Due date and submission: May 12 by 5PM, as .pdf and .indd files in the “final exam” dropbox on Blackboard
Basics
For the final exam, create a portfolio in InDesign that features five examples of work you did for this class alongside a 200-word (approximate) analysis of the graphic design principles you’re using in each example. Select examples from five different projects: either mini projects or one of the larger projects. Do not choose examples from homework assignments. You may choose to reference just one part of a project — for example, one photograph from the triptych project, or one badge from the badges project. Please review/re-read Chapter 5 (Mini Art School) in White Space Is Not Your Enemy for ideas about what you should write about in your analyses. Audio and video design have a slightly different set of terms (remember the day we talked about cinematography?) so you will not find all the ideas you need in White Space Chapter 5. Any graphic design principles and best practices discussed during the semester would be appropriate for you to analyze in light of the work you created for our class.
Expectations
Portfolio set-up. Set up your portfolio following the instructions in Chapter 12 in Foundations of Digital Art and Design. You will find a completed Chapter 12 portfolio on the textbook’s website. However, you may find it most efficient to start your own portfolio from scratch, following the step-by-step directions in the book, since using the completed work files will be a little tricky. Also, I encourage you to go through the steps instead of just using the completed example since it will give you some experience laying out pages and working with “masters” in InDesign. You may need/want to design a brochure or publication in the future, so you can give yourself a little experience going through the steps in Chapter 12.
Layout. You do not need to use the exact design from Chapter 12. Feel free to choose your own layout, color, fonts, etc. The page size and document settings / quality should be the same as Chapter 12, and you should follow the general structure of having your name on each page and a clear title of the work being discussed on that page. The title page is optional.
Inserting graphics. Use the Place command to insert graphics into InDesign, using “High Quality Display” settings when you insert the graphic. You learned how to do this if you completed the Business Card homework assignment. Do not allow fuzzy and pixelated graphics in your portfolio.
Written analysis. For the written part of the exam, use good college writing skills as you would for any writing assignment. You may find it helpful to draft your analysis paragraphs and take them to the writing center for feedback before putting them into your portfolio. I would suggest not typing your analysis directly into InDesign because it will be more difficult to revise and spellcheck. In your analysis, remember that you are trying to communicate something in your projects. How did you use graphic design principles and best practices to reach an audience? Here is an example analysis.
Citing quotes. I would prefer that you do not use quotes and instead paraphrase concepts to show better understanding. If you do quote from the textbook, you will need to use quote marks and a citation to attribute your source. Do not plagiarize language from the textbook. Try to use your own words, or use a quote if absolutely needed.
Submission. Submit the final exam as both a PDF file and an .indd file to the correct dropbox on Blackboard. The final is due by 5PM on May 12.