Nicole Roberts MFA Thesis Visual Component Artwork - Savannah ...

EXPECTATION 2 | craft & technique
As a Project Designer, Liz Teston of asd in
Atlanta observes, “Recent graduates often have
tremendous computer skills that give the perception
that they can also hand sketch, but actually many
cannot.” This is a skill typically emphasized during
first year foundation programs, but according to
multiple professional testimonies, students are not
retaining this knowledge. The deficiency of new
graduates’ handcraft in the professional workplace
is attributed not only to their exclusive dependency
upon the computer, but also to the diminishing role
of foundation studies and its inconsistent quality.
Early design education should avoid the constructs
of computer labs, only using them sparingly as an
introduction to software for future use. An inadequate
foundation curriculum yields students whose craft
and technique are subordinate to that of the computer.
These are the students who rush to commemorate the
first idea that pops into their head by making it digital,
versus taking half of the time to brainstorm numerous
concepts with quick thumbnails by hand on paper.
“This generally inhibits the development of ideas,
because psychologically you tend to restrict yourself
to what you are capable of achieving technically.” 10
Research shows that students are not practicing
their handcraft and technique by their own disposition.
The solution is reminiscent of elementary math class
when teachers admonished the old “show your work”
adage to adolescents calculating their long division
problems. There is validation in showing the process.
For graphic design coursework, process books must
be a non-negotiable expectation for each project from
conception to completion. Ideally, process books
are considered as a portion of the student’s grade
at midterm and the end of the course. As educators
emphasize and expect continual documentation of
preliminary sketches, students will infuse the practice
of handcraft into their permanent repertoire for
the professional workplace. We are past the Milton
Glaser heyday when he proclaimed, “Computers are
to design as microwaves are to cooking.” 11 But despite
these technological advances, it will always remain
critical for design students to develop the skill of
hand sketching concepts on paper. The opportunities
for pedagogical change seem cut and dry to leading
professionals like Mike Sloan, Partner at Lippincott
in New York, “Schools need to pay more attention to
hand sketching skills, not just computer skills.”
You don’t have to give
up your pencil when you
switch to computer design.
The Mac’s just another pencil!
April Greiman
16