Graphic design dr hab. Jacek Staniszewski

Graphic design
Specialistic training
dr hab. Jacek Staniszewski
Chair of Graphic Design
First Studio of Graphic Design
Type of the course: studio
Status of classes: obligatory
Evaluation method: overview of semester finished with getting a mark
Terms of admission to the studio: completion of the previous semester of studies
Description
Graphic design is the area of artistic creativity which includes the intended and ‘designed’
communicative functions and efforts organizing the visual communication within the
society – as well as purely artistic and because of that individual and intuitional ability of
harmonious combining of an image, colour, symbol, sign etc with rigour from film
animation or typography constituents. Ability to take into account their mutual
proportions, customer’s recommendations or verbal contexts as well as their intellectual
attraction and artistic energy. A poster, a book, cartoon film, website, graphic symbol, a
letter, advertising campaign, credit titles, calendar, illustration, placard etc – those are
the more frequent semester tasks’ topics in our workshop. The new generation of
computers and software, electronic communication via the Internet, ability to exchange
knowledge and information quickly, new opportunities to express in contemporary art –
all those factors have got greater impact on the way in which we understand graphic
design, its new opportunities and student’s expectations. Undoubtedly graphic design
faces now new challenges but natural easiness with which it adopts the latest technical
and electronic achievements - some of them created just for graphic design needs –
seems to indicate more stable and steady development of this domain of art.
Teaching methods, form of classes
Because of the fact that during a semester students fulfill from four to seven design
tasks, sometimes working out a few options of one task and all of the works are
subjected to series of correction, amendments and changes it is not necessary to carry
all of them till the end. Quality and artistic maturity of the works of art is what counts the
most. Getting credits and marks happens once per semester. Each semester ends with
an overview, choice of work for the exhibition and getting credits.
Evaluation method
Most often it is the conciseness, sharp thought abbreviation and graphic symbol clarity
which is the most important but also autonomy, originality of the solutions and stylistic
innovation is appreciated. Another, but only additional elements of the mark is the choice
of works for the exhibition.
Bibliography
Leksykon Symboli, F.H. Willis "Grafika Reklamowa", J. Goślicki "Sztuka reklamowa", M.
Gallo "Poster in History", U. Ecco "Dzieła otwarte", Calvin Tomkins "Duchamp. Biografia",
Roland Barthes "Światło obrazu. Uwagi o fotografii", Victor Stoicha "Krótka historia
cienia", John Berger "O patrzeniu", Ernest Gombrich "Sztuka i Złudzenie", Adrian Frutiger
"Człowiek i jego znaki", Wasilij Kondinski "Punkt, Linia i Płaszczyzna", Joanna SarzyńskaPutowska "Komunikacja wizualna", Umberto Ecco "Semiotyka Życia Codziennego".