media inquiry

kansas city art institute // sophomore 2, 3 credits // 2025, 2026

we are living in an age of rapid and constant expansion of media. our tools and platforms – our modes and means to design and tell stories – are advancing at bewildering rates. a fluency in how to effectively communicate with various media forms, and a fluidity to design across a diverse array of media channels, are essential traits for graphic designers operating in this exciting age of transmedia. we’ll gain experience and skill in the technical processes of a graphic design practice, acquiring a basic command of our core toolset – adobe creative suite – with an emphasis on the principles of how to most effectively operate across multiple programs. additionally, we’ll explore html/css, best practices in file building and management, creative hardware applications, and other processes that will allow us to continue on the most fruitful path of further inquiry and to build towards a proficient design practice. to support and shape our experiences within the studio, we will discuss insights and share ideas we glean from reading, watching, and listening to a range of relevant sources.

view online course documents: course syllabus

course evaluation

course notes
in my first time teaching this course, i wanted to be sure to cover as many solid production fundamentals as possible, across the established range of media – print, motion, and on-screen interaction. in the intial 2025 iteration, i began coordinating my deliverables with the sophomore “communication inquiry” course, so the courses felt unified through the project content. students would learn theory in “comm inquiry” and learn the necessary craft and production skills in “media inquiry”. students really enjoy the “box project” as their first foray into packaging. for many, it is similarly their first time working on motion graphics or prototyping a website. with plenty of encouragement and small, personalized steps in the software, they soon gain skill and confidence, leaving the class quite proud of what they’ve accomplished.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

you will be graded on how much/well you demonstrate an understanding of the following, through active making of design artifacts...
70%

design & visual form: practice a high level of physical and digital craft to construct professional design mock-ups.
design & visual form: build and manage digital files in all software applications used, for a functional and well-organized process.
tools, technologies & adaptability: use relevant design software, tools, and processes with increasing proficiency to complete course assignments to stated standards.
tools, technologies & adaptability: analyze the pros and cons of emerging technologies in relation to one’s process.
context & inclusivity: integrate introductory audio and low-vision design strategies into projects to enhance clarity, usability, and inclusive communication.

30%

demonstrate an ability to present and articulate written and verbal ideas and methods, to cultivate effective listening skills, and to participate in intercultural and intersectional discourse, in multiple formal and informal settings, with peers and professors. [engagement through dialogue of all types]
“show up” and give focused attention to the task at hand – active project work time, lectures, workshops, field trips, and all other class-time activities. [engagement through class-based attention and activities]
demonstrate a strong work ethic, curiosity, and motivation for self- teaching; consistent level of effort from concept through refinement to completion. [engagement with your design process]

course structure

production-oriented work time and troubleshooting to support the projects from “communication inquiry”
design projects: creating artifacts through a multi-step process, as a means to gain and sharpen production skills.
mini demo/skill shares: sharing how to do a particular process, whether it be analog or digital.
reading and discussion over our assigned resources.
self- and instructor-evaluation at the completion of each project

project 1: print production fundamentals
view brief

lecture: resolution and scanning

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project 2: packaging production fundamentals
view brief

lecture: color harmonies

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field trip: alpine litho, to see a commercial printing facility

field trip: vahalla studio, to see a silkscreen poster shop [photos below]

project 3: after effects skill-building demonstrations

there was no brief for the initial iteration of this project; it was solely in support of the “communication inquiry” conference introduction video. the selected projects below were produced across both courses.

project 4: website prototyping with figma
view brief

lecture: sitemaps
lecture: wireframes

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