Document Design

English 3115 CRN15719

Redesign and Analysis Project

Final version due on paper: 4/6
Initial analysis with brochure due: 3/18
Draft of designed brochure: 3/30

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to analyze and critique an existing design and then to improve the existing design with a redesign. The purpose is also to show your ability to understand and apply design concepts from the class.

The project: For this project you must find a brochure or similar document (like a small website, but I'll just call it "brochure" here for easy reference) that you think is poorly designed. You must critique and analyze the brochure and then you must redesign the brochure, drawing on design concepts from the class. I may have some brochures for you to consider, but feel free to choose a brochure on your own. There are three major parts to this assignment:

1) Analyzing and critiquing the brochure: after finding a brochure you will need to submit a 1-2 page analysis and critique of the brochure. In this analysis and critique discuss the audience, purpose, and context of the design. Consider the various design analysis areas from class:

• Proximity
• Alignment
• Repetition
• Contrast
• Visual Culture
• Visual Perception
• Visual Rhetoric including: Rhetor & rhetor’s goals, Audience, Ethos, Logos, Pathos
• Color
  
• Focal points & things that might be missed
• Figure-Ground Contrast
• Visual Noise
• Type choices and uses including voice-over, faces, and contrast choices
• Use of images
• Readability and legibility
• Adherence to the brochure (or other similar document guidelines provided in Williams Design 8)

You do not need to analyze each of these, but do make sure your analysis covers the applicable areas. Do include the brochure or object being redesigned.

Due: 3/18 on paper. Worth 20% of project grade

2) The brochure draft: Bring a copy of your redesigned brochure to class on 3/30 along with the original. Counts as participation.

3) The final product: The final product has three parts:

• The redesigned brochure: turn in the final redesigned brochure in its correct form (in color if it should be in color, on correct paper…).Worth 25% of project grade
• The explanatory memo: take your earlier analysis and critique of the original brochure and then tell me how you solved all the design problems you found. Discuss audience, purpose, context, and all of the various design analysis areas listed above. Also, cover any additional improvements you made. This should be 2-3 pages (single spaced, of course, longer if you use more leading, but, if done well may be shorter or longer. Worth 50% of project grade
• The original brochure: Make *sure* you hand this in to so I can see how amazing your redesign really is. Worth 5% of project grade

Due: 4/6