Graphic Design Certificate

A course covering the information and skills needed to succeed in academic studies, including study skills, setting academic goals, managing time, and technology skills such as word processing, presentations, and using Excel.

Students will concentrate on utilizing design principles and theories in problem solving, focusing on the importance of layout composition. Emphasis will be on the process of design development from roughs to comprehensives, layout, and the use of grid systems for multi-component layouts. Critical analysis will be applied through the usage of type and layout to create clear, communicative design. Additionally, students will get an introduction to the principles of color and an exploration of color theory as it relates to print and digital media. Students will also receive an introduction to Adobe Creative Cloud.

This course will explore the use of Adobe Creative Cloud digital design tools. Students will gain a thorough understanding of design techniques by using tools to create compositions, digital illustrations,  web and print media, and photo manipulation. They will also learn about file types and exports for web and print media.  By the conclusion of this course, students will begin developing a capstone portfolio.

In this course, students explore the principles of photography and the utilization of photography as a means of documenting design projects and portfolio pieces. This course covers the basic principles for lighting, setup and shooting with digital cameras. Students will photograph both two-dimensional and three-dimensional objects, then students will become acquainted with the concepts, hardware, and software, related to digital image acquisition, image editing, manipulation, color management basics, masking, layering, retouching, and output. At the conclusion of this course, students will produce a portfolio artifact that can be added to their developing capstone portfolio.

This course will explore printed communication and the use of typography as an exclusive element of design. The course will focus on the development of marketable, original and creative problem-solving solutions with an emphasis on professional presentation techniques. This course includes three distinct areas of learning in the subject of typography: Traditional Typography is an introduction of lettering skills and the history and foundation of letterforms. The placement of display and text type in a formatted space, and the relationship between the appearance and readability of letterforms, are also studied. Students will work in a traditional context of hand-rendering type and will also be introduced to contemporary typesetting technology. Expressive & Experimental Typography is designed to further investigate the power and beauty of expressive typography and its applications. The use of computer software and non-traditional media are explored. Projects will include kinetic typography, unique typeface/font design, and creative title designs. Contemporary Typography will explore the current design trends in typography. The work of contemporary type designers will be analyzed. Emphasis will be placed on experimentation of creative, innovative and new-wave type designing. At the conclusion of this course, students will produce a portfolio artifact that can be added to their developing capstone portfolio.

This advanced course will concentrate on utilizing design principles and theories in problem solving, focusing on the importance of layout composition. Emphasis will be placed on the process of design development from thumbnails to comprehensives, layout, and the use of grid systems for multi-component layouts. Prior learnings in typography, illustration, image manipulation and photography will be combined to create a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing page layout system. At the conclusion of this course, students will produce a portfolio artifact that can be added to their developing capstone portfolio.

This course advances the students' understanding of the computer as an artist's tool. Building on previous courses in drawing, concept development and introductory computer aided design; students will be asked to generate a number of expressive solutions that address specific illustrative problems, both technical and creative. Emphasis will be placed on meeting deadlines, use of applicable rendering techniques, application of appropriate typography and professional presentation methods. As part of this course, students will be given the opportunity to develop their digital illustration skills by exploring numerous tools and techniques to obtain desired results, including:

Dynamic Digital Illustration will concentrate on advertising illustrations using vector-based applications and explore graphic designs for products and apparel. Editorial Illustration will explore various conceptual illustrators and their visions. Graphic Illustration will concentrate on the application of design elements in a stylized illustration. Attention to detail and rendering techniques will be emphasized and refined. Illustration for Multimedia & Web will help students produce vector-based computer-generated compositions for use in print, web sites, and multimedia products. Throughout the course, attention to detail and rendering techniques will be emphasized and refined. This suggests a focus on honing technical skills and craftsmanship to create polished, professional-grade illustrations.  At the conclusion of the course, students will produce a portfolio artifact that can be added to their capstone portfolio. They will also learn how to select existing projects or determine new ones for their portfolio, as well as how to organize and prepare their design process artifacts for display online.

In this course, students will learn foundational theories and principles of User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design while gaining practical proficiency in industry standard design software programs. This course also covers user design process and research. Students will create intuitive digital experiences by applying human-centered design principles, wireframing techniques, and interactive prototypes. By the end of the course, students will have the skills to design compelling user interfaces and create engaging digital solutions, as well as understand user needs, behaviors and how they interact with services.