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Jacob Ristau

Associate Professor, Adjunct

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Personal Statement

Jacob Ristau is a tinkerer and maker in all modes of life, but most particularly in design. Through personal projects, writing, and educating, he explores design as a form of embodied vitality grounded in curiosity, empathy, and play.Jacob’s self-initiated projects typically utilize bodily engagements to trigger re-evaluations of held assumptions and common sense views about the nature of reality. Leveraging play to create a positive political space for disruptive/creative discourse, his works are lighthearted and approachable. Through his writing, he seeks to invigorate disciplinary discourse in design by defining it in vital terms and extending the role of designer beyond the domain of the strictly human.Jacob’s design work has been recognized nationally and appeared in design publications Communication Arts; Graphis; and Print; as well as in the book Logo Lounge Vol. 2 among others. His writing has also appeared in various publications, most notably Design Issues. His artists' books are part of the Joan Flasch Artists' Book Collection. Jacob has also lectured widely at design education institutions around the U.S. and abroad, sharing his creative work and unique philosophy of design practice and education.Jacob joined the SAIC Visual Communication department in Fall 2014, having previously taught full-time in a range of design education contexts from a liberal arts university, to art and design schools, as well as state university art and design programs. He completed his graduate study at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2005.

 

Courses

Title Department Catalog Term

Description

Experiments in visual communication challenge the student to further refine visual thinking and integrate basic studies through applied problems. The importance of flexibility of approach is stressed at this level. Through experimentation, the problem is defined and organized; imagery and message are manipulated; awareness of potential solutions is increased. A student's portfolio must be pre-approved by the visual communication department for enrollment in this course.

Class Number

1864

Credits

3

Description

Students produce simple and complex three-dimensional studies. Principles of abstraction combined with packaging construction techniques serve as the basis for developing solutions. A variety of assignments are given that explore the integration of typography, image, and form.

Class Number

1835

Credits

3

Description

This is an advanced studio course focusing on developing the methodology and skill sets required to shape a comprehensive visual identity system for commercial application. Students explore various practical facets of identity development: research, communication strategy, visual form, graphic standards, and implementation, with particular emphasis on mark-making, testing and refinement. Multiple approaches to identity design are examined and explored, including static, iterative, dynamic and kinetic systems.

Suggested readings and screenings vary and may include excerpts from Graphic Design, Now in Production (Blauvelt, 2011), Designing Brand Identity (Wheeler, 2013), Marks of Excellence (Mollerup, 2013), Logo Design Love (Airey, 2015), Signs and Symbols, Their Design and Meaning (Frutiger, 1978), Graphic Design/The New Basics (Lupton, 2015), and Saul Bass?s Bell System Pitch. The identity work of major branding firms, such as Pentagram, Sagmeister, and Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv are examined as well as the work of independent, highly regarded design professionals.

Students will work on a progressive sequence of assignments as a way to build skills, learning and confidence in a didactic manner, culminating in a large-scale identity system, prepared for professional grade presentation.

Class Number

1838

Credits

3

Description

This is an advanced studio course focusing on developing the methodology and skill sets required to shape a comprehensive visual identity system for commercial application. Students explore various practical facets of identity development: research, communication strategy, visual form, graphic standards, and implementation, with particular emphasis on mark-making, testing and refinement. Multiple approaches to identity design are examined and explored, including static, iterative, dynamic and kinetic systems.

Suggested readings and screenings vary and may include excerpts from Graphic Design, Now in Production (Blauvelt, 2011), Designing Brand Identity (Wheeler, 2013), Marks of Excellence (Mollerup, 2013), Logo Design Love (Airey, 2015), Signs and Symbols, Their Design and Meaning (Frutiger, 1978), Graphic Design/The New Basics (Lupton, 2015), and Saul Bass?s Bell System Pitch. The identity work of major branding firms, such as Pentagram, Sagmeister, and Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv are examined as well as the work of independent, highly regarded design professionals.

Students will work on a progressive sequence of assignments as a way to build skills, learning and confidence in a didactic manner, culminating in a large-scale identity system, prepared for professional grade presentation.

Class Number

1880

Credits

3

Description

This critique seminar explores the structure of storytelling. Students review traditional dramatic form, incorporate methods of collaging content and explore experimental narrative structures and physical configurations. The course begins and ends with targeted design+writing projects utilizing non-linear narrative methods such as circular or never-ending, list formats, and multiple perspectives. Here, students focus on new forms as a means of driving narrative. In between, a longer investigation with a more expanded process focuses on analogy and its relationship to narrative. Using analogy, students deploy various research strategies and novel mapping techniques, fashioning stories out of the strange or incongruous, prodding connections that push against cliche. Each project in this seminar reconsiders basic tenets of reading?flow, dramatic pacing, the capacity to be entertaining.

Class Number

2003

Credits

3

Description

This critique seminar explores the structure of storytelling. Students review traditional dramatic form, incorporate methods of collaging content and explore experimental narrative structures and physical configurations. The course begins and ends with targeted design+writing projects utilizing non-linear narrative methods such as circular or never-ending, list formats, and multiple perspectives. Here, students focus on new forms as a means of driving narrative. In between, a longer investigation with a more expanded process focuses on analogy and its relationship to narrative. Using analogy, students deploy various research strategies and novel mapping techniques, fashioning stories out of the strange or incongruous, prodding connections that push against cliche. Each project in this seminar reconsiders basic tenets of reading?flow, dramatic pacing, the capacity to be entertaining.

Class Number

2081

Credits

3

Description

Taken every semester, the Graduate Projects courses allow students to focus in private sessions on the development of their work. Students register for 6 hours of Graduate Project credit in each semester of study.

Class Number

2336

Credits

3 - 6