DES-313 Graphic Design in Fashion (4)

Spring 2019

TTH 3-5:40pm

Location: HAR 117

Instructor: Penny Collins and Helene Reiner

Office: Watt 104
Office Hours: 5:45 - 6:45 pm after class by
appointment
Contact Info: [email protected]
[email protected] ??

Normal email response is within 48 hours

IT Help: Roski IT Services, Watt Hall 116

Hours of Service: M-F 9am to 5pm
Contact Info: Hayk Avetisyan ([email protected]) 213-821-1414

Course Description
An intensive studio and lecture course focusing on the applications of graphic design in fashion and related fields.
This lecture and workshop course will focus on the fashion field and graphic design applications in that industry. The class will
offer an insight into the role of graphic design in apparel design, fashion marketing, branding and advertising, photography,
exhibition design/visual merchandise presentation, and editorial/publication design. Students will be introduced to influential
designers, art & creative directors and artists who have made an impact on this dynamic and rapidly moving industry. Studio
work includes producing inspiration / mood boards, marketing collateral (hang tags, ad concepts/collaborations, etc.)
prototype garment/accessory, and publication design through traditional and digital means.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

The value of students’ graphic design / art / photography /sculpture /painting /drawing /ceramics /printmaking / intermedia /
and critical studies backgrounds will be recognized, examined and utilized via the various aspects of fashion design and
marketing. Computer skills are as important as a maker’s hand. Fine Art’s figure drawing gracefully eases into fashion
illustration for advertising. Sculpture underpins what is the core of draping /tailoring on the human form. Photography’s
ability to create a mood while capturing a fashion image defines a fashion brand. The painter’s canvas can become a textile
design. Textiles and ceramics inform the making of accessories and product lines.

Prerequisite(s): DES 102.

Recommended Preparation: DES 203

Technological Proficiency and Hardware/Software Required

Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop is assumed, software will not be taught in this course.

Revised January 2019

Readings and Supplementary Materials
Suggested articles/further details of class topics will be provided as topics are introduced.
Recommended books include:
Couture Graphique: Fashion, Graphic Design & the Body by José Teunissen
Art/Fashion in the 21st Century by Mitchell Oakley Smith et al
Behind Collections: Graphic Design and Promotion for Fashion Brands by Victionary
Graphic Design for Fashion by Jay Hess & Simone Pasztorek
Fashion: A Definitive History of Costume and Style Smithsonian D K Penguin Random House
Portfolio Presentation for Fashion Designers by Linda Tain, 4th edition, Bloomsbury
Research and Design by Simon Seivewright, 2007, Bloomsbury Academic
Pattern Magic by Tomoko Nakamichi

Description and Assessment of Assignments

The first half of the course will concentrate on information gathering and skill building, combining lecture/slide presentations
focused on the fashion design industry and its history with studio-based demonstrations of techniques utilized in the
development of fashion brand and product. Each student is responsible to keep a design journal which will function as a
record of creative development. Each student will design a small collection for a chosen existing brand, with collateral
elements, which will be presented as the midterm project. The second half of the course is devoted to each student’s
personal design aesthetic and the creation of an original brand concept, collateral materials, and prototype products. The
outcomes will be assessed with grading rubrics for each project.

Grading Breakdown

Assignment Points % of Grade

Weekly Design Journal 125 25
Midterm Design Project 125 25
Final Design Project 175 35
Participation 75 15

TOTAL 500 100

Grading Scale
Course final grades will be determined using the following scale
A 95-100
A- 90-94
B+ 87-89
B 83-86
B- 80-82
C+ 77-79
C 73-76
C- 70-72
D+ 67-69
D 63-66
D- 60-62
F 59 and below

Syllabus for DES313, Page 2

Work in Class
Always be prepared to work by bringing any tools or materials needed to proceed with your projects, and always bring your
design journal to every class, both Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Supply List: See Handout

COURSE REQUIREMENTS & GRADING

Grading
Projects will be evaluated based on their adherence to given guidelines, attention to craft and overall appropriateness.
Initiative, progress and follow through will also be considered. Both giving and receiving feedback is crucial to success in the
class; therefore, the class participation grade is based on active involvement in class and critiques. Missed presentations may
not be made up, and late projects will lose one full letter grade for each class meeting they are late. For each unit of in-class
contact time, the university expects two hours of out of class student work per week over the semester.

Assignment Submission Policy

It is the student’s responsibility to clearly identify their work with their name, the project name, and date. Assignments are to
be submitted in person in class and are due at the beginning of the class period, and, when indicated, submitted on
Blackboard at My USC. All homework and assignments must be submitted on time. Late assignments will lose one full letter
grade for each CLASS MEETING day they are late. All written work must be spell-checked and all RESEARCH SOURCES MUST BE
CITED.

Grading Timeline
Design journals will be reviewed bi-weekly, with feedback given. Midterm projects will be evaluated promptly, within one
week of the midterm presentations. Final presentations will be evaluated within one week of the end of final exam period.

Additional Policies
Overview: Students MUST attend all lectures and presentations to get the full impact of the course. Students are responsible
for all assignments, including homework, in class work, critiques, presentations, demos, readings, process and archiving work.

All assignments, rubrics, handouts, and project guidelines will be posted on Blackboard and referenced in class. It is the
students’ responsibility to obtain information from Blackboard, as well as any missed work and information if absent.

Students must have access to a copier, computer, printer, digital camera/smartphone or other means of documenting work.
Resource materials: It is the student’s responsibility to provide additional tools and materials as needed to complete projects.
DES313 is a lecture, discussion, and studio-based class: It is crucial for students to attend class since information given via
lectures or exchanged in a group discussion, critique, or workshop setting may not be imparted through handouts or notes.
Students must attend class to succeed in the course. More than 2 absences will result in a lowered grade, more than 4 will
result in failure. Class starts promptly: Tardiness or early leaving from class counts toward absence. 2 tardies or early
departures equal one absence.

Communication with your instructors is critical. If you require accommodations for a special circumstance as outlined in the
Support Services and Programs section of this syllabus, it is essential that you inform your instructors at the start of the
semester. Please do not wait for the “crunch” to share your situation .

The format of the course is lecture, group critique, class discussions, demonstration and lab. Being attentive, present, and
participating in activities is required for success in the class. If there is a compelling reason such as personal or family
emergency, please let the instructor know that you must monitor your device. Otherwise, please refrain from texting,
phoning, etc., during class time. During studio working sessions, individual headphones may be used to listen to music while
working as long as the instructor has indicated that it is an appropriate time. There will be a 10 minute bio break halfway
through class, to allow restroom visits and quick snacks. Please don’t bring food or drinks into the workspace.

Syllabus for DES313, Page 3

Course Schedule
Important Note: For the benefit of the learning process, dates and topics may be subject to change.

Week Date Topic/Assignments Due

Week 1
Meeting 1 Jan 8 (P+H) Topic: H+P = Introductions - Design Philosophy - 2019 Trends

Meeting 2 Jan 10 (P) Topic: 20th-21st Century Historic Designers

Week 2 DJ-1
Meeting 3 Jan 15 (H) Topic: 20th-21st C Period Looks that Lead to Graphic Appeal;
Customer Profile, Market, Category; DP & your Logo Design;
Developing your Design Journal

Meeting 4 Jan 17 (P) Topic: Exploring 21st C Innovative Fabrications; Modes of

Sustainable Production
Week 3 DJ-2
Meeting 5 Jan 22 (H) Topic: 20 Key Trends, Market Projections, Season, Color,
Consumer Demand; Inspiration & Application to your
Fashion Graphics and Design

Meeting 6 Jan 24 (P) Topic: 21st c Look Good, Feel Good, Fashion with a
Conscience, Celebrity Fashion Brands, Collectible Fashion
Week 4 DJ-3
Meeting 7 Jan 29 (H) Topic: Illustrating the Contemporary Fashion Croquis

Meeting 8 Jan 31 (P) Topic: Fashion Illustration History through the

Lens of Vogue Magazine 1940s
Week 5 DJ-4
Meeting 9 Feb 5 (H) Topic: Textile Innovation; Fabric Selection & Details

Meeting 10 Feb 7 (P) Topic: Experimental Fabrication Development

Week 6 DJ-5
Meeting 11 Feb 12 (H) Field Trip 1: Innovative Textiles Collection

Meeting 12 Feb 14 (P) Topic: Sustainability and Technology in Fashion

Week 7 DJ-6
Meeting 13 Feb 19 (H) Topic: Designing a Branded Collection: Developing a Cohesive
Look; Pattern & Repeat, Color, Contrast; Engineering
Placement; Textile Innovation

Meeting 14 Feb 21 (P) Field Trip 2: Historic Dress Collection

Syllabus for DES313, Page 4

 Week 8 DJ-7
Meeting 15 Feb 26 (H) Topic: Finalizing All Elements Midterm Presentations

Meeting 16 Feb 28 (P) Finalizing Midterm Presentations

Week 9
Meeting 17 Mar 5 (H) Midterm Project Presentations
Meeting 18 Mar 7 (P) Midterm Project Presentations

Week 10 March 12 & 14 No Class - Spring Break

Week 11 DJ-8
Meeting 19 Mar 19 (H) Topic: Theme Development; Guest Speaker - Fashion Graphic Artist

Meeting 20 Mar 21 (P) Topic: Your Brand: Customer, Preliminary Sketches,

Logo Design and Graphics, Deconstruction/Reconstruction
Project
Week 12 DJ-9
Meeting 21 Mar 26 Topic: Draping - Basic Garment, Skirt, Kimono Top, etc.

Meeting 22 Mar 28 Topic: Continuation of Draping, Transfer to Pattern

Week 13 DJ-10
Meeting 23 Apr 2 Topic: Branded Elements - Surface Design, Fabric Painting, Detail
Treatments, etc.

Meeting 24 Apr 4 Field Trip 3: Graphics, Signature Print, Pattern and Repeat

Week 14 DJ-11
Meeting 26 Apr 9 Topic: Review all Collection Elements

Meeting 28 Apr 11 Topic: Line Development - Pattern and Sewing

Week 15 DJ-12
Meeting 29 Apr 16 Topic: Finalizing Presentation

Meeting 30 Apr 18 Topic: Finalizing Presentation

Week 16 DTA Final Project Presentations

Date: For the date and time of the final for this class, consult the USC Schedule of Classes at classes.usc.edu/.

Syllabus for DES313, Page 5

 Statement on Academic Conduct and Support Systems

Academic Conduct:

Plagiarism – presenting someone else’s ideas as your own, either verbatim or recast in your own words – is a serious
academic offense with serious consequences. Please familiarize yourself with the discussion of plagiarism in SCampus in Part
B, Section 11, “Behavior Violating University Standards” policy.usc.edu/scampus-part-b. Other forms of academic dishonesty
are equally unacceptable. See additional information in SCampus and university policies on scientific misconduct,
policy.usc.edu/scientific-misconduct.

Support Systems:

Student Health Counseling Services - (213) 740-7711 – 24/7 on call

engemannshc.usc.edu/counseling
Free and confidential mental health treatment for students, including short-term psychotherapy, group counseling, stress
fitness workshops, and crisis intervention.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 1 (800) 273-8255 – 24/7 on call

suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Services (RSVP) - (213) 740-4900 – 24/7 on call
engemannshc.usc.edu/rsvp
Free and confidential therapy services, workshops, and training for situations related to gender-based harm.

Office of Equity and Diversity (OED) | Title IX - (213) 740-5086

equity.usc.edu, titleix.usc.edu
Information about how to get help or help a survivor of harassment or discrimination, rights of protected classes, reporting
options, and additional resources for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and applicants. The university prohibits discrimination or
harassment based on the following protected characteristics: race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, gender,
gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical disability, medical condition, mental disability, marital
status, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, and any other characteristic which may be specified in applicable laws
and governmental regulations.

Bias Assessment Response and Support - (213) 740-2421

studentaffairs.usc.edu/bias-assessment-response-support
Avenue to report incidents of bias, hate crimes, and microaggressions for appropriate investigation and response.

The Office of Disability Services and Programs - (213) 740-0776

dsp.usc.edu
Support and accommodations for students with disabilities. Services include assistance in providing
readers/notetakers/interpreters, special accommodations for test taking needs, assistance with architectural barriers,
assistive technology, and support for individual needs.

USC Support and Advocacy - (213) 821-4710

studentaffairs.usc.edu/ssa
Assists students and families in resolving complex personal, financial, and academic issues adversely affecting their success as
a student.
Diversity at USC - (213) 740-2101
diversity.usc.edu
Information on events, programs and training, the Provost’s Diversity and Inclusion Council, Diversity Liaisons for each
academic school, chronology, participation, and various resources for students.

USC Emergency - UPC: (213) 740-4321, HSC: (323) 442-1000 – 24/7 on call

Syllabus for DES313, Page 6

dps.usc.edu, emergency.usc.edu
Emergency assistance and avenue to report a crime. Latest updates regarding safety, including ways in which instruction will
be continued if an officially declared emergency makes travel to campus infeasible.

USC Department of Public Safety - UPC: (213) 740-6000, HSC: (323) 442-120 – 24/7 on call
dps.usc.edu
Non-emergency assistance or information.

Syllabus for DES313, Page 7