“Meeting the Brief” has been created to support young designers & artists
functioning in a global environment, using English to accomplish their creative goals.
“Meeting the Brief” is envisioned as an intermediate to high-intermediate English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
second-language/foreign-language textbook for Art & Design students.
Written by EFL professional and solopreneur graphic artist Judith Alkema,
this textbook fills a unique gap in the ESP market,
combining both a visual dictionary of art & design vocabulary, hands-on project-based learning,
and guided second-language practice opportunities in all four skill areas.
It contains a series of 32 lessons to cover a 16-week semester,
and includes 12 unique ‘designer briefs’, projects taken from real-life design challenges and typical client needs.
functioning in a global environment, using English to accomplish their creative goals.
“Meeting the Brief” is envisioned as an intermediate to high-intermediate English for Specific Purposes (ESP)
second-language/foreign-language textbook for Art & Design students.
Written by EFL professional and solopreneur graphic artist Judith Alkema,
this textbook fills a unique gap in the ESP market,
combining both a visual dictionary of art & design vocabulary, hands-on project-based learning,
and guided second-language practice opportunities in all four skill areas.
It contains a series of 32 lessons to cover a 16-week semester,
and includes 12 unique ‘designer briefs’, projects taken from real-life design challenges and typical client needs.
Premises & Philosophies |
Design & Concept |
Skills & Competencies |
Present, Practise, Prepare, Produce Input & Output: sharing the work Metacognition: (thinking about thinking) self-awareness & autonomy This book teaches you how to think and function - in English, about design Accuracy & Fluency: building both by turns Learn by doing: mistakes are expected & respected Clear, Correct, Confident Careful & Creative: Parameters and freedom Learn in community: How to be a team player PBL - Project Based Learning Four Metaskills Subject at the Centre, Guide on the Side |
The textbook is composed of 32 themed modules, each of which focuses on a different language skill for specific design purposes.
Each module contains a task/assignment for the designer to complete, using the newly acquired skill and building on previous tasks. Each module has a colour code and a unique moodboard cover page taken from a distinctive design era (Baroque, Art Deco, Memphis, Scandi, etc.) so that as a whole the textbook can also be used as a reference chapbook for the history of visual design. |
The textbook can be broadly considered as a 4-metaskills approach, though here broken down into five underlying core competencies: reading, writing, listening, discussion and presentation, with the supporting skills of grammar and vocabulary. Grammar is for the most part assumed at this level, as students should be primarily engaging with content/meaning, and meta-forms such as reports or presentation structures. There is an emphasis on professional communication: between designer and client, between designer and supervisor, between designer and peers/fellow creatives - in emails, briefs, and presentations. There is also a heavy emphasis on building specific and essential design vocabulary, which is embedded in the texts and bolded for quick identification. Throughout the textbook, custom infographics provide visual lists of new vocabulary in a wide range of contexts. Students are encouraged to record new-to-them words from each module using a variety of techniques, from language family cards to a personal visual dictionary. |
“Meeting the Brief” speaks to young designers (students, solopreneurs, amateurs, or professionals)
who are using English in a global environment;
working independently and creatively to meet specific ‘client briefs’,
whether writing object analyses, preparing moodboards,
researching renowned architects, or presenting their own product pitches.
To that end, “Meeting the Brief” is skill-driven rather than theme-driven,
although students will encounter a wide variety of media and topics drawn from the fields of
graphic design, fashion design, product design, interior design, industrial design,
logo design, textile design, architectural design, branding design, and more.
'Meeting the Brief' can be used in a traditional classroom, a digital classroom, with a design mentor, or as part of a course of independent study.
'Meeting the Brief' is being offered
as a multi-media pilot test course
led by Judith Alkema
for a selected group of students
in the Spring 2022 semester.
who are using English in a global environment;
working independently and creatively to meet specific ‘client briefs’,
whether writing object analyses, preparing moodboards,
researching renowned architects, or presenting their own product pitches.
To that end, “Meeting the Brief” is skill-driven rather than theme-driven,
although students will encounter a wide variety of media and topics drawn from the fields of
graphic design, fashion design, product design, interior design, industrial design,
logo design, textile design, architectural design, branding design, and more.
'Meeting the Brief' can be used in a traditional classroom, a digital classroom, with a design mentor, or as part of a course of independent study.
'Meeting the Brief' is being offered
as a multi-media pilot test course
led by Judith Alkema
for a selected group of students
in the Spring 2022 semester.