct otherwise, I’ll understand.
I wrote two examples of submissions, so you can have a better idea of how to write your paragraphs and how to name your image files.
Tuesday labs: Since we didn’t have Tuesday labs in weeks 1 or 2, students in Tuesday labs will be excused from submitting examples on module 2. Quizzes are still required.
Wednesday labs: Please check your groups for this week.
Quizzes and examples required for all labs.
I’ll grade your group submission on outcome not effort.
Two and only two paragraphs. No group names, the name of the principle, or headings of any kind. The first paragraph is about the physical example, and the second paragraph is about the web example. Name convention was properly used.
Remember to use examples that use the principle well. We want examples of good design. After the principle’s title, there’s a brief summary of the core idea behind the principle. Make sure you understand the principle and that your example relates directly to its core.
Using the book theory to explain your example will help you make sure that it is a good example of the principle. To write is to think. If in the middle of your explanation you realize that maybe it’s not a great example, don’t try to fit it at any cost. Consider finding a better example.
When you use your own words to explain the principle and the example, you make sure you understood the former and can explain it with the latter. Again, if in the middle of your explanation you realize that maybe it’s not a great example, don’t try to fit it at any cost. Consider finding a better example.
It’s at least 1200px wide. It’s good quality overall. If it’s a common object, try to get a nice image, maybe from Unsplash or another source. It doesn’t even need to be copyright-free. Please no watermarks. You want your example to look good on the video. Give preference to horizontal images when possible. Also, please don’t take a browser screenshot for the physical example; browser screenshots are for the web example only.
Remember to use examples that use the principle well. We want examples of good design. After the principle’s title, there’s a brief summary of the core idea behind the principle. Make sure you understand the principle and that your example relates directly to its core.
Using the book theory to explain your example will help you make sure that it is a good example of the principle. To write is to think. If in the middle of your explanation you realize that maybe it’s not a great example, don’t try to fit it at any cost. Consider finding a better example.
When you use your own words to explain the principle and the example, you make sure you understood the former and can explain it with the latter. Again, if in the middle of your explanation you realize that maybe it’s not a great example, don’t try to fit it at any cost. Consider finding a better example.
It’s at least 1200px wide. Read the instructions on how to take a good screenshot on a Mac. You want to see the browser window (with no other tabs open) and a drop shadow. Again, this is by far the main reason why students miss points in this assignment.
Total points: 100