Creative Direction

Required for all 4th term Advertising students. Portfolio review & successful review by Dept Chair.

Course number: CRDR-250
Prerequisite: n/a

Required for all 6th term Advertising students. Portfolio review & successful review by Dept Chair.

Course number: CRDR-350
Prerequisite: n/a

First basic course in a consecutive sequence of three classes. This class is about creating imagery that breaks with the conventions of time, viewpoint and content, not advertising protocol. Emphasis is on the transformation of ideas into images, and effective communication that occurs when an idea produces an image that is perceived and understood by an intended audience. While art direction is the focus, studens will have opportunities to concept ads. Course material focuses on the early works of Doyle Dane and Bermbach, the agency which began the "Creative Revolution" during the '60s and still exists today.

Course number: CRDR-151
Prerequisite: n/a

Second intermediate course in a consecutive sequence of classes. Special emphasis is placed on final art direction and copy. Students are encouraged to collaborate with other disciplines such has Photography, Graphics and Illustration to prepare their advertising concepts for portfolio consideration.

Course number: CRDR-201
Prerequisite: n/a

Students will learn how to shoot, direct, art direct and edit short narrative film. The class will also explore the impact of sound in a production. Students will learn the basics of cinematic structure and how to storyboard an idea to produce an effective, visually compelling moving image piece. The first project is highly structured to give students the experience and skills to then develop their own vision in the final project. The class uses Premier Pro as the editing software.

Course number: CRDR-176
Prerequisite: n/a

This course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of branding with emphasis on conceptual process and development, and basic branding/concepting methodologies and techniques.

Course number: CRDR-205A
Prerequisite: n/a

This is a beginning course that builds on the information from Advertising Concepts 1. Emphasis is on the application of conceptual advertising principles and design. Research, copywriting and marketing knowledge are applied to advertising assignments.

Course number: CRDR-255
Prerequisite: n/a

This intermediate-level course emphasizes the definition of target audience, marketing objectives, and the development of specific creative briefs through to finished comprehensives.

Course number: CRDR-305A
Prerequisite: n/a

This course will review past work and assign new projects that will focus on categories that will complete the finished portfolio. Discussions will cover present advertising trends and current agency activities. There will be special emphasis on preparing and perfecting all concepts through to final photography, illustration and copy application. This class in conjunction with the Portfolio Studio class is the culmination of all work that will complete the final portfolio.

Course number: CRDR-466
Prerequisite: n/a

The unexplored space of new market advertising: USING YOUR LIFE & FEELINGS TO COMMUNICATE ON BEHALF OF COMPANIES. Don't create advertising - communicate with other human beings. Most advertising is bland, impersonal and irrelevant to the people viewing it. So, it's ineffective. Whatever the media, the best communication feels personal, like one human being talking to another. So rather than simply figuring out a new way to say this product is 'so awesome', it's more effective to bring your own humanity to the product or message. This requires looking for ideas within, (not on Google and YouTube). Unearthing your thoughts, feelings and experiences around a brief.

Course number: CRDR-413
Prerequisite: n/a

Students will learn the basic tools and functions of Adobe InDesign to successfully design and build their books and portfolios. The workshop will cover setting up documents, working with tools and panels, keyboard shortcuts, type and text frames, using grids, using master pages and importing and linking images. Students should feel free to bring projects they are working on with them to the workshop for help and critique. Meets for five weeks, starting week 2.

Course number: CRDR-102L
Prerequisite: n/a

This class covers historical aspects of the advertising and graphic design fields, as well as addressing communication strategies including the effective use of metaphors, iconography, idioms, allegories, cliches and methodologies. The nature of symbol and cultural essence are considered in assignments where the dynamic role of image, photography or illustration is stressed. Problem solving and conceptual thinking are strongly emphasized, as are the development of philosophical and professional attitudes related to the role of the designer as interpreter of society and promoter of products and services. This course provides an intensive introduction to both the creation and critique of original ideas.

Course number: CRDR-102
Prerequisite: n/a

Course description and learning outcome: Messaging in different contexts. Design as: research/conception/form-giving/production. Research as catalyst for design ideas. Designing from a place of understanding (content, audience, context). Use of 2 contexts (ie.screen/print) /or audiences (ie. young/old)/ or formats (ie. poster/card). Use of modular division of space, simple grids. Use of color. Analysis of audience reaction and communication success or failure. Project types: 3 or 4 projects to give a variety of content types. One project with greater text component. Continuing emphasis on need for multiple ideas before designing.

Course number: CRDR-154
Prerequisite: n/a

Introduces narrative sequence through temporal or spatial means. Messaging in 3 moves or more (images, screens, pages, sentences) or in 3 dimensions. Media agnostic (students may choose an appropriate medium/method). Builds on CD1+2 but adds serial/multiple communication. Deals with series/stories/sequences/choices/transitions. Project types: Messaging in sequence. Multiple pages or screens. Image or language sequences. Storyboards. Interaction or navigation choices. More complex grids. Multi-page documents. Motion.

Course number: CRDR-202
Prerequisite: n/a

Course description and learning outcome: Developing a graphic voice for client or message. Consistency of voice through different media/contexts. Importance of design as editing (research, content forms) and designer as author of content. May involve branding. More complex problems than CD 1, 2, 3. Media agnostic. Opens up to communicating solutions in print, packaging, motion, interactive, environmental, 3D. Project types: Longer more in depth projects, 1 or 2 per term. Possibility of student-generated projects aligned to their individual interests or in collaboration with work in another class. Maybe all students work on a different project. ie. A theme is given but they must develop/generate content themselves.

Course number: CRDR-252
Prerequisite: n/a

This is the first class in a consecutive sequence of three writing courses. Course material provides an introduction to the craft of advertising copywriting and gives students a basic understanding of the copywriting process as it applies to advertising.

Course number: CRDR-262
Prerequisite: n/a

An advanced understanding into the craft of copywriting for branding and advertising. Assignments given to reinforce/teach students about the importance of presenting information clearly, provocatively and memorably. Students will learn to write brand manifestos, taglines, headlines in a range of tones, positioning, and style that match the individual brands. Students will create portfolio-ready, fully integrated campaigns for three individual brands, with copy as a focus. These campaigns will include manifestos, headlines, experiential, and digital executions. Students will write website-ready campaign descriptions and setups for each campaign, and learn how to best represent, describe, and convey their concepts. Students will evolve their presentation and communication skills, with the focus on clear, emotive idea representation. Students will explore and research writing tone and style, in advertising executions and beyond, bringing in weekly examples that they find and connect with - building a curated reference collection for themselves.

Course number: CRDR-362A
Prerequisite: n/a

An advanced, fast paced class combining conceptual thinking with the ability to craft and execute across the many digital platforms, connecting brands, products and services to unsuspecting consumers in a way that disrupts their normal patterns of consumption.

Course number: CRDR-356
Prerequisite: n/a

This intense immersion course, meeting weekly, allows students to experience the pace and intensity of working in a real-world creative agency. Students will work on multiple assignments on a range of media, both traditional and non-traditional. In the middle of the term the students will be required to attend 3 week workshop with an eminent creative director to hone their concepting, creative, and presentation skills.

Course number: CRDR-299A
Prerequisite: n/a

A class designed to immerse students in the language & communications of subcultures. We will explore culture as it relates to audience, interests, community, and storytelling. This will entail a broad look at different subcultures and how it relates to each students interest/trajectory. We will build on current skill-sets and strengthen / select new tools applicable to each students aim. The course will ebb and flow from broad discussions to targeted and nuanced communication executions. The work that will culminate from this class will be diverse and nothing like what they have done prior. We will also touch on diversity, "breaking through" tactics, authenticity, adapting to the future, strategy and other skills that doesn't look like "ads".

Course number: CRDR-372A
Prerequisite: n/a

This class is an introduction to the world of advertising. It will highlight publications and sites to visit; award shows; best agencies; best current work; career paths; best grad books/sites; work ethic required and work process.

Course number: CRDR-101
Prerequisite: n/a

In this studio course, Creative Direction students will create entries for the Annual Show competition. Students will develop their entries individually or on self-selected teams (as permitted by competition rules), but will meet as a class for strategy development, brainstorming, mutual critique, and feedback from faculty. This course requires the students to enter the One Show competition.

Course number: CRDR-421A
Prerequisite: n/a

Approved internship coordinated through Career Services.

Course number: CRDR-900
Prerequisite: n/a

Digital Basics: LinkedIn Learning 1.0 is a self-directed course taught online that covers the basic principles of 2D design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. It leverages the unique relationship ArtCenter has with LinkedIn Learning to educate students via a select set of online LinkedIn Learning videos. Students watch the videos, learn the content, and are assessed on their learning at the end of the term.

Course number: CRDR-100
Prerequisite: n/a

Teaching advanced concept skills with an emphasis on campaign and brand development, strategic thinking, writing, layout and design through varied systems, whether emerging technologies, or tried and true delivery mechanisms. Students will get tools that will help them produce branding ideas guided by strategic framework. They will gain insights into the largely unconscious nature of the creative process.

Course number: CRDR-366A
Prerequisite: n/a

Students will consider the development of projects in both traditional and non-traditional media, from ad campaigns to television commercials. The objective of this class is the establishment of a finite conceptual direction, the blueprint of a project.

Course number: CRDR-416
Prerequisite: n/a

MD1 is the first course where students learn how to bring their design to life with motion. Students will use lessons learned from Narrative Sketching/Imaging and digital language learned from Digital Basics to develop their creative suggestion before choreographing their solutions. MD1 will feature 2 main projects with some shorter learning objective assignments earlier in the term. The 1st project will be kinetic type that focuses on handling typography in motion. The 2nd project will feature more sophisticated approach with an expanded approach to the assignment. The 3rd & final Motion piece using graphic elements. Imagery will be limited to stills or keyed elements. Storyboards, animation. 20-30 sec.

Course number: CRDR-152A
Prerequisite: n/a

This course will enable students to use photography and videography to effectively capture situations and to unleash the narrative and symbolic potential of images. The course starts by creating a narrative with stills and ends with creating a narrative with motion. Students will learn: storytelling from narrative single images to a multi image narratives and photo essays; how to understand meaning in photographs; compositions and cropping; original and found images (photo editing); art directing and how to conduct a photo shoot. This class teaches the art of the storyboard as a powerful story-telling device used in motion graphics.

Course number: CRDR-161
Prerequisite: n/a

Emphasis is on the development of advertising pieces for the finished portfolio. All aspects of photography, design and typography are finalized. Students also complete personal I.D., Letter head, Bussiness card, resume, website and leave behind. 160

Course number: CRDR-450
Prerequisite: n/a

Sensuality, seduction and pleasure are at the core of almost every effort in the worlds of entertainment, advertising and marketing. In order to ignite desire and create brand awareness in consumers and audiences, it is necessary to speak in symbolic visual terms. A curated selection of films, advertising campaigns, photography, brand materials and 'brand codes' will be examined in order to form an understanding of the traditions of the art of visual seduction and how such traditions constantly evolve in response to society's ever- changing conditions and values. Students will create concepts, research documents, mood boards and a short film using pre-existing footage, the focus of which will be an instructor-assigned luxury brand communication project.

Course number: CRDR-464
Prerequisite: n/a

The unexplored space of new market advertising: Every brand wants to be successful in their market, dominating the competition and delivering products that keep them relevant, profitable and moving ever forward. As advertising partners, it's our job to find new creative ways to help them accomplish this goal. In this class we will creating layered campaigns that take the brand beyond where they have been, pushing the limits of their identity and explore the endless creative possibilities. Moving them forward into new unexplored market spaces. Thinking for next is a medium to advanced course, that will focus on creating comprehensive campaigns centered on emerging market opportunities. Students will use research and existing brand identities to design and craft projects that work cohesively across an array of media platforms.

Course number: CRDR-358
Prerequisite: n/a

It's not a box, it's a place that explores the boundaries of communication. It's a course built with multidisciplinary teams to create content at the speed of culture tackling a variety of contemporary topics that make people look, make them think, make them care. This is an fast paced class requiring critical thinking at a high level. The tools are: Inspiration, Freedom to Experiment, and Awareness.

Course number: CRDR-281
Prerequisite: n/a

Type 2 is a rigorous introduction to the fundamentals of typography, with emphasis on the formal aspects of designing with typographic elements, and the responsibilities inherent in working with visible language.

Course number: CRDR-155
Prerequisite: n/a

This course asks students to apply what they have learned in Type 2 to particular contexts, allowing the individual nature of the project content and audience to start influencing and determining their typographic choices.

Course number: CRDR-203P
Prerequisite: n/a

Web Design introduces students to web technologies and the basics of web design. They learn how to organize content, visually design sites, and build a working prototype by applying a basic understanding of HTML and CSS, also taught in the class. Students also take a workshop to help them with web technologies.

Course number: CRDR-203V
Prerequisite: n/a