Syllabus

NYU Integrated Digital Media • Technology, Culture & Society Department

De Angela L. Duff • deangela.duff@nyu.edu • Spring 2018 
Tuesdays 5:30 - 9:10 PM • 2MTC MAGNET 811 • 3 credit hrs
Office: 2MTC MAGNET 882 • Office Phone: 646 997 0718 

Prerequisite: None

Gitbook Repository: https://deangela.gitbooks.io/dm-4173-professional-practices-sp18/content/syllabus.html

Course Management Site: http://bxmc.slack.com

Office hours by appointment through https://calendly.com/deangela

Welcome to Professional Practices for Creatives!

You will never come up against a greater adversary than your own potential, my young friend. ~ Michael Piller & Michael Wagner, Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Evolution," Dr. Paul Stubbs to Wesley Crusher, original airdate 25 September 1989, stardate 43,125.8

This course introduces students to the fundamental skills and professional practices vital to pursuing a career within a range of creative fields and industries. Students will explore strategies for effective documentation and presentation of their creative work, the art of self-promotion and exhibiting work publicly in various forms and environments, as well as networking and career preparation.

In order to succeed, this course requires you to devote a lot of time and effort oustide of class, throughout the entire semester.

PROGRAM GOALS

The following Integrated Digital Media program goals are introduced and reinforced within this course. Students will:

  • develop conceptual thinking skills to generate ideas and content in order to solve problems or create opportunities.

    • develop a research and studio practice through inquiry and iteration.

  • develop technical skills to realize their ideas.

    • Students will understand and utilize tools and technology, while adapting to constantly changing technological paradigms by learning how to learn.

    • Students will be able to integrate/interface different technologies within a technological ecosystem.

  • develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to analyze and position their work within cultural, historical, aesthetic, economic, and technological contexts.

  • gain knowledge of professional practices and organizations by developing their verbal, visual, and written communication for documentation and presentation, exhibition and promotion, networking, and career preparation.

COURSE GOALS

This course will be unlike any course before and will help students deeply:

  • Be Inspired

  • Reflect

  • Imagine

  • Write

  • Plan

  • Create

by focusing on the most essential questions one can ask themselves:

  • What are your key values?

  • Of your key values, which is the most important?

  • Who do you want to be?

  • Who do you want to be surrounded by?

  • Where do you want to live?

  • What do you want to do?

  • What do you want to have?

  • How do you measure success personally?

  • How will you plan your future by design, not by default?

Students will also:

Documentation & Presentation

  • explore a variety of methods to document and present creative work.

  • develop essential skills for conducting effective presentations such as public speaking, preparing materials, and adapting your presentation to meet the needs of your audience.

Exhibition & Promotion

  • learn the practical skills to organize, install, and promote an exhibition or event.

  • develop skills of self-promotion in order to prepare for entering the professional worlds of art, design, technology or business.

  • learn about promoting their work, applying for grants, writing press releases, producing promotional materials in various media and formats, and getting their creative work shown.

  • develop a strategy to use social media for professional networking, promotion, creative development and/or career advancement.

Career Preparation

  • understand a range of creative industries and career paths available to artists, designers, developers, creative technologists, and entrepreneurs.

  • develop all aspects of personal communication through writing, public speaking, and visual & verbal presentation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of the course, students will:

  • create a professional resume and cover letter

  • write a creative / artist statement and/or biography

  • build an effective and memorable digital and/or analog portfolio

  • practice interview techniques

  • learn how to professionally network

  • learn how to use their resources in order to find a job or pursue other career opportunities

  • explore different career paths (industry, academia, entrepreneurship, freelance, creative)

The ultimate goals of this course is to learn how to live a life by design, not by default.

CLASS FORMAT

Class will be comprised of lectures, workshops, discussions, presentations, and critiques.

Also, as a part of this course, students will participate in a mock job interview, go on an informational interview for an internship/job/other opportunity, and research a range of professional opportunities available to the Integrated Digital Media student. In addition to exploring these practical professional concerns, guest speakers will augment classroom activities.

Critiques are the best way to articulate your ideas to others and get immediate feedback. During the crit, the professor and your classmates analyze and suggest ways to increase the visual and conceptual impact of each existing idea. Take notes when your work is being critiqued and do not edit the responses, whether you agree with them or not. Review your crit notes and reflect upon what was said. Ask yourself how you could combine, transform, or expand the ideas that show the most promise. However, resist the temptation to incorporate all suggestions and comments. Only utilize the ones that work for you and your project.

Rules of the Critique:

  • Be Present and Engaged (In other words, close your laptops and put away your smart phones.)

  • Give Feedback to your classmates

  • Do NOT take feedback personally. (Crits are about making continuous improvement on whatever your working on.)

TECHNOLOGY

Laptop computers and other mobile devices are invaluable tools for artists, designers, and students when used responsibly. However, this technology can also be incredibly distracting, especially in the classroom. When in class, you may use your laptops and other devices for any activities pertaining to the course: taking notes, researching material relevant to our readings and discussions, doing professional practices homework, making class presentations, etc. However, the following uses are unacceptable: checking email, instant messaging, texting, using social networking sites such as facebook, etc.

COMMUNICATING WITH THE PROFESSOR OUTSIDE OF CLASS

  • Direct message on Slack about logistics (when, where, how many?) ONLY

  • Talk to me in person directly after class or set up an appointment about issues and problems. DO NOT direct message long conversations. (If your direct message turns into paragraphs that means you should be talking to me in person not direct messaging me.)

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Come to class on time and participate actively in discussions (be present and engaged)

  • Study outside of class (ideally with classmate(s))

  • Schedule your time (keep a calendar of some sort)

  • Devote at least 4 to 8 hours per week outside of class, fulfilling homework assignments, reading, and reflecting.

  • Consult slack at least once a week for up to date info

  • Complete all assignments by due dates

  • Action – do your absolute best

  • Strive for continuous improvement

  • Have desire amounting to enthusiasm (to learn, to explore)

  • Have patience, persistence, and discipline

  • Be creative

  • Pay attention to detail & craft

  • Have self-confidence and pride in your work

  • Take risks & be fearless in your projects

  • Have fun!

EVALUATION & GRADING

Grading

Your final grade will be based on a synthesis of quantitative & qualitative rubrics:

Quantitative Overview

Your grade for the course will be based on the following:

Projects:

Reflection and Planning

Documentation & Presentation

Exhibition & Promotion

Career Preparation

Qualitative Overview

Each student will be judged on the quality, experimentation, and improvement that their work shows.

  • A Excellent** (Work of exceptional quality; Exceeds Expectations)

  • B Good (Solid work; Meets Expectations)

  • C Satisfactory (Satisfies course requirements)

  • D Poor Work (Less than adequate work)

  • F Unacceptable (The performance and/or attendance of the student has failed course requirements.)

Attendance

  • Attendance is mandatory and will be taken at the beginning of every class. Regular attendance is essential.

  • Unexcused absences will affect your grade. One absence is allowed; after that, your final, overall, numerical grade will drop by 5 percent (1/2 a grade point (e.g. A to an A-)) for each additional absence.

  • Be on Time. Tardiness will affect your grade. For every 15 minutes of tardiness, your final, numerical grade will drop by 0.625 percent

  • Contact the professor IN ADVANCE if you will not be in class (in person or by slack is preferred).

ACADEMIC & CREATIVE HONESTY

All work for this class must be your own and specific to this semester. Any work recycled from other classes or from another, non-original source will be rejected with serious implications for the student. Plagiarism, knowingly representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own work in any academic exercise, is absolutely unacceptable. Any student who commits plagiarism must re-do the assignment for a grade no higher than a D. In fact, a D is the highest possible course grade for any student who commits plagiarism. Please use the MLA style for citing and documenting source material.

ACADEMIC ACCOMODATIONS

If you are student with a disability who is requesting accommodations, please contact New York University’s Moses Center for Students with Disabilities at 212-998-4980 or mosescsd@nyu.edu. You must be registered with CSD to receive accommodations. Information about the Moses Center can be found at www.nyu.edu/csd. The Moses Center is located at 726 Broadway on the 2nd floor.

REQUIRED READINGS

The following list of required readings is subject to change. The instructor will communicate any updates.

REQUIRED VIEWINGS

REQUIRED SOFTWARE

If you don't already have the following software, purchase the student adobe creative cloud option to get the following.

  • Adobe Photoshop

  • Adobe Illustrator

  • Adobe Acrobat Pro or Preview

REQUIRED SUPPLIES

  • Laptop

  • Digital Storage (Jump Drives, Firewire Drive, Laptop, etc)

  • NYU Google Drive Folder for Submitting Your Deliverables

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

Any printed assignments should always contain the following and uploaded to the Pro Practices Slack Channel or Direct Message to Professor. Make sure your name is in the actual file name of the pdf (see above):

  • Date

  • Your first and last name

  • Professional Practices for Creatives or Pro Practices

  • Spring 2018

  • Title of assignment

Written assignments will be assigned frequently. These will typically involve writing about you and your work, planning, and reflection. Be prepared to share your writing in class, as well as hand in your work via slack as a PDF document, PRIOR to the start of the class at which it is due.

SCHEDULE

See Appendix

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

See Appendix

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