Algorithmic Print Design mixes computer code and print production.

The Algorithmic Print Design course was an experimental collaboration between the Design and Tech and Communication Design programs at Parsons. In this class, students explored the potential of using computer programming as the foundation for their design and production processes. The course was structured around a series of classic print-design projects: a postcard, a poster, a package, and a (sticker) campaign. Students followed a complete creative process for each assignment, starting with developing a solid concept, refining it through iterative revision guided by critique, and ultimately printing a tangible, final product.

I taught this class in collaboration with Talia Cotton, founder of Cotton Design (and alumna of Computational Form). At Cotton Design, Talia and her team create innovative brand identities and digital experiences with technology, data, and custom tools. Algorithmic Print Design draws from Talia’s expertise in code-driven visual and identity design, concepts introduced in Computational Form, and our shared interest in the creative applications of code.

Project 1: Postcard

Create a series of similar but uniquely personalized printed postcards. Mail them to your classmates.

Postcards are fun to make and fun to get. They are a concise example of print (system) design: a single, small piece of paper, a creative side, a functional side. They are an inherently physical, personalized medium. They are simple enough to encourage experimentation but complex enough to be interesting. In this assignment, students consider the postcard medium, experiment with computational design elements, produce a series of postcards, and connect with their class.

Project 2: Poster

Create a series of four location-aware posters for an imagined lecture series.

A poster is arguably the ultimate designed artifact. The largeness of a poster affords detail. The immediacy of a poster demands clarity. Design anything to look like a poster and you have a good design. Master the poster and you've mastered design. In this assignment, students create a series of posters for a fictional design lecture series called "Angles: Cross Perspectives in Design". They approach the design as a location-responsive system with individual posters adapting to the specific location where they will be displayed.

Project 3: Sticker Campaign

Create a sticker campaign of at least 100 unique stickers to advocate for a mission of your choosing.

A successful campaign combines surprise and frequency. Each engagement should surprise but frequency should be high. Preventing over-exposure and burnout requires variety, but manually designing a unique experience for every engagement can be overwhelming or impractical. In this assignment, students use algorithms as a design tool to explore concepts that would otherwise be impossible.