I. The aims and kinds of Design.

I think that design is one of the most interesting creative careers. Design can be defined as creative activity that is carried out according to the laws of beauty and functionality. All modern-day enterprises and businesses need design engineers. Design engineers are in charge of designing and styling new products as well as developing new brands and logos. Today such properties of merchandise as aesthetics, convenience and functionality (=user-friendliness) are coming to the fore.

To begin with design is a very broad field, it includes a lot of different kinds of design, such as graphic design, industrial design, advertising design, packaging design, textile design, media design, as well as landscape design and architectural design, interior design and others.

By the way design is a relatively new branch. In Russia design started developing only since 1930s. In Omsk the designers’ union was formed only in 1990. Fortunately, today the Russian design has caught up with its overseas counterparts.

It is known that design has a lot of important economic aspects, especially in countries with saturated markets. Here the function of design is to distinguish your product from that of your competitors and thus promote your product. That is to say, design enhances the selling properties of consumer goods. For example, design is extremely important in the car-making industry. In choosing a car buyers naturally pay great attention to the car's styling. In buying perfumes buyers pay attention to the design of vials and so on. I think that in future the emotional aspect of design will play an increasingly important role. Our future work as design engineers will include producing innovative interiors, new textile designs, graphic design, design for electronic media and other kinds of design.

II. Academic activities.

Omsk Technical University is one of several higher schools in Omsk that train design engineers. Future designers must have knowledge and understanding of technological, manufacturing and creative aspects of the design process. An important aim of training would-be designers is the development of students’ individual abilities and skills, developing their creativity. Professionalism is encouraged by the teaching staff who along with academic activity are actively involved in their own practice. Some lectures and seminars are given by visiting lecturers who are practitioners, people from industry or world of art and design.

Tuition is carried out through lectures, seminars and practices. Students are given the history and theory of art and design, they learn about the current trends in design. Students also study the theory and practice of colour. Students are given training in the methods of computer-aided design (CAD) that play an important part in supporting design activity. In addition to lectures and seminars students carry out their semester and course projects.

Students also have studio practice; they acquire knowledge and skills in drawing, painting and printmaking. The department organizes study-visits to exhibitions and fairs where students study the history, the state-of-the-art in design as well as the new trends. Business studies are also important for future design engineers. Third-year students undertake courses in economics, management and advertising. Psychology and foreign languages are also among important subjects. In addition, students undertake work placements through which they gain valuable work experience in design. At the final year students work out their graduation projects.

In the course of studies students acquire many special skills, such as IT skills, presentation and communication skills.

III. Career prospects.

Employment prospects for Designing graduates are very good and varied. Graduates from our faculty are well prepared to enter numerous creative industries. The study develops in students important personal qualities, such as creativity, communication skills, adaptability, resource fullness. All these qualities are highly valued by employers. The graduates from the Design department may work as employees of designing consultancies, in publishing, printing, advertising and as freelance designers. Besides, the skills learnt within the Design course open the door to many other careers.

 

XIX. Decide whether these statements are true or false:

1. Design can be defined as creative activity that is carried out according to the laws of beauty and functionality.

2. Today such properties of merchandise as aesthetics, convenience and functionality (=user-friendliness) have been forgotten.

3. Design is an old branch of industry.

4. Design has a lot of important industrial aspects, especially in countries with saturated markets.

5. Future designers must have knowledge and understanding of technological, manufacturing and creative aspects of the design process.

6. Students are given the history and theory of the English language, they learn about the current trends in the language.

7. In the course of studies students acquire many special skills, such as singing, playing musical instruments, dancing.

8. The graduates from the Design department may work as employees of designing consultancies, in publishing, printing, advertising and as freelance designers.

XX. Reread Text III, be ready with the annotation.

XXI. Read Text IV and give a brief summary of it.

TEXT IV

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Among the five design occupations, graphic designers are expected to have the most new jobs through 2014; however, job seekers are expected to face keen competition for available positions.

Graphic designers with Web site design and animation experience will have the best opportunities.

A bachelor's degree is required for most entry-level positions; however, an associate degree may be sufficient for technical positions.

About 3 out of 10 designers are self-employed; many do freelance work in addition to holding a salaried job in design or in another occupation.

Graphic designers – or graphic artists – plan, analyze, and create visual solutions to communications problems. They decide the most effective way of getting a message across in print, electronic, and film media using a variety of methods such as color, type, illustration, photography, animation, and various print and layout techniques. Graphic designers develop the overall layout and production design of magazines, newspapers, journals, corporate reports, and other publications. They also produce promotional displays, packaging, and marketing brochures for products and services, design distinctive logos for products and businesses, and develop signs and signage systems – called environmental graphics – for business and government. An increasing number of graphic designers also are developing material for Internet Web pages, interactive media, and multimedia projects. Graphic designers also may produce the credits that appear before and after television programs and movies.

The first step in developing a new graphic design is to determine the needs of the client, the message the design should portray, and its appeal to customers or users. Graphic designers consider cognitive, cultural, physical, and social factors in planning and executing designs for the target audience. Designers gather relevant information by meeting with clients, creative or art directors, and by performing their own research. Identifying the needs of consumers is becoming increasingly important for graphic designers as the scope of their work continues to focus on creating corporate communication strategies in addition to technical design and layout work.

Graphic designers prepare sketches or layouts – by hand or with the aid of a computer – to illustrate the vision for the design. They select colors, sound, artwork, photography, animation, style of type, and other visual elements for the design. Designers also select the size and arrangement of the different elements on the page or screen. They also may create graphs and charts from data for use in publications, and often consult with copywriters on any text that may accompany the visual part of the design. Designers then present the completed design to their clients or art or creative director for approval. In printing and publishing firms, graphic designers also may assist the printers by selecting the type of paper and ink for the publication and reviewing the mock-up design for errors before final publication.

Graphic designers use a variety of graphics and computer software to assist in their designs. Designers creating Web pages or other interactive media designs also will use computer animation and programming packages. Computer software programs allow ease and flexibility in exploring a greater number of design alternatives, thus reducing design costs and cutting the time it takes to deliver a product to market.

Graphic designers sometimes supervise assistants who carry out their creations. Designers who run their own businesses also may devote a considerable amount of time to developing new business contacts, examining equipment and space needs, and performing administrative tasks, such as reviewing catalogues and ordering samples. The need for up-to-date computer and communications equipment is an ongoing consideration for graphic designers.

Graphic designers create books, websites, magazines, film titles, catalogs, typefaces, signage systems, television graphics, posters and postcards. From complex identity programs to single logos, graphic designers give a face and a “visual voice” to retail and cultural enterprises, to entertainment, manufacturing and service industries, governmental and political interests.

Simply put, graphic designers give meaningful visual form to content in all media: from print to screen; business cards to billboards; computer interfaces to movies screens. But the most critical skill graphic designers offer is their unique ability to communicate specific messages through the artful manipulation of typography and images, systems and structures. Their work promotes, educates, directs, informs, exposes, clarifies, beautifies and delights.

Working Conditions

Working conditions and places of employment vary. Graphic designers employed by large advertising, publishing, or design firms generally work regular hours in well-lighted and comfortable settings. Designers in smaller design consulting firms, or those who freelance, generally work on a contract, or job, basis. They frequently adjust their workday to suit their clients' schedules and deadlines. Consultants and self-employed designers tend to work longer hours and in smaller, more congested, environments.

Designers may transact business in their own offices or studios or in clients' offices. Designers who are paid by the assignment are under pressure to please clients and to find new ones in order to maintain a steady income. All designers sometimes face frustration when their designs are rejected or when their work is not as creative as they wish. Graphic designers may work evenings or weekends to meet production schedules, especially in the printing and publishing industries where deadlines are shorter and more frequent.

XXII. Reread Text IV. In pairs, discuss the statements below. Say what you think about them and ask your partner if he/she agrees or disagrees with you. (Use the proper phrases given in the Appendix.)

1. Graphic designers with Web site design and animation experience will have the best opportunities in seeking the job.

2. Graphic designers consider cognitive, cultural, physical, and social factors in planning and executing designs for the target audience.

3. Computer software programs allow ease and flexibility in exploring a greater number of design alternatives, thus reducing design costs and cutting the time it takes to deliver a product to market.

4. The most critical skill graphic designers offer is their unique ability to communicate specific messages through the artful manipulation of typography and images, systems and structures.

XXIII. Render the following text into English:

Работа графического дизайнера – это союз творчества и логики. Графический дизайнер решает одновременно несколько сложных и важных задач. Продукт, создаваемый им (логотип, шрифт и др.), должен быть ярким, запоминающимся и неповторимым, а также быть пригодным для печати. Дизайнер должен учитывать специфику организации, для которой он разрабатывает логотип. Поэтому для графического дизайнера важно, чтобы его креативное начало строго подчинялось законам логики.

Один из основных видов деятельности графического дизайнера – создание фирменного (корпоративного) стиля компании, или, используя современный термин, айдентика фирмы, то есть разработка логотипа, цветовой гаммы, шрифта и т. д.

Графический дизайнер может работать в области полиграфии: создавать макеты рекламной полиграфической продукции (календари, буклеты), заниматься дизайном упаковки, сувенирной продукции, а также выполнять макеты книг и журналов.

Основные навыки, которые требуются в работе:

· Знания основ дизайна: основы живописи и рисунка, колористики (использования цвета) и композиции и др.

· Специальные знания в области графического дизайна: виды и жанры графики и графических техник, работа со шрифтами, типографика, использование фотографий и иллюстраций в графическом дизайне.

· Владение программным обеспечением для графического дизайна (QuarkXPress‚ Photoshop, Illustrator‚ CorelDraw).

Желательные знания:

· Опыт работы в рекламе или полиграфии.

· Умение рисовать от руки.

· Знание программ 3D-моделирования.