Enrico
Bisenzi

I am delighted to have joined the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome as a lecturer, having previously worked at both public and private academies (Carrara, Bologna, Pisa, Florence, etc.). As a freelancer, I have provided SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) support to numerous digital agencies since the 1990s. More importantly, I was among the first in Italy to work on INCLUSIVE DESIGN, having been the first to articulate the need for a helpdesk tool for digital accessibility, even before the AGID (Agenzia per l’Italia Digitale) regulations, on behalf of INDIRE (Istituto Nazionale Documentazione Ricerca Innovativa). Behind the scenes, again on behalf of third parties, since 1999 I have contributed to the restyling of dozens of major digital communication projects, including the first Zivago online book distribution portal for Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore, the Fondazione Istituto San Raffaele Hospital in Cefalù, the International Olympics website for NetPeople, the City of Milan’s tourism portal, the City of Florence’s website (and those of other municipalities in the Florence area), the personal website of the musician Stefano Bollani, as well as the websites of numerous major national insurance companies. Also on the subject of Inclusive Design, I participate in research and development projects, including at European level, such as the XS2Animation development handbook for animation, video and live digital productions. Most recent publications: 48 Hours to make animation accessible, Firenze University Press, 2022; cited in the mail art entry Neologismi, TRECCANI, 2020; Che persona sei, Magazine Insight / Fausto Lupetti Editore · 2019; !Abracadabra – A query is not a query – Neural (international magazine) · 2015.

THREE-YEAR COURSE

Objectives:
To introduce students to graphic visualisation techniques by providing them with the knowledge and skills in composition and page layout required to design an effective layout in the era of digital communication, drawing on relevant insights from Google’s Material Design philosophy.

Syllabus:
1. Presentation of the course content and the required project
2. Research and analysis of case histories
3. What an accessible layout means
4. Material selection and licences
5. Fonts
6. Colours
7. Layout design rules
8. Layout examples for books and periodicals: the importance of the cover or the first screen
9. Layout verification techniques
10. Responsive layout for cross-device digital content
11. Positioning and role of the call to action in the conversion funnel
12. Similarities and differences between print and digital
13. Cross-Cultural Layout

Examination format:
The exam will consist of an appropriate combination of all the activities assigned and ‘submitted’ during the course, culminating in the final presentation of a design for a new layout or the restyling of an existing one for a print or digital product, in relation to a specific communicative and/or functional objective and a defined target audience.

Recommended reading:
• Spera, Michele, Abecedario Del Grafico, Gangemi, first edition, 2005
• Riccardo Falcinelli, Critica portatile al visual design. Da Gutenberg ai social network, Stile Libero Extra Series, Turin, Einaudi, 2014
• Alessandro Ludovico, Post-digital print. La mutazione dell’editoria dal 1894, CaratteriMobili, Bari, 2014
• Munari, B., Design e comunicazione visiva, GLF Editori Laterza, 1968

THREE-YEAR COURSE

Objectives:
To prepare students to be able to collaborate with graphic designers, systems engineers, copywriters, webmasters and programmers in order to optimise and enhance a website that serves professional-level communicative and artistic objectives.

Syllabus:
1. Presentation of the programme and the required course assignment: infoA Scacco al Web – open-source software
2. Research and analysis of case histories (framework and hosted code)
3. Basics of CSS and HTML editing
4. Choosing hosting
5. Defining the information architecture
6. Licences to communicate on the web (usage licences)
7. Inclusive design principles
8. Web usability
9. Web Analytics
10. SEO
11. Responsive and cross-media design
12. E-books and other cross-device opportunities
13. Long-Term Web Preservation

Examination method:
The exam will consist of a detailed presentation of all the work carried out during the course, culminating in the final presentation of a design for a new font or the restyling of an existing font for a print or digital product, in relation to a specific communication objective and a defined target audience.

Recommended reading list:
• Gigliotti, Gabriele, HTML 5 e CSS 3 – Publisher: Apogeo, 2010
• Jakob Nielsen (Author), Kara Pernice (Author), Eyetracking Web Usability. Web Usability: Sites That Catch the Eye, Pearson, 2011
• Gianluca Troiani, Responsive Web Design, Apogeo, 2013
• Enrico Bisenzi, Inclusive Design, (in accordance with the international WCAG 2.2 A-AA standard), Apogeo, 2024

Programme:

1. Introduction to the course programme, the tools and resources
   used, and formation of student working groups for the
   course assignments and exam projects.

2. History and classification of fonts
3. Structural analysis of fonts
4. Theoretical design of a font
5. Design approach to a font
6. Issues relating to font legibility
7. Digital design of a font
8. Fonts and cross-cultural requirements
9. Practical design using Birdfont
10. Practical font design with Fontforge
11. Evaluation and stress testing of the created font
12. Distribution, protection and promotion of the font
13. General summary of the course and review of the examination papers.

Examination format:
The exam will consist of an appropriate compilation of all the work ‘submitted’ during the course, culminating in the final presentation of a design for a new font or the restyling of an existing font for a print or digital product, tailored to a specific communication context and target audience.

Recommended reading:
• S. Garfield, You’re So My Type. La vita segreta delle font, Milan, Tea Edizioni, 2015
• A. and I. Tubaro, Lettering. Studi e ricerche, Milan, Hoepli, 2002
• Ellen Lupton, Caratteri testo gabbia, Zanichelli, 2018
• Fabrizio, M. Rossi, Caratteri e comunicazione visiva, Rome, ikonaLiber, 2017

TWO-YEAR COURSE

Objectives:
To introduce students to brand design techniques by providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to design, create and self-promote a brand in line with its communication objectives and target audience.

Syllabus:
1. Presentation of the programme and the required course assignment: infoA Scacco al Web – open-source software
2. SWOT analysis
3. A brand’s assets: positioning, logo, payoff or descriptor, naming, values and identity, communication tone
4. Research and analysis of case histories (resulting in a visual representation of the student’s brand positioning in relation to competitors)
5. Naming: what is the legal framework for trademark protection? (choosing a name in line with one’s viable legal framework)
6. Identifying your target audience and/or key personas
7. Payoff or descriptor design: the power of words!
8. Sketching the logo, also taking into account the principles of inclusive design
9. Finalising the logo, taking into account the principles of cross-cultural design where appropriate
10. A/B human testing
11. AI bot test
12. Brand knowledge graph
13. Brand social media marketing

Examination method:
The exam will consist of an appropriate combination of all the activities covered during the course, culminating in the final presentation of a brand proposal for a specific communication objective, positioning and target audience, accompanied by a practical implementation in terms of naming and logo design.

Recommended reading list:
• Samanta Giuliani, Stefano Pagani, Seconda Legge Dei Pop Brand, Fausto Lupetti Editore, 2022
• Carrada, Luisa, Il mestiere di scrivere (le parole al lavoro, tra carta e web), Apogeo Education, Milan, 2008
• A. Frutiger, Segni e simboli, Rome, Stampa Alternativa/Graffiti, 1996
• BRAND 111 – One Hundred and Eleven Questions and Answers to Learn More about Brands and Their Future. Elio Carmi, Logo, Fausto Lupetti Editore

You can find the recommended books, consult them or request their acquisition through:
• the Library of the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome in Via Ripetta biblioteca@abaroma.it
• A library supported by the OPAC catalogue https://opac.sbn.it/
• the Media Library Online service, which is affiliated with public libraries and to which you can apply for online membership https://www.medialibrary.it/pagine/pagina.aspx?id=568