Design Document Susan Genden Wayne State University Design Document Susan Genden Wayne State University Digital Layout I: Adobe InDesign Training

What is Adobe InDesign?  InDesign is a page layout program  Using it, we make professional files for high quality documents that can be sent to a commercial printer or distributed as pdf files

A sample of good design InDesign allows you to combine text and graphics and provides a wide selection of tools and formats

What is the current situation?  A community college class meets for sixteen weeks, twice weekly for three hours per class  Students learn how to use the software, basics of typography and page layout through demos, hands on exercises, some page layout critiques, quizzes and projects.  Learners range from: new high school graduates to seniors, a few have disabilities, all matriculate in the graphics dept.

Introduction to the problem  The lead graphic design professor rejected new InDesign training materials for various reasons.  The training materials used were from extant exercises from a different layout program, QuarkXpress, and from an old version of InDesign.  The different instructors had no uniform curriculum  Part way through the course, I was told that all instructors were to use the same midterm exam and final project.

Needs assessment  Since some exercises used by the instructors were provided from an earlier version of the software training, the instructions were not always correct  These exercises were complex and hard to follow.  Because of few pre-existing materials, each instructor created and tested course materials during the course. This resulted in duplicate curriculum development.  Students came in at different competency levels and worked at different rates.

Needs assessment – cont.  When asked to perform independently, many students could not transfer these skills to new work without assistance  Better organization would benefit the students in ensuring good coverage of the necessary subject areas  One of the instructors prepared the exams after training had begun without knowing what other instructors were teaching. This meant that all students might not have learned the materials

Solution: Course redesign for Digital Layout I: Adobe InDesign  More organized framework, clearer directions  Exercises prepared in advance for the proper software version used  Creative exercises to apply knowledge at regular intervals, not just follow exercises  More critiques to give them design feedback  Start with the basics to include students with no background

Training Design - prerequisites  The students must be able to  follow visual demonstrations, to read printed directions  Students will have a basic understanding of computer and operating system use  They will know how to use the network and jump drives for retrieving lessons and backing up  Students should have CD-Rs or jump drives to back-up work.

Training Design  Potential obstacles:  A great deal of material to cover for a good understanding  Some students with special needs may need to work without time limits. These students should contact the instructor to make special arrangements.  Many students have jobs and must be able to arrange enough lab time to finish the work.  The application may freeze. Students must learn to back up files frequently.

Objectives The student will be able to:  Describe and use the point system of measurement  Classify typefaces  Understand and use basic typographic principles in page layouts  Navigate through an electronic document in InDesign.  Create a simple layout in InDesign CS using frames and by importing text and images  Combine text and graphics in page layout  Change application defaults that affect documents created in this computer application

More Objectives  Use the InDesign tools needed to create and modify text in the electronic document  Understand and be able to place and modify graphic images in the document  Use master pages to design and format page layout  Define and apply colors in the page layout  Create and manage layers  Output to various imaging devices as appropriate for web and printed InDesign documents and PDF files.

Materials The instructor will need:  A chair and a computer with a USB port and with Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat installed to give demonstrations and to modify associated graphics  Network access to post data files  Connection to overhead projector  Overhead projector and screen  Whiteboard an dry-erase markers  Access to photocopier  Color laser printer and printer paper  Visual Quickstart Guide to InDesign CS – reference book  Jump drive to bring in any files created elsewhere and post on the network  Instructor guide

Design  The course was divided into nine modules given over 16 weeks.  The modules integrated more time for creative work and transfer of exercise skills to independent work  The curriculum included more critiques of work to help develop design skills  All objectives were considered in the development phase so students would be prepared for the midterm and final projects

Development  I will be the main person to develop the student and instructor guides. Two other instructors will assist and will help incorporate older materials that meet the objectives  The software used to develop the guides will be Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator. The graphics will be imported into InDesign. Print production of the final digital files will be completed by school print department.

Development  Instructor (5) and student guides (60) will be developed and printed for the implementation  Guides must include CDs with exercises  Print examples in color and hand out separately from the student guides. These will show correct color use. They may be printed from finished pdf files of the completed exercises on the instructor CDs  Instructor guides must be written to accommodate either a PC or Macintosh

Implementation  The instructor will  Introduce topics  Review objectives  Demonstrate lessons on the computer  Assist students individually as they go through the student guides and complete exercises.  The instructor will make sure that students have data files to complete the work and printed color samples  Allow time for questions and answers, interactions, conduct critiques  Students with particular disabilities will be given extra time to complete projects and to take quizzes or exams

Formative Evaluation  Materials should be tested on a small sample of students who do not know the program  Pilot testing and feedback should indicate likely success.  All three instructors should try out the materials for missing or confusing directions and steps

Summative Evaluation  All students will take surveys on software skills on the first day of class  A final evaluation by students (level 1)at the end will show their assessments  At least one quiz (short answers, multiple choice, and/or matching) and possibly more will be given during the course to assess skill mastery (Level 2)  MidTerms and Final Projects show mastery

Summative Evaluations  Portfolios will show transfer of learning  Instructors (level 2) evaluate the course  Follow up (level 3) evaluations with supervisors in internship placements or job placements.  Did they transfer the learning to new job?  Do their new skills help the company (level 4)?