Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Weeks 6, 7, & 8	Week 9	Resource Page	Assessment Page	Product List

Introduction:

******GRAPHIC DESIGNERS WANTED****** Multi-faceted creative agency has several entry level openings for graphic designers.  If you are a creative self-starter who can initiate design solutions, work quickly, juggle multiple deadlines and satisfy your client, this opportunity is for you.  You must be ambitious, have strong teamwork and communication skills and possess a positive, professional work ethic.  Candidates being considered for this position must have a creative flair with the ability to pay attention to detail and possess strong conceptual and aesthetic skills.  Our creative professionals need the ability to produce a wide variety of  ideas, based on the client's needs.  Compensation will be determined by your performance.  Benefits include: class credit, a successful grade in the course, personal satisfaction and pride, a sense of accomplishment, learning in a "real world" team setting, and respect of your fellow classmates.

Task:
    This is a collaborative effort between Bartlett High School and St. Charles East High School students and staff.  In class at each school, students will break into small groups.  Each group of 3 to 4 students will have a dual role, that of a client and as a design team member.
 

Your role as the Client:

• Work cooperatively with your client group members and the design team .(group participation rubric)
• Choose a product from the list provided by the teacher.
• Generate ideas for the product designs. (idea sketches)
• Determine the company's personality. (individual written work )
• Design the product. (team and individual sketches)
• Determine the "needs" of the ad campaign. (team written work)
• Approve and discuss concepts of the ad campaign with the design team. (team worksheet)
• Assess the design team's final ad campaign and presentation. (individually on rubrics)

• Research graphic design and examples of logos, advertising, typeface, etc., on the Internet and in print form.
• Work cooperatively with your design team members and the client. (team participation rubric)
• Throughout the entire design process, consider the client's needs and company's personality.
• Check in regularly with the teacher.
• Meet all deadlines.
• Interview and do a needs assessment with the client. (team written)
• Confer with professional advisors. (team record and documentation of correspondence).
• Design a company's logo. (individual and team designs)
• Create business cards and letterhead designs. (individual and team designs)
• Develop the ad campaign conceptually. (team written brainstorming and planning)
• Determine which design projects [i.e.: posters, web site, magazine ads, etc.] will best meet the needs of the clients ad campaign. (team submits list of projects and who is responsible for them to the teacher)
• Present your final ad campaign to your classmates, the collaborating school, professional advisors, and teachers. (all participants will provide written feedback)

• Do working sketches and rough designs of your individual project. (graded by teacher)
• Get client approval of your final project idea. (client signs sketch)
• Check in regularly with the teacher.
• Create a completed final project: magazine ad, newspaper ad, poster, brochure, T.V. commercial, Web site, package design, other work approved by the teacher. (self assessment, client assessment, design team assessment, professional advisor assessment, and teacher assessment)

Your role as a Class Member:

• Use email to share your ideas and research with students from the collaborating school.
• Assessment of collaborating school.
• Select work to represent the class project on the web gallery and in the traveling art exhibit.
• Show an active involvement in the unit. (class participation rubric)

Process:

Week One:

• The class will receive an introduction to advertising, and given reading assignments, examples, demonstrations, etc.
• Research graphic design terms and product ideas on the Internet and in printed form..
• Students meet as the client group, they will choose and design their product from the teachers list of possible items. Remember the product you choose is the product your company makes.....not the item you will be designing as an ad campaign.  To determine the company's personality, each student in the group will write out ideas of how they see their company......where it is located, how big they are.......their view of business...........how aggressive they are...etc.
• Research graphic design projects on the Internet and in printed form.
• All students are to find an exemplary package design, magazine ad, tv commercial, poster, brochure, logo, and web sites they like in terms of the principles and elements of design.  Class time and homework time will be spent on this search.

Week Two:

• Client groups will meet to finalize their view of their company's personality and needs list........written synopsis is handed in to the teacher.
• Each client group member must do a product design sketch.
• Design teams will meet and discuss the graphic examples of a package design, web site, tv commercial, magazine ad, poster or billboard, brochure, and logo. The team will select the best and present them to the class.
• Design teams will establish contact with their "advisors" and set up the method they will use to communicate....E-mail, fax, telephone, weekly visits; and a timetable that they will meet.  Students will prepare questions for advisors, which can be from the point of view of a design team member or as a client.
• Research typeface, layout and logo examples on the Internet and in printed form.
• Class discussion of typeface, layout, and logo examples.

Week Three:
 

• Client groups meet to finalize their product designs and hand them in to the teacher.
• First "question" dialog with advisors, followed with a debriefing of information to the class. Design team  meets to form new questions for next advisor dialog.
• Client group meets with design teams and discuss how their company works and explains their product.  Discuss ideas for a logo.
• Design teams meet to discuss their clients needs and start rough idea sketches of logos and product designs.  Each team member must present at least one logo design to the client.
• Clients meet with their design teams and view designs..........they choose one or require re-dos.  The teams meet with their clients as often as it takes to finalize the basic concept.
• Design teams must meet with the teacher to present their logo rough sketches and view of their clients needs.
• Work on final designs of logos by design teams.

Week Four:

• Completed logos handed in to the teacher. Completed logo assessment done by the client group.
• Class discussion of graphic design strategies for business cards and letterhead designs.
• Research business card and letterhead designs on the Internet and in printed form.
• Design team members draw out rough drafts of business cards and letterheads, using the company's logos.
• Dialog with advisor and feedback to class.
• Client groups brainstorm approaches to ad campaign with design teams. (client need's worksheet)

What does the client want to say about the product?
Who is the target audience for the campaign........who are we trying to reach?
Do you need a " hook" or spokesperson/ character (like the TacoBell dog) to sell  the idea?
Is there a theme to the campaign?

Week Five:

• Clients pick final designs of letterheads and business cards. Design teams complete mock ups.
• Research graphic design styles on the Internet and in printed form.
• Design teams draw out at least three rough drafts of various styles to the ad campaign, i.e.: modern, Victorian......whatever.  Use the client need's worksheet to develop your ideas.
• Client groups meet with design team to finalized campaign approach.
• Each design team member works on three rough drawings of one final project in the style the client has chosen.
• Clients pick the design style and the materials that will be used for the final projects.
• Design teams meet with the teacher to discuss rough drawings and final idea, before final mock ups begin.
• Design team dialog with their advisors and give feedback to the class.

Weeks Six - Seven - Eight:

• Design teams work to complete the projects for their ad campaigns.  Each campaign must have 3 to 4 types of projects from  the following: package design, magazine ad, poster, brochure, billboard, tv commercial, or web site.  The client must approve all work.......weekly meetings with the client and teacher.
• Weekly dialogs with teams' advisors and feedback given to class.
• Individual and Design team self assessments of their final projects. Client assessment of ad campaign.
• Review presentation format and expectations.
• Field trips to professional advisors (optional)

•  Presentation of ad campaigns to both schools and professional advisors at a breakfast meeting in the Hungry Hawk at Bartlett High School.
• Open discussion among students from both schools.
• Professional advisors, collaborating school, and teachers assess students' work and ad campaign presentations.
• Students give input on works to be displayed on the Web gallery.
• Traveling show of students' work are displayed at Bartlett Library and St. Charles Library.

Resource Page
Lists of web sites and books.

Evaluations
Client group assessment
Team assessment
Logo assessment
Business Card and Letterhead assessment
Final Project assessment
Product Design assessment
Collaborating High School assessment
Professional Advisors assessment
Teacher assessment
 

Conclusion:
Students will be immersed in a "real world" problem based learning experience, which will put them in the role of a graphic designer.  Through this process they will gain many valuable skills such as:  participation in teamwork, production of multiple solutions to a creative problem, immersion in technological research and production tools,  investigation of career opportunities, collaboration with classmates, students from another school and professional advisors, completion of a professional finished product, professional presentation strategies, and participation in critical assessment of their own work and the work of other students.  This comprehensive unit will allow students to gain extensive knowledge and skills necessary for future art and career experiences.