VISC 205 - Business Practices for Visual Communicators

1. Recognize copyrights and infringement.
2. Protect personal work with copyrights.
3. Identify the moral, economic, social and ethical ramifications of advertising and promotion.
4. List careers and the professional bodies associated with the various visual communication disciplines.
5. Describe the pros and cons of self-employment.
6. Understand the legal and other restraints on advertising and promotion.
7. Understand Tax issues.
8. Understand the principles of estimating and pricing.
9. Understand the purpose and implementation of writing contracts.
10. Avoid disputes with clients.
11. Utilize a computer in the managing of a business in the Visual Arts.
12. Recognize and identify diversity, globalization, and ethnicity in the workplace and marketplace.
13. Write a comprehensive research paper dealing with a visual communications business practice.

• Copyrights
  • Gaining and keeping protection
  • Registration
  • Works for hire and joint works
  • Infringement, fair use, compulsory licensing and permissions
  • Copyright in the digital revolutions
• Moral rights
• Economic, social, ethical aspects of advertising and promotion
• Legal and other restraints (regulations) on advertising and promotion
• Taxes:
  • Income and expenses
  • Beyond Schedule C
  • The hobby loss challenge
  • Who is an employee?
• Visual communication careers and salary expectations
• Freelancing/self employment
• Pricing
• Estimating
• Contracts
• Avoiding disputes
• Business communications and the role of the computer