Design Habit 2 @USD

Design Habit 2: Graphic Design Workshop 2011, 5 June – 11 June
University of South Dakota, Art Department|Graphic Design, Vermillion, South Dakota.

Photo caption: USD graphic design student, Amanda Connelly, is positioning a pedestal for her display of handcrafted artist's books while Aaron Packard a professional photographer for Lumo Studio looks on. photograph by versluis.

“Habit is a second nature that destroys the first… .” —Blaise Pascal, Pensees

Recently, by invitation, I participated as one of the professional portfolio reviewers on the final day of Design Habit 2. The event poster says, “The Graphic Design Summer Workshop is open to college students, K12 teachers, and prospective college students with demonstrated talents in the visual arts and a strong interest in graphic design.” The Workshop culminated on Saturday afternoon, June 11, with an exhibition in the John A. Day Gallery in the Warren M. Lee Center for the Fine Arts on the campus of the University of South Dakota. In all, I was able to discuss/review seven individual portfolios.

Under the direction of professor Young Ae Kim, students assembled and installed their work completed during the week long Workshop. Many also displayed a major project, which was completed during the Spring Semester. A formal exhibition reception allowed students to present their projects to design professionals, instructors, colleagues, family, and friends. Student projects were hypothetical projects about promoting products that are made with sustainable materials. Projects including visual identity and public awareness campaigns on a particular social issue. There was a workshop on handcrafted artist books too.

Design Habit workshops consisted of the following sessions:

Session 1: Web and Kinetic Typography in Graphic Design. This course offers software skills and strategic design problem solving.

Session 2: Print & Business practice in Graphic Design. This course stimulates thinking about the design process and the value of design.

Instructors were Young Ae Kim, Assistant Professor, University of South Dakota and Julius Woodard, Freelance Graphic Designer in Georgia, South Carolina, and Virginia. Both are graduates of the Savannah College of Art and Design. Plans are underway for Design Habit 3 in 2012.