Help me to understand this class/professor.

[teranoid]

I'm enrolled in an intro to graphic design course now, and the class appears to be a general art class instead of a design course. Perhaps even two hours of arts and crafts.

Our first assignment was to create a symbol for a restroom. 2 ideas for a venue, 3 sets of ideas for the separate venues, no big deal. During the crit for our designs, I told her I was going to render my best set of symbols in 2D in Photoshop. She instead suggested that I create my image in a 3D element, as in real materials.

Is there something I am missing to the process of design that would require me to create a model of something that is intended to end up as a 2D image?

Our other ongoing assignment is to create 50 different drawings of cats using different materials and such. Most of the things she suggested were of a 3D element (sculpy, aluminum foil, yarn etc) and I really have no idea why we're drawing 50 cats in the first place. D:

Her classes are primarily for non majors, but I couldn't get in the one that was strictly for majors. There's about 3 design majors in my class, rest are animation and other assortments. I'm just hoping that I won't have a hole in my education because my university didn't have the forsight to see that record enrollment = record art students and make more intro classes.
gonk  

[Driany]

Design is a weird thing anyway O___OU

I was on design just one year in college, just for that... i remember that in one of the courses, you had to "do shoes to walk in water" (just like that xDDD)

I don't know, maybe your teacher is mad ñ.ñ  

[Errol McGillivray]

I did not work digitally at ALL in graphic design. The point is to communicate. There is really no art program I've heard of that starts any field working digitally. Even in computer animation (that I got my degree in) we did not do anything digitally (besides one class where we learned GoLive and PowerPoint at the very start that every student takes, regardless of program) until the 3rd semester.

Do what your teacher tells you. That's why it's a class.  

[xXTimeTakesUsAllXx]

Understanding what makes something up, what the basic shapes or textures are. That's what it is about. Of course, and having a passion and enjoyment too! Usually starting from the "bottom" helps to understand more advanced things. Perhaps that's what your teacher is trying to say? Use the opportunity to get more creative, I mean, when in your life would you create 50 cats of different materials other than in that class? biggrin

 

[Chaotic Mana]

I think your teacher is trying to stretch your creativity. By trying to show the same idea with different materials it may inspire you to start your 2D art differently. If I'm not mistaken choosing cats as a subject may be a random choice, but doing 50 should get you really thinking about how people identify the shape/colour/texture as a cat and how abstract you can be with a shape/colour/texture and still show the idea.

I suggest you take the opportunity to experiment. As another has said, when else would you get to create 50 cats?