Teaching

Visual Design Lab 1

Abstract 2024-2025 calendar, a group project

I created this group project for my students because, in my view, this assignment encompasses many graphic design principles, encourages abstract and independent thinking, and involves collaborative work on a group project. Through research, discussions, and critiques, my students finalized the look of this calendar and developed graphic design elements that ensured project consistency while preserving each design's individuality.

In addition to mastering fundamental graphic design principles, my students learned conceptual thinking and teamwork skills. The assignment tasked them with creating an abstract 2024 calendar. They had the option to present their favorite designs from the Design Principles Exploration assignment or develop entirely new artworks.

During our initial discussions, students worked on individual artworks for their chosen month of the abstract calendar. Simultaneously, we brainstormed various indirect and abstract approaches to represent the year, months, and the grid of days typical in a calendar. Critiques involved analyzing the application of design principles in each design, voting on the best designs for the calendar's overall layout, and providing constructive feedback. Group decisions were made regarding the winning designs for the calendar's key elements.

For each month, the year number is consistently positioned in the top right corner of each artwork, maintaining a monochrome and abstract approach across all designs, which unites all the pages of this calendar. The graphic for each month is also consistent in design, while my students chose to keep the individual day grids unique on each page of the project. The calendar is bound using disk binding with silver, white, and black disks and a triangular base made of thicker paper.