1. Have the students read one newspaper for one week. Ask them to study the typography of the newspaper and analyze the type system. What do certain typefaces say about the paper, the philosophy of the paper and its contents.
2. Ask the students to bring in one story they have written in another class or in a reporting class. What visual potential does the story have? Create the visuals, in photos or graphics, design a page with real story and images.
3. On deadline. In a one-hour class give the students the inside front page of The New York Times. Have them work in teams creating the front page of the newspaper with their version of what’s important.
4. Take one word in the news and have the students design that word with type alone. The word could be “cult” or “homosexuality.” Have students create a logo with a name. Imagine it would run as a sig for a continuing series of stories.
5. Collect a variety of design examples from everywhere including newspaper, magazines, brochures, advertisements and TV. Take slides of the pieces to use as teaching tools in class. Tape record interesting TV commercials that might spark creativity in the students.
6. Redesign the student campus newspapers. Set it up as if it’s a real redesign job. Have the students interview editor and staff. Create prototypes, have meetings, decide on philosophy, typographic system, image consistency, graphic style. Then, try to actually incorporate the changes.
7. Work with the photo classes, the writing and editing classes, on joint projects. Have the students in the photo department discuss photo projects with the design and writing students. Have them work in teams to do joint projects that last a semester.
8. Get into the art department and the art library. Expose the students to classic design works from the Bauhaus, paintings of the fine artists, fine design work being done in areas other than newspapers. Have the students understand the principles and basics of design. Don’t allow students to operate on instinct.
9. Encourage your department to require all students taking graphics and design to take a credit course in computers before entering your class. Emphasize that you are not a computer teacher. You are a design and graphics teacher. Never, ever let the computer be the guide. Encourage students to think of the computer as a TOOL. It’s like a pen or pencil. It helps us after we get the concept.
10. Require students to supply at least five thumbnail sketches to each assignment. The preliminary thought process is extremely important.
