COMM 230: Design for Media

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2023
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 90
Lecture Hours : 36
Lab Hours: 54
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 72
Strongly Recommended: COMM 101.
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Standard Letter, Pass/No Pass

Catalog Course Description

Principles of design for media. Headline writing, news and picture evaluation, page design, photo illustrations, typography and graphic design for both printed and digital media. Analysis of story structures and effectiveness of written material and proofreading. Hands-on experience working on student media. Software instruction and practice. 36 lecture hours, 54 lab hours.

Course Objectives

  • demonstrate computer literacy skills using several publishing and design software programs
  • demonstrate knowledge of the qualities of news, standard copy reading symbols, correct usage, and photo sizing
  • write creative and accurate headlines that conform to traditional guidelines and fit space allotted
  • accurately complete dummy sheet and layout for a newspaper page
  • demonstrate abilities in computer literacy, graphics, picture scaling, page design and layout for student publications.
  • design and create graphics for display on websites and social media

Major Course Content

  1. Introduction to the Duties, Responsibilities, and Routine of the Professional Designer in the Media Profession
  2. Review of the Qualities and Characteristics of News Elements Which Determine Relative Importance of News Event; Selecting Graphics and Pictures for Publication
  3. Review of Journalism Style, Copy Reading Symbols and Techniques, Traditional Usage Errors, and Legal and Ethical Restrictions on the Press
  4. Recognizing and Avoiding Cultural Insensitivity, Libel and Other Legal Problems
  5. Instruction and Practice in Principles and Techniques of Headline Writing and Elementary Typography
  6. Instruction and Practice in Cropping and Toning Photos, and Writing Captions
  7. Instruction and Practice of Newspaper Design, Selecting and Fitting Copy, Layout of Front and Inside Pages
  8. Instruction and Practice in Creating Graphics for Websites and Social Media

Lab Content

  1. Students apply concepts and standards to production of graphics for student media.
  2. Students draw page dummies and then publish pages using industry standard publishing software (for example, QuarkXPress, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Photoshop). This process includes placing advertisements, photo selection and scaling, caption writing, headline writing, story placement and editing, and copy editing. It also includes study and analysis of layout and design of global professional publications.
  3. Students create graphics for display on student media websites and social media channels. 

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

News publications online

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Write headlines and create social media graphics for different story types: news, feature, sports, critical review, opinion.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Exercises in grammar, syntax, vocabulary, Associated Press Style, layout, and software training.
Comparing and contrasting front page headlines, use of photos, layout and design from various professional publications on a big news day.

Instruction Type(s)

Lab, Lecture, Online Education Lab, Online Education Lecture