Press Design

Objectives

This is a design workshop for periodicals. We will get to know each of the parts, the graphic resources and the processing of the information.

Learning outcomes

• Demonstrate motivation, creativity and initiative in the development of academic and professional projects, as well as commitment to quality, rigor and ethics.
• Integrate the theoretical, narrative and technological foundations of graphic communication, editorial design, infographics and photography to be able to produce journalistic or informative messages in these disciplines with a high degree of accuracy.
• Use data and statistics correctly and effectively for journalistic, informative or communicative purposes, both in academic and professional contexts.
• Master the written, oral, audiovisual, graphic, hypertextual and multimedia languages, to present information in an effective journalistic way, both in Catalan and Spanish and in English, and with adaptation to the medium and the audience.

Content

1. Journalistic design
   • The editorial criterion and its relationship with design
   • The public and the publications
2. Graphic architecture and structure of a publication
   • Page space, proportions and formats
   • Grid, typologies. Modulation concept
   • Reticle and typography: The spot, the base reticle, columns, medians
   • The front page: the header
   • Central pages
   • Sections, summary
   • The combination
3. Typography in the press
   • Treatment of the structure of the information (title, subtitle, inset, highlighted, detailed (take it apart), photo caption, section headers, foliation...)
   • Family, types, applications
   • interlined, kerning (column width, typeface)
   • Orthotypography and readability.
4. Graphic and composition resources
   1. Formal elements: Fillets, plots, vignettes, squares and tablets
   2. Laws and principles. Balance, hierarchy, contrast, grouping, alignment, scale, rhythm and unity
   3. The colour. Fundamental concepts and applications
   4. Color and visual unity. Color palette
5. Photography, infographics and illustration
   1. Photography: typologies. Image processing
   2. The infographic: a form of visual journalism
   3. Illustration as an expressive resource
   4. Image-text relationships
6. Planning and production
   1. Sketches and model
   2. Editing of graphic and textual material
   3. Preparation of PDFs for printing
7. Introduction to digital newspapers

Evaluation

In order to achieve the skills set by the subject, each assignment has specific objectives, which are framed in global evaluation criteria based on 3 aspects:

• Process: progressive development of practices must be demonstrated. It involves attendance and active participation in class.
• Innovation: the result of the work process must provide a creative differential value; alternative, new, risky and well-supported responses both conceptually and visually.
• Presentation: works must be delivered in perfect reproduction and presentation quality. Poorly assembled work and low quality prints will not be accepted.

No work will be accepted after the due date. Timely delivery is not considered an added value; it is an inherent and mandatory aspect in all work.

The subject is face-to-face, with a continuous assessment system. Therefore, attending class is necessary to acquire knowledge.

The tasks assigned are evaluated:

• Carrying out practical work: 20%
• Observation of participation: 10%
• Participation tracking: 35%
• Specific assessment test: 35%

Methodology

The subject has a strong practical component of face-to-face work with the computer in the classroom, and a theoretical component in which the conceptual foundations for the development of practical work are transmitted.

In the workshop, the use of the tools is explained and the students' practices are tutored and monitored.

In addition to the workshop work, it is necessary for the student to dedicate a few hours of personal work each week in order to consolidate the knowledge acquired in the different sessions.

The teacher makes a public evaluation of the works and also encourages the participation of the students and the critical and serious analysis of the projects.

The theoretical sessions combine lectures with exercises and critical readings around press design.

Consult the course activities in the work plan.

Bibliography

Key references

• Navarro-Güere, H. (Ed.) (2010). Disseny gràfic i disseny web: Breus lliçons sobre història, teoria i pràctica. Eumo.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.