BRINGING ANALOG INTO THE DIGITAL AGE
HOW TRADITIONAL FORMATS OF ANALOG DESIGN—SUCH AS LETTERPRESS PRINTING—CAN BE USED AS PEDAGOGICAL TOOLS FOR COLLEGIATE LEVEL ONLINE INSTRUCTION
ABSTRACT
This thesis investigates a strategy for incorporating traditional formats of analog design—such as letterpress printing—into collegiate level online instruction as pedagogical tools, increasing the effectiveness of the curriculum and methods used in the instruction of design fundamentals.
While the instruction in design fundamentals is applicable to both analog and digital design formats, there has been a definitive change in how these design fundamentals are perceived and understood by the graphic design students of today’s digital age—especially online/remote learners. Prior to the desktop publishing revolution of the 1980s, the curriculum and methods used in the instruction of design fundamentals at the collegiate level had a direct, tangible correlation with the analog technology of the time. Unfortunately, the graphic design students of today’s digital age—especially online/remote learners—have a disadvantage when it comes to their perception and understanding of design fundamentals as the correlation between design fundamentals and digital technology is less tangible than it had been with analog technology.
Since collegiate level online instruction is digitally based and lacking in analog engagement, online/remote learners are at a greater disadvantage than residential students without access to physical studio spaces, labs, and the materials and tools necessary for engaging in hands-on experiences with traditional formats of analog design—such as letterpress printing. As a result, online/remote learners are not able to see the correlation between design fundamentals and digital technology as easily without opportunities for hands-on experiences.
The objective of this thesis is to improve the perception and understanding of design fundamentals by online/remote learners through opportunities for hands-on experiences with traditional formats of analog design—such as letterpress printing. As a result, online/remote learners will gain a better understanding of the tangible correlation between traditional formats of analog design and design fundamentals and how this additional knowledge can be incorporated into the digital age.
COMMON TERMS DEFINED
There are a couple of key terms repeated throughout the entirety of this thesis. In order to ensure these terms are interpreted and understood correctly, the following definitions should provide some clarity:
TRADITIONAL FORMATS OF ANALOG DESIGN
In the simplest of terms, traditional formats of analog design are any of the materials, tools, processes, and/or media used for creating art and design that do not require the use of a computer or digital technology—essentially, anything used prior to the digital age.
DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS
ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN
The combination of the elements of design and the principles of design that inform the practice of visual composition.
The fundamental ideas of design that serve as the foundation and structure of visual composition.
The fundamental ideas of design that are used to tie the elements of design together into a cohesive visual composition.
LETTERPRESS PRINTING
Letterpress printing is a type of relief printing—using a printing press—where the raised areas of a printing surface are covered with ink and brought into contact with paper creating a print. Most notably, modern letterpress printing is recognized by the printed impression it creates in the paper. While printing plates are often used in letterpress printing—especially in today’s digital age—letterpress printing is often characterized by its use of movable type.
MOVABLE TYPE
Movable type is the use of individual letterforms/characters (known as “sorts”) that are set by hand with physical spacing material. The spacing material used for creating the spaces between words is known as “spaces” and “quads,” while the spacing material used for creating the spaces between lines of type is known as “leads” and “slugs.”
THE PROBLEM
THE SOLUTION
Traditional formats of analog design—such as letterpress printing—are not being included to the fullest extent in the curriculum and methods of today’s collegiate graphic design programs.
The main emphasis of graphic design education in the digital age continues to revolve around students’ technical expertise in learning the newest technologies and software, resulting in less opportunities to incorporate traditional formats of analog design and other manual crafts.
Since collegiate level online instruction is digitally based and lacking in analog engagement, online/remote learners are at a greater disadvantage than residential students without access to physical studio spaces, labs, and the materials and tools necessary for engaging in hands-on experiences with traditional formats of analog design—such as letterpress printing. As a result, online/remote learners are not able to see the correlation between design fundamentals and digital technology as easily without opportunities for hands-on experiences.
While collegiate graphic design programs and educators alike strive to find the perfect balance between the technical aspects of digital technology and the instruction of design fundamentals, traditional formats of analog design—such as letterpress printing—could serve as the missing link connecting digital technology and design fundamentals.
Although collegiate educators are continuously exploring new ways to adapt traditional, in-person classroom experiences for the online/remote learning environment, the common consensus by academics in higher education seems to support the use of kits as an effective solution for bringing hands-on experiences to online/remote learners.
As such, the visual solution for this thesis uses a kit to serve as a hands-on educational resource for use by educators and students alike in collegiate level online instruction in design fundamentals.
The kit is specifically designed as a pedagogical tool to help improve the perception and understanding of design fundamentals by online/remote learners through opportunities for hands-on experiences with traditional formats of analog design. While the use of the kit could eventually be tailored to also include the traditional, in-person classroom, it is initially being designed as an educational resource to meet the needs of collegiate level online/remote learners and educators—ultimately increasing the effectiveness of the curriculum and methods used in the instruction of design fundamentals in the online/remote learning environment.
