Undergraduate · Studio · 4 credits
Graphic Design Capstone II: Design
Design: research made visible
PREREQUISITES
Capstone: Design Research (semester 1)
OFFERED
every semester
LEVEL
300-level
The second semester of a two-semester capstone sequence for Graphic Design seniors. Students continue and complete the design work begun at the end of semester 1, progressing through iteration, testing, and refinement toward a finished, exhibition-ready body of work. The semester culminates in a public Capstone exhibition on campus, open to the entire community. All work is individual; students move through the semester as a cohort.
Syllabus
Key information — full syllabus available as PDF
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Develop a design direction grounded in the research of semester 1, making form and medium decisions that are argued from evidence rather than preference
terate and test design work through multiple rounds of making, critique, and revision
Produce a finished, exhibition-ready body of work that demonstrates sustained engagement with a self-identified subject
Articulate the connection between the research process of semester 1 and the design decisions of semester 2 in a written concept statement
Present work publicly in a Capstone exhibition open to the campus community and general public
Engage critically and generously with peers' work throughout the semester, offering feedback that is specific, grounded, and constructive
Demonstrate a professional design process: documented iterations, critique notes, and process evidence that shows how the work developed
STRUCTURE
Continuation of semester 1 research and design development
Design phase: making, testing, iteration, and refinement across the full semester
No fixed medium or format — form is determined by what the subject requires
Ongoing critique and check-ins throughout — no formal mid-semester review
Cohort moves through together; all work is individual
Semester culminates in public Capstone exhibition on campus
Final deliverables: finished designed artifact, documented design process, written concept statement, exhibition-ready presentation
ASSESSMENT
Ungraded — completion-based with ongoing feedback
Feedback structure: ongoing critique and check-ins with instructor; peer engagement in cohort discussions
Complete / incomplete evaluation for process milestones
Exhibition participation is required — it is not optional
TEEXTBOOKS
No fixed required texts.
Reading continues to be driven by each student's subject and emerging design questions.
Instructor may assign shared readings on exhibition design, presentation, or relevant design precedents as the cohort's needs emerge.
Projects
Major projects per semester:
Course Overview
- Capstone: Design constitutes the second part of the two-semester senior capstone sequence. Students come with a research background and an initial design concept from semester 1. This semester's goal is to develop that concept into a finished project—through iteration, testing, refinement, and completion—showcasing what can be achieved with a year of dedicated inquiry.
The work's form is not fixed. Students have created publications, brand systems, environmental graphics, typefaces, campaign systems, objects, and installations. The essential requirement is that the form supports the subject — it must be the best response to the research-driven design problem, not merely the form the student finds most comfortable or engaging. A key ongoing discussion during the semester is whether the chosen form communicates this most clearly, honestly, and powerfully, or if it simply appears more manageable.
The semester concludes with a public campus exhibition accessible to all. This event isn't a final critique but a public communication act — the work is displayed for people who haven't taken the course or read the brief, requiring it to speak for itself. Students who design for critique create projects that explain themselves, while those who design for an audience craft works that communicate more broadly. The exhibition reveals the distinction between these two approaches, making its preparation an integral part of the design challenge.
Throughout this course, I've observed that the second semester's quality heavily depends on the first. Those who engaged in research—interviewed individuals, explored unexpected insights, and learned from their subjects—enter semester 2 with a well-defined design problem and the confidence to tackle it. Conversely, students who viewed semester 1 as a pause start with only a shallow understanding of their subject and lack a solid evidence-based direction. The second semester doesn't correct the first; it exposes its strengths and weaknesses.
Course Reflection
- Capstone design challenges students to complete a project—transforming a year's worth of inquiry into a finished, publicly presented body of work. Although it may seem straightforward, completing a project demands different skills than initiating or developing it. It requires recognizing when a task is resolved, being ready to stop iterating, and choosing a clear direction. Additionally, it involves understanding the distinction between work that is technically finished and work that conveys a meaningful message. Many students find completing their projects more difficult than starting them.
The exhibition requirement is pedagogically vital for this reason. A critique is a professional dialogue among designers, while an exhibition is communication with the public. This change in audience shifts the design challenge. Work that is clear in a critique—where shared context and professional jargon are understood—may not communicate effectively to someone without that background. When students design for exhibitions instead of critiques, they make different choices regarding clarity, accessibility, and what assumptions they make about viewers' knowledge. These choices enhance the work's strength beyond mere legibility.
The two-semester, two-credit format of the capstone sequence is somewhat unusual. Four credits over an entire academic year constitute a modest formal commitment for a project of this scope and ambition. This structure offers time—though not in the form of intensive studio sessions on a fixed schedule—but through sustained engagement over a year with a student-selected subject. I have observed that this pace aligns better with a research-first approach than a single-semester intensive. The research phase in semester 1 benefits from having weeks rather than days to develop ideas. Similarly, the design phase in semester 2 benefits from having space to iterate without the pressure of a looming deadline. The year-end exhibition serves as a genuine culmination, not a premature conclusion.
My ongoing reflection in this course revolves around the themes of audience and impact. Students create work on topics meaningful to them for an exhibition accessible to the public. Some projects focus on communities students belong to, while others explore communities they are investigating externally. The ethical dilemmas that emerge — such as who is qualified to represent which community, what it entails to design about a community you're not part of, and how research-based design differs from design that stands alone — are present but not always explicitly discussed. This is a continuous pedagogical effort.
Selected Student Self-Reflections