Syllabus
Tandon School of Engineering
Technology, Culture & Society
Integrated Design and Media
Fall 2025
Prof. Jesse Seegers
Mondays 2:00 PM - 4:50 PM EST
Welcome to Visual Design Studio!
Visual Design Studio introduces students to graphic design and visual literacy through a foundation in color theory, typography, and visual composition. Students learn to use design concepts and systems for print and screen through vector and raster graphics workflows, with emphasis on systematic design thinking and iterative methodology. These theoretical and conceptual skills are developed through project-based critiques of graphic forms, interfaces, interactive prototypes, and motion graphics. A primary learning goal is mastery of industry-standard software including Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and Figma, combined with comprehensive knowledge of underlying technical and theoretical concepts.
PROGRAM GOALS
The following Integrated Design and Media (IDM) program goals are reinforced within this course. Students will:
1 – Develop conceptual, creative thinking skills to generate ideas and content in order to solve problems and/or create opportunities.
- Students will develop a research and studio practice through inquiry and iteration.
2 – Develop technical skills to realize their ideas.
- Students will understand and utilize tools and technology, while adapting to constantly changing technological paradigms by learning how to learn.
- Be able to integrate/interface different technologies within a technological ecosystem.
3 – Students will develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to analyze and position their work within cultural, historic, aesthetic, economic, and technological contexts.
COURSE GOALS
This course will reinforce or introduce students to:
- Systematic design methodology through iterative exploration and refinement processes
- Visual literacy fundamentals: Gestalt principles, color theory, typography, and composition
- Contemporary design practice: constructing graphic forms, Interface design, motion graphics, and design systems thinking
- Industry-standard software: Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects and Figma
- Professional critique culture and articulating design decisions
- Design theory integration with practical application
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
- Understand and implement systematic design processes including ideation, iteration, and refinement
- Apply visual design principles (Gestalt, color theory, typography) to solve communication problems
- Create professional-quality visual identities using vector graphics and systematic methodology
- Design and prototype digital interfaces demonstrating information architecture and user experience principles
- Integrate motion graphics to enhance visual communication and brand identity
- Learn how to proactively learn (self-regulated learning) and adapt to evolving design technology
- Articulate design decisions using appropriate theoretical vocabulary and professional standards
In any learning situation, you should study beforehand, make/do, debug, reflect, adjust, and do it all over again (iteration). Learning happens in a cycle.
COURSE STRUCTURE
Class will be comprised of visually-driven lectures, in-class exercises, software demonstrations, structured critiques, and design workshops. The course emphasizes iterative development, peer feedback, and reflective practice through:
Critiques
Critiques (crits, pin-ups, reviews) are the best way to articulate ideas and receive immediate feedback. We use structured digital critiques and systematic feedback methods. During critique, the professor and classmates analyze and suggest ways to increase visual and conceptual impact. Take notes during critique without editing responses, whether you agree or not. Review critique notes and reflect on what was said. Ask yourself how you could combine, transform, or expand the most promising ideas. However, resist incorporating all suggestions—only utilize those that strengthen your project.Rules of Critique:
- Be present and engaged
- Give specific, constructive feedback to classmates
- Do NOT take feedback personally
- Focus on work, not personal preferences
Students conduct self-assessments and receive professor evaluation during midterm and final periods. Action without reflection is meaningless; real learning occurs through reflective practice.
PROJECTS & MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS
Project 1: Logo Design20% of final grade
Weeks 3-7 | Midterm Project
Systematic logo development through iterative methodology:- Phase 1: Pure ideation (20+ concepts, manual and digital)
- Phase 2: Systematic development (3 directions, 5 iterations each)
- Phase 3: Graphic tightening and final presentation
Motion Graphics Module
5% of final grade
Weeks 8-9 | Post-midterm charette
Logo animation using Adobe After Effects and/or Figma animations, applying motion design principles to further explore brand identity concepts from your Logo project.Project 2: Digital Collection Interface
25% of final grade
Weeks 10-14 | Final Project
Comprehensive interface design for a personal collection of 25+ items:- Phase 1: Collection concept & visual exploration
- Phase 2: Asset development & wireframe design
- Phase 3: Interactive prototype development
- Phase 4: Prototype refinement & user testing
- Phase 5: Final presentation & process documentation
READINGS
Required Readings
For these required foundational readings, Figma annotation responses are due Sunday at midnight, the day before the following class. These readings provide essential theoretical foundation:- Week 1: Donis A. Dondis - A Primer of Visual Literacy, Ch. 2-3
- Week 2: Josef Albers - Interaction of Color, Plates I-X + introduction and Karl Gerstner, “Structure and Movement”
- Week 3: Beatrice Warde - "The Crystal Goblet" and Bruno Munari, A Language of Signs and Symbols
- Week 4: David Gibbs - "See How You Feel" from Symbols and “Errol Morris, Hear All Ye People; Hearken, O Earth”
- Week 9: Josef Muller-Brockmann - Grid Systems
- Week 10: Karl Gerstner - Designing Programmes, selected chapters
- Week 11: Sharp, Preece & Rogers - Interaction Design, Ch. 7
Supplemental Readings (Extra Credit)
Each week, additional optional readings that go into more theoretical depth for students seeking advanced engagement will be listed. Same annotation format, +1 point toward your reading grade per completed reading.EVALUATION & GRADING
Quantitative Grading Overview
50% Major Projects- 20% Project 1: Logo Design
- 5% Motion Graphics Module
- 25% Project 2: Digital Collection Interface
40% Exercises and Engagement
- 15% Class Exercises
- 10% Attendance (synchronous/asynchronous per policy)
- 10% Reading Annotations (required readings + extra credit supplemental readings)
- 5% Class Participation (critique engagement, peer feedback)
10% Self Reflection
- 5% Tickets to Leave (weekly reflection responses)
- 2% Midterm Self-Assessment
- 3% Final Self-Assessment and Letter to Next Cohort
Qualitative Grading Overview
Each student will be judged on quality, systematic thinking, experimentation, and improvement that their work demonstrates.Sustained excellence in meeting course responsibilities. Work demonstrates sophisticated systematic design thinking, memorable visual impact, and concepts/techniques beyond class discussion. Thorough understanding of design theory and professional practice.
Good performance showing better-than-average understanding of systematic design methodology and visual foundation theory.
Adequate performance meeting course requirements. Competent work showing basic understanding of design principles and systematic thinking.
Less than adequate performance. Work lacking systematic approach and understanding of visual foundation principles.
Course requirements not met. Work shows no understanding of systematic design methodology or visual communication principles.
LETTER GRADES
Letter grades for the entire course will be assigned as follows:
| Letter Grade | Points | Percent |
| A | 4.00 | 92.5% and higher |
| A- | 3.67 | 90.0 – 92.49% |
| B+ | 3.33 | 87.5% - 89.99% |
| B | 3.00 | 82.5% - 87.49% |
| B- | 2.67 | 80% - 82.49% |
| C+ | 2.33 | 77.5% - 79.99% |
| C | 2.00 | 72.5% - 77.49% |
| C- | 1.67 | 70% - 72.49% |
| D+ | 1.33 | 67.5% - 69.99% |
| D | 1.00 | 62.5% - 67.49 |
| D- | .67 | 60% - 62.49% |
| F | .00 | 59.99% and lower |
HOW TO ACCESS YOUR GRADES
Grades for Project 1 and Project 2 will be emailed to you within the same week of the project final review, at midterm and the final week of the semester.GRADING PHILOSOPHY
My grading philosophy for all other work (readings, exercises, tickets to leave, reflections) is that you receive full credit for (a) submitting the assignment on time and (b) demonstrating your engagement with the ideas and concepts of the assignment and (c) following the assignment instructions correctly. Partial credit will be received for work that partially meets those criteria. For the major projects, detailed evaluation rubrics are listed on those projects pages. Please don’t hesitate to schedule a one-on-one meeting time during office hours if you would like to discuss your grade and/or progress in the class at any time during the semester.SCHEDULE
*All homework is listed on the day it is assigned, and is due the following week, unless otherwise specified| Week | Date | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9/8 | Introduction, Course Overview, Gestalt Theory |
| 2 | 9/15 | Color Theory & Relativity, Vector, Raster, AI & PS |
| 3 | 9/22 | Typography, Signs, Symbols and Composition |
| 4 | 9/29 | Logos & Brands |
| 5 | 10/6 | Logo Project Draft 1: Group Critique |
| 6 | 10/14 | Logo Project Draft 2: 1-on-1/peer-to-peer Critiques |
| 7 | 10/20 | Midterm: Logo Project Final Critique |
| 8 | 10/27 | Motion Design Fundamentals (using final logos) |
| 9 | 11/3 | Motion Design Workshop + Project 2 Introduction |
| 10 | 11/10 | Project 2 Phase 1: Collection Concept & Visual Exploration |
| 11 | 11/17 | Project 2 Phase 2: Asset Development & Interface Wireframe Critique |
| 12 | 11/24 | Project 2 Phase 3: Interactive Prototype Development Workshop |
| 13 | 12/1 | Project 2 Phase 4: Interactive Prototype Refinement Critiques |
| 14 | 12/8 | Final: Project 2 Presentations |
Major Critiques:
- Week 5: Logo Draft 1 Group Critique
- Week 6: Logo Draft 2 Individual Critiques
- Week 7: Logo Final (Midterm)
- Week 11: Project 2 Phase 2 Critique
- Week 13: Project 2 Phase 4 Individual Critiques
- Week 14: Project 2 Final Presentations
POLICIES
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Synchronous Attendance
- Be on time for the start of class. We will start promptly at the scheduled class time.
- Zoom will take an attendance snapshot automatically at the beginning of class: if you are late your attendance grade drops to 50% for that class session: therefore it is important to be on time.
- I will join the Zoom room 5 minutes before the scheduled start of class, so that you can chat, ask questions, join a few minutes early, as we would do IRL. I recommend you join a few minutes before our scheduled class start time.
- It is your responsibility to be in a quiet location where you can focus, concentrate on class, and participate both verbally and in the chat.
- You are permitted one absence that does not impact your attendance grade, beyond that absences will be deducted from your attendance grade. See below for limited asynchronous attendance.
- You must join zoom from a laptop, not a tablet or mobile device.
Limited Asynchronous Attendance
This class is online, and with this modality we are afforded some greater flexibility and accomodation compared to in-person classes. I aim to be compassionate and understanding when occasional issues out of your control arise that impact your ability to attend synchronously. This section of the attendance policy is different from usual classes and important to understand to excel in the class.- All classes are recorded on Zoom and accessible shortly (usually within an hour) after class once they process in the Zoom cloud.
- For Excused Absences: Students may request special accommodations for an absence to be excused in the following cases:
- Medical reasons
- Death in immediate family
- Personal qualified emergencies
- Religious Expression or Practice
- For Unexcused Absences: you may make up the missed class session and get attendance credit by watching the recording, completing in-class work, and submitting a ticket to leave, once you have watched the recording. This must be done at least 24 hours before the following class
- (This is intentionally rephrased and repeated!) After attending a class session asynchronously, write your ticket to leave to me, which will count as your attendance and participation for that class. This must be done 24 hours before the following class to receive full attendance credit.
- You are allowed 1 asynchronous class session per semester: beyond 1 asynchronous attendance, asynchronous sessions are only permitted for excused absences.
- If you are absent for a class session, the assignments due for that session must still be completed on time, by the following class meeting time, otherwise they will be considered late.
- Deadlines for reading responses, project reviews, and presentations will still be used, unless a reasonable extension is mutually agreed upon, at least 24 hours before the due date only.
- Assignments such as Exercises and Reading Responses may still be submitted late, and will receive half credit.
- Asynchronous participation does mean doing the classwork at an undefined time of your choosing and convenience.
- Asynchronous participation does not mean procrastinating watching/following along with class and watching multiple classes in a row before a project.
- Synchronous attendance is mandatory for the midterm and final presentations. Absences during midterm and finals week cannot be made up asynchronously.
- If you are absent for more than 2 consecutive classes, I will check in to make sure you are alright. Failure to respond to this may result in a flag of concern being raised in NYU Connect.
In Summary:
Unexcused Absences: Up to 1 asynchronous session per semester
- Watch recording + complete classwork + submit Ticket to Leave via Google Form at least 24 hours before the following class
- Assignments still due on original timeline
IMPORTANT: Synchronous attendance is mandatory for midterm and final presentations.
REQUIRED SOFTWARE & RESOURCES
Adobe Creative Cloud Student Subscription
- Adobe Illustrator (vector graphics, logo design)
- Adobe Photoshop (raster graphics, image editing)
- Adobe InDesign (layout, publication design)
- Adobe After Effects (motion graphics)
- Figma, free for students, register at https://figma.com/education/apply
Required Book
This book is available for purchase in the NYU bookstore, and will be on reserve at the NYU School of Engineering Dibner library. This book is available as an online book via http://bobcat.library.nyu.edu- Lupton, Ellen: Graphic Design: The New Basics
- Available digitally via NYU Libraries at: https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4518455
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
- Schedule your time (maintain a calendar of some sort)
- Come to class on time and participate (be present and engaged)
- Study outside of class: devote minimum 6 hours weekly outside class for assignments and concept development
- Complete all assignments by due dates
- Read assigned materials before class and prepare annotations
- Embrace systematic design methodology through iterative practice
- Take creative risks while maintaining attention to craft and detail
- Talk to me directly about issues and problems. Do not email long conversations. If your email turns into a paragraph or two that means we should schedule a meeting to talk one-on-one, rather than emailing me.
- Have desire amounting to enthusiasm (to learn, to explore)
- Have patience, persistence, and discipline
- Be creative
- Pay attention to detail & craft
- Have self-confidence and pride in your work
- Take risks & be fearless in your projects
- Have fun!
TICKETS TO LEAVE
Submit a Ticket to Leave via the Google Form on the Ticket to Leave page, answering BOTH questions:
- One specific insight from today's class that you found interesting, important, or newly learned.
- One question or confusion about today's content that you want clarified or want to explore further.
These responses help me understand your learning process and adjust future sessions accordingly. If attending a class session asynchronously, submit your Ticket To Leave via Google Form after watching recording, but before the next class.
ACADEMIC HONESTY/PLAGIARISM
All work for this class must be your own and specific to this semester. Any work recycled from other classes or from another, non-original source will be rejected with serious implications for the student. Plagiarism, knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own work in any academic exercise, is absolutely unacceptable. Any student who commits plagiarism must re-do the assignment. Please use the MLA style for citing and documenting source material.
NYU School of Engineering Policies and Procedures on Academic Misconduct
The School of Engineering encourages academic excellence in an environment that promotes honesty, integrity, and fairness, and students at the School of Engineering are expected to exhibit those qualities in their academic work. It is through the process of submitting their own work and receiving honest feedback on that work that students may progress academically. Any act of academic dishonesty is seen as an attack upon the School and will not be tolerated. Furthermore, those who breach the School's rules on academic integrity will be sanctioned under this Policy. Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the School's Policy on Academic Misconduct.Definition: Academic dishonesty may include misrepresentation, deception, dishonesty, or any act of falsification committed by a student to influence a grade or other academic evaluation. Academic dishonesty also includes intentionally damaging the academic work of others or assisting other students in acts of dishonesty. Common examples of academically dishonest behavior include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Cheating: intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized notes, books, electronic media, or electronic communications in an exam; talking with fellow students or looking at another person's work during an exam; submitting work prepared in advance for an in-class examination; having someone take an exam for you or taking an exam for someone else; violating other rules governing the administration of examinations.
- Fabrication: including but not limited to, falsifying experimental data and/or citations.
- Plagiarism: intentionally or knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one's own in any academic exercise; failure to attribute direct quotations, paraphrases, or borrowed facts or information.
- Unauthorized collaboration: working together on work that was meant to be done individually.
- Duplicating work: presenting for grading the same work for more than one project or in more than one class, unless express and prior permission has been received from the course instructor(s) or research adviser involved.
- Forgery: altering any academic document, including, but not limited to, academic records, admissions materials, or medical excuses.
Access the entire School of Engineering Student Code of Conduct here: engineering.nyu.edu/academics/code-of-conduct
GENERATIVE TOOL USE IN THIS CLASS
The releases of generative "Artificial Intelligence" models such as ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc. in Fall 2022 have created new skillsets to understand, new repercussions and contexts for creative labor. The applications of these tools to visual identity design is not (yet) good enough to design logos and use typography, however it is inevitable they will improve and become valuable tools if understood and used with intention. A good rule of thumb is to replace "intelligence" with "stupidity" and if artificial stupidity still makes sense in that context, consider how using "artificial stupidity" in that situation would be more or less helpful than "human stupidity."
Where noted, you are allowed to use generative AI tools (e.g. Chat GPT, DALL-E, Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, etc.) for projects and exercises. However, work created with AI tools must be identified as such and you must describe how you used them, e.g. what prompt you used, the model and versions of model. Note that you are responsible for all parts of an assignment; if an AI tool provides incorrect information, it is your responsibility to find and fix the error before submitting. Note too that over-reliance on AI can hinder independent thinking and creativity. If you utilize ChatGPT for any part of the assignment (from idea generation to text creation to text editing), you must properly cite ChatGPT. Violations can result in failure of the assignment or failure of the course.
- Save copies of each step in a spreadhseet to create a record that can be shared with your instructors to facilitate conversations about your work. For example, keep copies of your previous drafts before and after interacting with generative AI.
- Ensure that your final work is your own and is not simply copied and pasted from a generative AI tool
- Your own style and voice should be evident.
- Simply rephrasing AI-generated content is not enough for it to be considered your own work! You must still apply your own critical and creative thinking to ensure learning.
- Foreground intellectual virtues and beware of cognitive biases from the Open Inquiry Toolkit.
- Note the limitations of generative AI, most notably that content generated by AI may be biased, made up, inaccurate, not up to date, etc.
- Apply critical thinking at all times! It is important to fact-check and cross-verify any information generative AI gives you.
- Using generative AI is not the same as using a search engine.
Think for yourself
- Form your own perspectives and points of view. Do not rely solely on information generated by generative AI tools.
- The ease of producing material can lead to automation bias, where the simplicity of generating unlimited amounts of output weakens students' critical faculties, making it harder to notice that any given example of output is low quality.
- AI output is opaque. There is no way for a student (or anyone) to know how an answer was constructed or how a change to a prompt will change the answer. There is also no way to produce the same answer in the future, even with an identical prompt. This opacity can limit students' comprehension of the output.
- AI tools are not authoritative sources. While their output should be acknowledged, they should never be cited as evidence. No matter what tools are used, the student is ultimately responsible for the correctness of the output.
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS
If you are a student with a disability who is requesting accommodations, please contact New York University's Moses Center for Student Accessibility (CSA) at 212-998-4980 or mosescsa@nyu.edu. You must be registered with CSA to receive accommodations. Information about the Moses Center can be found at https://www.nyu.edu/csa. The Moses Center is located at 726 Broadway on the 2nd floor.
If you are experiencing an illness or any other situation that might affect your academic performance in a class, please contact the Tandon Office of Advocacy, Compliance and Student Affairs: eng.studentadvocate@nyu.edu.
STATEMENT ON INCLUSION
The NYU Tandon School values an inclusive and equitable environment for all our students. I hope to foster a sense of community in this class and consider it a place where individuals of all backgrounds, beliefs, ethnicities, national origins, gender identities, sexual orientations, religious and political affiliations, and abilities will be treated with respect. It is my intent that all students' learning needs be addressed, and that the diversity that students bring to this class be viewed as a resource, strength and benefit. If this standard is not being upheld, please feel free to speak with me.
RESOURCES FOR NON-CITIZEN STUDENTS
More than 40 percent of NYU students are international students. A smaller number are undocumented students, but many more come from mixed status families and communities. As a professor, I am committed to doing everything I can to ensure that every student, regardless of immigration status, is safe in this classroom. Following the recommendation of the NYU chapter of the AAUP, I encourage students to seek free legal support and other resources through NYU's Immigrant Defense Initiative. NYU IDI provides an extensive list of updates and resources. Students may also consult the "Know Your Rights" information provided by the New York Immigration Coalition.