Writing 360: Document Design
WRIT 360 prepares students in the Professional and Technical Communication program with advanced principles of document design. This course builds upon the fundamental design concepts introduced in WRIT 300, further developing students’ familiarity with both theory and application for print and digital publications. Through a series of independent and collaborative projects, students will learn to use document design as a means of communication and problem solving in a professional context. The course utilizes a variety of assignments, including quizzes, design projects, and writing assignments, to provide students with a clear understanding of the best practices in designing and producing effective documents for a variety of users and purposes.
Document design is a critical skill for students pursuing a career in professional and technical writing fields. In addition to the traditional written forms of communication, employers increasingly rely on effective design to facilitate the delivery of material to an intended audience, and a strong foundation in design theory and the application of theory is essential for students who choose to enter this field. Students in this course will complete several document projects throughout the semester that demonstrate their competency in theory and application.
Course Outcomes
- Recognize the role of visual communication in the workplace and public contexts;
- Demonstrate an awareness of visual communication as a problem-solving process and understanding that process;
- Evaluate the effectiveness of a document’s design in terms of both its originality and its ability to meet the needs of a particular rhetorical situation;
- Identify and apply basic design principles in order to meet aesthetic and rhetorical considerations;
- Design and produce a variety of documents for a range of audiences, purposes, and contexts;
- Utilize a working vocabulary to describe document design principles.