Outline

Overview

This unit explores practical and theoretical aspects of contemporary book design and the creation of books in print, digital and audio formats. Students will acquire sought-after skills in book design and production of print and digital formats and an overview of the key technologies, workflows and processes, including the implementations of accessibility standards. Using various software and digital content development tools, students will develop publishing projects for print, and digital delivery on iPad, Kindle and other devices.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	MECO6937
Academic unit	Media and Communications
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	MECO6930
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Agata Mrva-Montoya, agata.mrva-montoya@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Presentation	Book design in focus More information is available on Canvas.	15%	Ongoing Closing date: 03 Jun 2022	10 minutes / 500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Anthology cover design and layout More information is available on Canvas.	20%	Week 07 Due date: 08 Apr 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 15 Apr 2022	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Essay More information is available on Canvas.	40%	Week 10 Due date: 06 May 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 13 May 2022	2000 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Illustrated nonfiction book design for print and digital More information is available on Canvas.	25%	Week 13 Due date: 27 May 2022 at 23:59 Closing date: 03 Jun 2022	1000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= group assignment ?

Assessment summary

Book design in focus: Investigate the design conventions, features and trends of the assigned genre. Select three representative titles as a case study and prepare a 10-minute presentation with slides to report your findings in class.

Anthology cover design and layout: The challenge is to create a cover design and internal layout for print for a collection of short stories and poems. The best design may be used to produce the 2022 student anthology. This is an exercise in developing your own design ideas in responses to a specific design brief. The emphasis is on mastering the basics of Adobe InDesign and understanding the components of book design.

Essay: Please write an essay (2000 words) on one of the six specified topics on the issues of book design and production (the six essay questions are available on Canvas). Students are expected to use The Chicago Manual of Style 16th edn Author-Date system (B) of referencing, and ensure that the essay is grammatically and stylistically flawless and typo-free.

Illustrated nonfiction book design for print and digital: Working in groups, students will develop a production schedule, design brief, cover design and sample internal pages of an illustrated nonfiction title. This is an exercise in developing your own design ideas in responses to a specific design brief. The emphasis is on mastering the basics of Adobe InDesign and understanding the components of book design.

Participation: During the semester, students are expected to:

be active learners
attend 80% of all classes
read the assigned readings
prepare notes and questions for each class
be a valuable contributor to group projects
complete and submit all the assignments on time
contribute to the seminar discussions.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Book design and production 101	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 02	The anatomy of a book	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 03	A design brief	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 04	Book designer at work	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 05	Publishing platforms and workflows	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 06	Green design and printing	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 07	Digital publishing 101	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 08	Reading in the digital era	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 09	Producing accessible ebooks	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 10	Ebooks and ebook apps in focus	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 11	Listen up: the wonderful world of audiobooks	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 12	Group project presentations	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 13	Innovation in book design and production	Seminar (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

There is no set text for this unit. Weekly readings on issues relating to the topics of individual seminars are available on Canvas. Moreover, an extensive list of resources that will help expand your knowledge and skills of book and ebook design and production is also available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. understand the design processes, workflows and production issues involved in the development of books for print, digital and audio delivery
LO2. demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the principles of book design and layout within the contemporary publishing industry, and develop skills in a selection of graphic design and digital publishing software
LO3. identify the major factors which dictate the positioning of a title within a particular market sector, and plan its ‘look and feel’ appropriately
LO4. understand the impact of the digital revolution on book production for print, digital and audio delivery
LO5. understand the digital publishing landscape (including formats, devices, platforms and tools) and the economic, legal, social and cultural issues in digital publishing
LO6. understand the principles of inclusive publishing, and acquire the knowledge, tools, and frameworks to produce accessible ebooks.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The unit has been revised to response to student and peer feedback, and updated to reflect the evolving industry practices.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

MECO6937: Producing Books in the Digital Age

Semester 1, 2022 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect