Visual Editors
Visual Editors, NFP was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2004.
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joezeff
Tiki Lounger
Joined: 16 Mar 2004
Posts: 11
Location: 50 miles north of Harris Siegel
Posted:
Mon Jul 31, 2006 7:59 am
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Here's a course description I recently drafted for a visual journalism course when asked by a professor. It's a bit of a yawner, I confess, but perhaps there are some pieces worth lifting:
Visual Storytelling 101
Visual storytelling is the art of conveying information and ideas using combinations of words, images and typography, instead of words alone. The result: content that is more inviting, easier to understand, and faster to process. As more readers turn to Google and Yahoo for commoditized news, visual storytelling gives newspapers, magazines and websites a way to differentiate their product and give readers exclusive context.
The course would have two parts. First, students would learn the process of visual storytelling, which involves these four steps:
1. Reportage. Before telling a story visually, one must understand it. Information and ideas are gathered by talking with reporters and editors, reviewing notes and drafts, and online research. Based on this reporting, the storyteller can add specificity to the story they're telling. Ideally, the message can be boiled down to a single sentence.
2. Editing. Before lifting a mouse or pencil, the visual storyteller prioritizes the information that has been gathered, establishing which elements help contribute to a better understanding of that single sentence. The goal here is to stay on message by placing the information into a hierarchy, with the most valuable information at the top.
3. Sketching. That hierachy is used to create a sketch, with an emphasis on giving the most important information the most prominence. Efforts are made to explore creative solutions that combine elements in interesting ways. Emphasis is placed on the subtleties and specifics that make the message unique. Other considerations: ease of navigation, visual clarity and interest, editorial effectiveness.
4. Execution. The visuals are produced in-house or obtained from external sources. An exploration of techniques for creating artwork - photography, photo-illustration, Adobe Illustrator-style illustration, organic illustration, found-art illustration, 3D-rendered illustration - and gathering artwork from others - working collaboratively with a staff, working with freelancers, acquiring stock images and models, et. al.
Based on an understanding of the process, students then deploy these strategies in a variety of real-world situations:
1. A magazine cover, where the message must be synthesized into a simple image that is quickly understood.
2. An information graphic, where the message can be expanded into several layers of storytelling. The challenge is to maintain clear hierarchy and clear navigation.
3. A newspaper centerpiece, where the visual presentation must meet all of the above criteria, while sharing the page with unrelated articles and elements.
4. A multipage magazine package, where the visual presentation can span several pages, with a discernable beginning, middle and end. Even over eight pages, the presentation is dictated by the single-sentence message developed at the start of the visual storytelling process. |
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Lauren Hastings
Tiki Lounger
Joined: 26 Jul 2004
Posts: 8
Location: The Daily Herald, Provo, Utah
Posted:
Mon Jul 31, 2006 12:52 pm
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| As a recent graduate, I know when I took the publication design class that my university offered, I wanted more specialty. We mainly focused on magazine design, and while that helped my features pages, I wished that we had gone into the finer points of designing A1 and news packages (photo placement, infographics, break out boxes) as well as feature page design, not magazine design that you could possibly crossover to feature design. As a die-hard features designer, I really struggle with news packages. At the same time, I wish the class had focused more on generating IDEAS for features pages. It isn't enough to just throw a cut out and some cool looking headline on a features front. As I found out at my first job out of school at the Salt Lake Tribune, good features design comes from good ideas and the ability to convey those ideas to art and photo directors. Maybe that comes from on-the-job experience, but I think learning how to approach both news and feature pages is something that would be valuable to your students. |
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Patrick Kurtz
Tiki Lounger
Joined: 01 Feb 2006
Posts: 5
Location: Winona Lake, IN
Posted:
Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:27 am
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This is most definitely a college course.
The course will be new to the Journalism major, so I am basically breaking new ground. With my graphic design background, the journalism part seems to be elduding me. The department chairs of both the English and Art departments reassure me that I am abel to teach it.
I agree that visually telling a story is one key point that needs to be taught. Here is a segment of other stuff I am supposed to be teaching:
"principles of layout and design for newspapers, magazines, and newsletters/brochures, InDesign, typography, working with a publisher, and Web page design for journalism"
Let me know your thoughts.
I also get to pick out a book...any suggestions? |
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