Thesis II (DES-799-07)

  • Pratt Institute
  • Graduate Communications Design
  • 1:00pm - 3:50pm, Every Friday
  • Pfizer Building, Studio 14

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Week 2: Post-digital Book! (Feb 6)

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Class Materials

Resources

Workshop Material

Assignment 1

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  • Using Bindery.js, create a web to print book using any Wikipedia page and customize the layout with CSS/JS.
  • Bring the sketch to class next week to discuss and share with your peers! What did you learn from the process? What was challenging? How did it change the way you think about books and print media?

Assignment 2

  • Bring 3 books you like to class. They can be physical or digital, fiction or non-fiction, old or new. We will discuss the design and layout of these books and how they relate to the content and the reader's experience.

Week 3: How to Construct a Book? (Feb 13)

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Class Materials

Resources

Workshop Material

Assignment 3

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  • Drawing inspiration from your body of work, thesis question and the compendium, draft a very rough sketch of your thesis book. Using the 4 different materiality we discussed in class (Forensic, Formal, Distributed, Performative), how would you like to construct your thesis book?
  • Is it an academic book? Is it a playful book? Is it a thick book or a thin book? Would it have a digital component? How would the materiality of the book shape the content and the way you present your thesis? The goal of this assignment is to start thinking about the "paratext" of your thesis book, and how the materiality of the book can shape the content and the way you present your thesis.
  • Prepare a 5 minute presentation to share your sketch (it cannot be just refernce or just writing, it has to include some sort of visual representation or concept diagram) and your thought process behind it. We will share and critique each other's idea in class next week.
  • The idea is to use the "paratext" as a guide to create limitation and constraint for ourselves, and help brainstorm how we create the content of the book. The materiality of the book will shape the content and the way we present our thesis, so it's important to start thinking about it early on in the process.

Week 4: How to Own a Book? (Feb 20)

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Class Materials

Resources

Workshop Material

Assignment 4

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  • For this assignment, you will use either markup (.html) or Markdown (.md) to create a structured, readable version of their thesis content. Use any tool you like to write it, Google Doc, Notion, or any other writing tool that can export to HTML or MD.
  • The content needs to include:
    • Annotated table of contents
    • A writing sample that demonstrates the structure and hierarchy of the content. This can be a chapter, a section, or a few paragraphs of your thesis.
    • A detailed writing plan (timeline, outline, or roadmap) for the next 2 months leading up to the thesis submission.
  • Using either Bindery.js or InDesign, create a print-ready PDF of your thesis book using the content you created in the first part of the assignment. You cannot just copy and paste the content you wrote in the first part of the assignment. If you're using InDesign, practice using ICML to import your content and format it using InDesign's tools. If you're using Bindery.js, practice using HTML and CSS to format your content and create a visually appealing layout for your thesis book.

Week 5: How to Source a Book? (Feb 27)

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Class Materials

Resources

Assignment 5

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  • For this assignment, you will source the content for you thesis book. This can be a combination of text, images, data, or any other type of content that you think is relevant to your thesis topic. The content needs to be organized and structured in google spreadsehet or any other tool (notion database etc.) that can export to CSV or Excel. You can use any tool you like to source the content, but it needs to be in a format that can be easily utilized later.
  • Break your content into different categories or sections, and create a clear hierarchy and structure for the content. Think about what content you can pull from your compendium, your research notes, your interviews, or any other sources you have. The goal of this assignment is to practice sourcing and organizing content for your thesis book, and to create a clear and structured dataset that can be used for the next steps of the thesis process.
  • Be prepared to discuss this along in 1-on-1 meetings next week on zoom.

Week 6: 1-on-1 (Mar 6)

  • Class moved online and 1-on-1 for the Pratt career fair. Please sign up for a 1-on-1 meeting with me to discuss your thesis progress, your goals after graduation, and any questions or concerns you have about the thesis process.
  • The goal of these meetings is to provide personalized feedback and guidance on your thesis project, and to help you prepare for the next steps in your career. Please come prepared to discuss your thesis content, your writing plan, and your goals after graduation. I look forward to meeting with you!

Week 7: Pre, Post, Print (Mar 13)

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Class Materials

Printing Resources

Risograph

Artist Book Ecosystem

Papermills

Popular Self-Publishing Printers

Print-on-Demand Platforms

Printing Cost Calculators

Assignment 6

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  • For this assignment, you will create a proof copy of your thesis book. You need to use the actual writing, content and data you have sourced and organized so far, and start laying it out in a print-ready format. Think about all the things we have discussed so far in terms of design, layout, sourcing, and organizing content, and apply those principles to create a simple physical proof copy of your thesis book. Don't worry about binding yet.
  • The goal of this assignment is to practice creating a physical test of your thesis book, and to start thinking about the printing process and the size, material, design of your book. Make sure to bring 2 copies of your proof to class after spring break to discuss and share with your peers! What did you learn from the process? What was challenging? Is there anything you would change or improve for the final version of your thesis book?
  • How many pages do you have? What size is your book? What kind of paper did you use? How did you print it? How much is the cost? Did you print it at home or at a print shop? How many copies are you planning to print (You need at least 3)? Can you estimate the total cost? Be prepared to discuss this along in 1-on-1 meetings after spring break.

Assignment 7

  • You will start preparing for your goal after graduation. This can be a job, a project, a research, or anything else you want to do after graduation. The goal of this assignment is to start thinking about your future and how your thesis can help you achieve your goals. You will need to create a plan for how you will use your thesis to achieve your goals, and what steps you need to take to get there.
  • What do we need to do to get there? Have you prepared your portfolio? Do you have a resume or cv? Do you have a deck or a presentation ready? Do you have a website or an online presence? Do you have a network of people who can help you? Do you have a plan for how to apply for jobs or projects? Do you have a plan for how to promote your thesis and your work? Be prepared to discuss this along in 1-on-1 meetings after spring break.