Objective: To creatively give the gift of art to our local community.

Solution: Introduce an inspiring, fun, interactive, and educational Visual Communication Design Curriculum in the advanced 8th grade art class at Colina Jr. High in Thousand Oaks.

We love what we do as Visual Communication Designers and have enjoyed our education at CSU Channel Islands. It has been an honor and a privilege to study, contemplate, experiment with, create, and explore past and present visual media. We feel that today's youth will share our passion, and we desire to relay our enthusiasm of  solving visual problems as a career choice. Today we live in a world increasingly dependent on visual interpretation. Every day we are subject to visual messages, both subliminal and explicit. It is our belief that with a strong educational background in visual communication processes, students will better understand the world around them, giving them the confidence they need to be leaders and decision makers. We hope that our curriculum inspires a strong foundation of awareness in our students, as they will be confronted with visual stimuli for the rest of their lives.

Sponsorship: We are seeking sponsorship from any local business or individual who believes in our cause and would like to play a part in shaping young lives. We are looking to raise enough money to provide each student with a complementary T-shirt as a souvenir to remember our program by, as well as generate excitement and awareness about the program. Any additional money we are able to raise will go directly towards school art supplies (which we have deemed to be very much needed!)

A donation of $500 from any individual will warrant a return donation in the form of a design project (logo design, advertisement, identity consulting, etc). We feel this is an exceptional deal for both parties, as most identity projects typically cost business's far greater than $500.

Curriculum Outline

Week 1 : illustration
A lesson in the basics of illustration. Topics of Rythme, line, and shape will be introduced. Students will be asked to create a cartoon character at the end of the lesson.

Week 2: One Point Perspective
A lesson in the basics of how to draw structures in one point perspective. Students will be asked to draw a scene with at least 3 structures from one one point perspective.

Week 3: Composition
Students will be introduced to the topics of balance, weight, cropping, layout design, as well as a brief lesson in color theory. They will be asked to create and arrange 3-5 separate elements onto a page, with the goal of creating a visually pleasing piece.

Week 4: Two Point perspective
Students will be introduced to two point perspective and will be asked to draw a landscape. Depth perception and spacing will be discussed.

Week 5: Lettering
A brief lecture on the history of letters as a communication tool will be given, leading to a discussion on how lettering styles influence communication today. Students will be asked to choose an appropriate word and experiment with how the letters fit together.

Week 6: Identity
Students will be asked to brainstorm ideas about how they would like to represent themselves visually. The topics of visual problem solving and the creative process will be introduced. They will be asked to create a logo that communicates at least three positive attributes about themselves.

Week 7: Graphic Design
A review session of the previous lessons will be held. Students will be asked to create 1 page magazine style advertisement campaign about why they should be class president. They will be asked to include their logo as well as lettering and illustration.
 
Week 8: Graphic Design 2
Students will be asked to complete an assignment of their choosing, putting to use the skills taught throughout the course.