Vista Murrieta High School

Jason Bowen

Graphic Design Teacher, Yearbook Adviser

Visual Arts Dept. Lead Teacher

Classroom #: E118-119
Email Address: jbowen@murrieta.k12.ca.us  
On-Campus Phone Number: (951) 894-5750 ext. 6519 

 

 

     I teach both Graphic Design 1, Graphic Design 2 and Graphic Design 3 here at VMHS, along with an occasional period of Photo and 1 period of Yearbook. Graphic Design and Photo classes are year-long and fall under the Visual Arts category for graduation requirements. I am also the Visual Arts Department Lead Teacher and the Club Adviser for the Graphic and Arts Society. 

     Students who take Graphic Design 1 will spend the year learning about design basics such as elements and principles, typography, layout, and also exploring new programs like Adobe Illustrator, In Design and Photoshop. Each student will develop and build upon skills from assignment to assignment, culminating in a final project that encompasses a little from each project they have done from the entire year. 

     In Graphic Design 2, advanced students will build upon their skills and knowledge of design basics to explore Graphic Design in a more thorough manner, including doing projects for real clients outside of class and for groups and other organizations here at school. Students will build a portfolio of work throughout the year, and by the time they finish, they should be well-prepared to move on to the next level, be it as a college student or as a beginning designer on the job.

     Graphic Design 3 is a course for the students who really wish to pursue Graphic Design as a serious level of commitment. The class covers a variety of areas, including personal branding, motion design, portfolio work and presentation of work, including an online component. Students work both independently and collaboratively to complete a series of designs throughout the year.

     In Yearbook, we will be spending a lot of time putting together the best yearbook that we possibly can. It is a very important class because the students at VMHS rely on us to pull off the biggest project of the year. Yearbooks are something that people keep their entire lives. We will make one that they are proud of, hopefully.

 

 

Rule #1 - Find a way to trust the process and try trusting it for a while.

Rule #2 - The duties of a design student are to pull everything you can out of your teacher and your fellow classmates.

Rule #3 - The duty of the teacher is to pull everything out of the students.

Rule #4 - Consider everything you do to be a learning opportunity.

Rule #5 - Be self-disciplined. This means finding something or someone to learn from and committing to learn and follow that as much as you can. Discipline is to follow in a good way.

Rule #6 - Nothing is a mistake. There is no winning or losing, only learning and making.

Rule #7 - The biggest rule is to simply WORK. Working leads to something. People who do all of the work are the ones who eventually catch on to things and learn.

Rule #8 - Don't try to create and analyze at the same time. They are different processes.

Rule #9 - Be happy about designing whenever you can. Enjoy yourself. It's a lot more fun than you think.

Rule #10 - Always be around design. Always come to class. Read anything you can get your hands on about design. Look carefully at things. You can learn as much outside of class as inside of class once you start to look around and take it all in.