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Keith Jones
- Assistant Professor of Art
- graphic design & photography
- office: 311 Roberts Hall
- phone:256.824.2590
- joneskt@uah.edu
education
- MFA Louisiana Tech University - Ruston, LA Graphic Design 1993
- BFA Delta State University - Cleveland, MS Graphic Design and Photography 1984
- AA Hinds Community College
- Raymond, MS Graphic Design 1980
teaching
My goal is to educate students to perform to the best of their abilities in the field of Graphic Design. I focus on design, illustration, advertising business, web development, and creative problem solving. Teamwork is encouraged through projects which are structured as professional design projects. As a professor, I am a strong believer in working one-on-one with students. I believe that students have to be cultivated in order to develop a good design sense. My lectures are structured to cover creative techniques and electronic methods using the current software of the industry. Students are given the opportunity to see the field at work through tours and interaction with professionals. An understanding the industry will help students find their direction and see the challenges that are involved with graphic design. Students learn design process through researching ideas, planning design, and applying professional techniques. Although graphic design styles are constantly evolving, the structural underpinnings of good design remain constant. Students must master drawing, design theory, and new technology. Student are encouraged to develop a design philosophy that reflects their personal style through knowledge of current trends in advertising and design. By applying these fundamentals, the student can set themselves apart from the ordinary and become leaders in the graphic design field.
design philosophy
My approach to design and illustration is direct and simple. Good design's goal is to communicate a well conceived idea through creative thinking. Technology has advanced the versatility of graphic design and illustration. The result of my work is a balance between traditional techniques and the electronic environment. My work can be broken down into two components, design and illustration. My design process focuses on the structural execution of the work. Once the structural elements are in place, I begin to look at ways to establish creative interplay between type and image. The design should be cleaver in its method of presenting information to the audience. Everything we do has some aesthetic implication. In order to understand the aesthetic qualities of form and design, the designer must understand the raw information presented. As an illustrator, I experiment with electronic and traditional media within the bounds of the same environment. I use traditional techniques to interact with the electronic environment as a source of visual relief and for speed of execution. I believe illustration should support the product, service or application to reflect the expression of the final piece. I depend on planning and the strength of drawing as a building block to the overall illustration.
Download syllabus for ARS 230, Spring 2008, Intro. to Graphic Design.
Download syllabus for ARS 331, Spring 2008, Graphic Design I.
Download syllabus for ARS 431, Spring 2008, Adv. Graphic Design II.
