Digital Techniques: 10th Anniversary

The course I currently teach at the Academy of Art University (AAU), Digital Techniques for the Fashion Business, is a required course for Fashion majors from Costume Design to Art Direction to Communication and Marketing within the industry.

Originally commissioned in June of 2015, I began teaching the course both onsite and online Fall 2017. Digital Techniques familiarizes students with industry-facing visual communications while learning the tools of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign in projects that are both self-exploratory and professional in nature. With ten years, it encapsulates key forms and skillsets essential to the workforce that have stood the test of time. As we now prepare for AI and the rising Gen Alpha generation, I hope its lessons in creativity, hands-on techniques, and visual problem solving with digital tools remain relevant. Here, I present a sampling of the kinds of student-centered visual narratives created by the classes over the years. I am also including for prospective employers:

• The Current Syllabus: With prerequisites of either Drawing for Fashion (FSH 100), Product Development: Design Fundamentals (FSH 109), and Sketching for Communication (FND 113), this course enables to student to design and develop their unique visual concepts through a comprehensive progression of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign
  
• The Curriculum: Digital Techniques project-based learning supports students through their journey from concept to final professional output.
  
• The Original Curriculum: Written in 2015-2017, this course was originally slower-paced, more hands-on and self-exploratory. It truly reflects the kind of teaching I seek to continue, with more student-generated original content and inclusion of industries outside of fashion. It also included a greater analysis of forms with vector drawing and digital painting instruction. Rudimentary elements of graphic design and layout were also edited out over the years, which I seek to bring back in the future coursework I do.
  
• Cultural Identity Project: Since my collection of final project samples were busting the seams of this WordPress Page, I’m including this wonderful example of an unfulfilled niche: Native American active wear.

I adapted the onsite course online and incorporated my on-the-job experience as a graphic designer in both print and web media. As an ESL instructor and tutor at AAU, I was familiar with the curricula of foundational courses in various majors and the particular needs of ESL students in making the cultural transition and English-facing translation of their creative ideas.

Projects in current course:

• Project 1: Mood Boards and Concept Boards: a design proposal for a future line of an existing brand.
• Midterm Project: Brand store opening postcard set
• Invent Brand: Logotype Presentation
• Invented Brand Logos & Postcard Set
• Final Project: Invented brand lookbook & linesheet complete with introduction, concept board, product categories, and pricing

Next: Self-Exploration: The Fashion Editorial >>