Syllabus (as of 8/19/06)

Course No: ATEC 7390.003 Special Topics in Arts and Technology

Course Title: Principles of Design and Visualization
Instructor: Chip Wood, Assistant Dir. & Graduate Advisor
Contact Options: chip.wood@utdallas.edu ATEC 1.708/972-883-2785
Class Day & Time: Fall Semester 2006/Saturdays 9:30am – 12:15pm
Location: ATEC Conference Room

Course Description
This class is an overview of design principles and practices common to most design professions,
to give students a foundation understanding of design rules, laws, and guidelines that they can use
throughout their education and career pursuits. Students will learn the language of design, how to
think like a designer, how to judge between good and bad design execution, and where to go for
additional resources of specialized design practice.

The course work will consist of:

• Weekly textbook reading assignments from – Universal Principles of Design, by
Lidwell/Holden/Butler)
• Weekly lectures and class discussion
• Weekly research to identify examples of design principles in practice
• Keeping and maintaining a sketch/reference notebook
• A semester-long ‘Personal Career Networking’ project (see figure 1.0 below)

Course Requirements
• Attendance to all classes
• All assignments need to be completed on time
• All students need to participate individually and as a contributing member of the class,
especially in sharing discoveries with one another

Grading Procedure
Because this course’s emphasis will be on providing the student with an awareness and
understanding of Design methods and practices through experience, it is very important that
students participate individually and collectively to insure that everyone has a successful leaning
experience. Therefore, students will be evaluated on attendance, participation in class,
assignments, and the quality and quantity of work completed from week to week. Assignments
will be discussed throughout the course, with specific requirements spelled out. See grading
breakdowns at the end of this document.

Classroom Conduct
• Students are to focus their attention on the subjects at hand in the classroom, i.e., lectures,
presentations, discussions, and set aside all other activities.
• All open communication (talking) should be relevant to the subject at hand and have
value to the class as a whole.
• Competitiveness between students will be friendly and encouraging at all times.
• All other rules of behavior will be discussed and agreed to by the class on the first day.

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Drop Procedures (see http://utdallas.edu/student/registrar/calendar/)
If you are unable to complete this course, you should withdraw from it. Withdrawing from a
course is a formal procedure, with a specific published deadline, which you must initiate. The
instructor cannot do it for you. You must do this through the Registrar’s Office.

Course Schedule & Outline

Figure 1.0

8/19 Class 1 Introductions, syllabus, overview, goals, expectations, textbooks, supplies, etc.
Design Principles Lecture/Discussion – Form Follows Function
Assignment #1: Find examples of design principle introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).
Project Assignment – Phase 1: Identify an ATEC professional goal or interest
arena (finish by next week).

8/26 Class 2 Design Principles Discussion – Less is More

Assignment #2: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).
Project Assignment – Phase 2: Research & identify target contacts (finish in 3
weeks).

9/02 noClass Labor Day Weekend

9/09 Class 3 Design Principles Discussion – Design Process

Assignment #3: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

9/16 Class 4 Design Principles Discussion – Aesthetic Bias / part 1

Assignment #4: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

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9/23 Class 5 Class Sharing: Report on progress with networking.
Project Assignment – Phase 3: Establish conversations with targeted contacts.
Design Principles Discussion – Aesthetic Bias / part 2
Assignment #5: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

9/30 Class 6 Design Principles Discussion – Dimensional Perception Preferences

Assignment #6: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples to instructor before next week and be ready to explain to class.

10/07 Class 7 Class Sharing: Report on progress with network conversations.

Design Principles Discussion – Aesthetic Toolbox / part 1
Assignment #7: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

10/14 Class 8 Class Sharing: Report on progress with network conversations.

Project Assignment – Phase 4: Extend network beyond first line of contacts.
Design Principles Discussion – Aesthetic Toolbox / part 2
Assignment #8: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

10/21 Class 9 Design Principles Discussion – Psychology and Aesthetics

Assignment #9: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

10/28 Class 10 Class Sharing: Update on progress extending network contacts.

Design Principles Discussion – Usability Factors / part 1
Assignment #10: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

11/04 Class 11 Class Sharing: Update on progress extending network contacts.

Project Assignment – Phase 5: Develop a visual tool to capture and monitor
network contacts for presentation in final’s class (see class 14 below).

Design Principles Discussion – Usability Factors / part 2

Assignment #11: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

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11/11 Class 12 Class Sharing: Report on network surprises.
Design Principles Discussion – Information Architecture / part 1
Assignment #12: Find examples of design principles introduced in class and send
digital samples embedded in PowerPoint slide template to instructor before next
week (be ready to explain to class).

11/18 Class 13 Class Sharing: Report on network surprises.

Design Principles Discussion – Information Architecture / part 2
Hand in Visualization Book for examination by instructor

11/25 noClass Thanksgiving Holiday

12/02 Class 14 Final Exam: Personal Career Networking Report

• A digital copy of Presentation to instructor
• Presentation to class

Grading Scale
A 91-100 Excellent
B 81-90 Above Average
C 71-80 Average
D 61-70 Poor
F 00-60 Failing

Grading Weights
60 Points Assignments (12 at 5.0 points each)
10 Points Thinking Notebook (evidence of use throughout semester)
30 Points Final Report & Presentation

05 Points Extra Credit for selection of book & one page description of why
it would be valuable for the rest of the class to read

Attendance & Tardy Policy – Attendance is mandatory. Lack of attendance will affect your grade
because absences will not only leave holes in understanding of the lesson contents but also
degrade the benefit to other students in regard to discussions and work sessions. Coming to class
late or leaving early will also be counted as absences without prior approval from the instructor.
Excessive absences can result in grade penalty or even failure of the course; three unexcused
absences will result in an adjustment in the final grade down by one level (ex. ‘A’ down to a
‘B’).