Here's what I care about:

I care about ideas and creativity. (Otherwise, why bother being alive, right?)

I want you learn more about your own creative process while you're learning about how designed communication works, how the design world works and how the world of money and organizations works.

I want you to be an idea person, this semester and for the rest of your life. I want you to always have interesting things to talk about during a meeting or over lunch --- really interesting things, things that genuinely interest you. Your enthusiasm for the world is the flame that keeps your creativity alive (and earns you a living).

I want you to be able to speak basic Business-Speak. In other words, to be able to empathize with the people you work for and communicate with them.

I want you to read the readings and listen to the listenings. Repeating. I want you to actually read the readings. *laughs* Don't worry, it'll be fun! I'll support you, and I'll quiz you.

I want us to have fun playing with in-class simulations of design office processes and designer/client meetings, so that you learn about real-life professional practices and can hit the ground running when you're interning and working at a design firm.

Attendance and participation in class for the full class period is mandatory. Studio classes provide the oportunity for interchange between student and teacher and among students. This interaction is vital to the learning process and cannot take place when a student is absent. Late arrival or early depature counts as 1/2 an absence. Any student who misses more than three classes will have final grade reduced one letter grade.

This course adheres strictly to UMD's Student Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found at www.d.umn.edu/assl/conduct/integrity.

The instructor will enforce and students are expected to follow the University's Student Conduct Code http://www.d.umn.edu/assl/conduct/code.

In-class "sprints" and small homework assignments are required and will be assigned throughout the semester.

Evaluation will be based 70% on all phases of design projects (sketch, thumbnails, full sized comps, and finished work), 30% on attendance and engaged participation in all class discussions, exercises, sprints, homework, and critiques.

Special needs If you have any limitation which affects your ability to perform in the class, please see me at your earliest convenience to arrange for equitable participation.

In class readling/listening notes are required for this class. In-class writing and discussion will happen regularly on the days we meet in ABAH 335. You will hand in printed or photocopied versions of your notes along with your four projects.

Required reading notes from Social Intelligence. As you read the book take notes on passages that interest you, by hand or electronically. Put the page number of each passage you note. Each week write three original (3) sentences about ways what you're reading relates to design. Be prepared to write or talk in class based on these notes.

Required listening notes from BBC's From Our Own Correspondent. Each week select one FOOC story you are particularly interested in and find three web sites that have visual reference images about the situation described in the story.