Course Descriptions

In this course students are introduced to the digital technologies and media used in the design and advertising industries. Students gain technical knowledge related to the set-up and maintenance of digital platforms and tools, and begin to work with industry standard image-making and file conversion software.

This course introduces students to the origins of illustration through an integration of history, theory, and practice. Lectures review notable artists and their work, and illuminate the influence of society on visual expression from the Renaissance until the mid-20th century. Applied projects are based on lecture content and related mediums and techniques, including principles of light, form, and colour.

This course provides a grounding in the development of illustration as a profession through the integration of history, theory, and practice. Lectures review notable illustrators and their work, and the influence of economic and historical milestones from the Golden Age until the present day. Applied projects are based on lecture content and the use mediums, techniques, voice, and storytelling in illustration.

This course provides an introduction to line, form, and light through an exploration of drawing and photography. Students develop skills in the use of drawing tools and a digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera. Principles of perception, observation, proportion, and perspective are covered through drawing and photography of man-made and natural objects, including the human figure.

This course examines the evolution of visual communication from paleolithic cave paintings to the mid-20th century through an integration of history, theory and practice. The course covers the origins of written communication and its subsequent role in the development of typography and the design and advertising professions. Applied projects explore the articulation of historical styles and aesthetics.

This course examines graphic design and typography from the mid-20th century to the present day through an integration of history, theory, and practice. Students are introduced to modernist, post-modernist, and information age movements as an aesthetic and philosophical basis of modern graphic design and advertising. Applied projects, including the integration of concept with design principles, are integral to the course.

In this course students are introduced to the digital technologies and media used in the design and advertising industries. Students gain technical knowledge on the set up and maintenance of digital platforms and tools, and begin to work with image-making software for static and dynamic media. The fundamentals of shaping the interactive experience – information architecture, navigation design, user interface design, and the user experience as it relates to screen technologies – are also introduced.

This course introduces students to professional page layout software for print and digital publishing. Students gain knowledge in the use of industry-standard software and associated file formats, learn to manage fonts and colour systems, and prepare files for production. Students need a working knowledge of the computer desktop environment, file management, and vector/image software to take this course.

This course introduces students to digital illustration for dynamic media. Students develop skills in image making and motion graphic software and develop a basic language of time-based media. Students need a working knowledge of the computer desktop environment and file management to take this course.

This course introduces students to illustration as visual communication. Students learn the process of completing an illustration project through concept, sketches, client approval, and finished work, and begin to develop style and voice. Skills are developed using various mediums and techniques including contemporary painting and life drawing.

This course focuses on the development of illustration styles for visual communication using voice and storytelling. Students are assigned targeted briefs and create conceptual solutions using moderately complex subject matter. The roles of illustrator and art director as part of a creative team are emphasized in the process of creating illustration for advertising, design, and publishing.

This course introduces digital illustration techniques for static and dynamic media. Students gain an understanding of the strengths of digital technology in contemporary conceptual illustration and motion graphics. Technical skills using image-making and motion graphics software are introduced through a variety of in-class exercises and projects with targeted briefs.

This course introduces students to the fields of communication design, information design, and advertising, and to the role of design in business and marketing. Students understand the design process by analyzing design problems, working through creative briefs, creating appropriate design solutions, and developing rationales. Instruction in design-related software supports the course.

This course focuses on communication design practice and its role in promoting sustainability. Students are introduced to ways in which design solutions can engage “strategies, processes and materials that value environmental, cultural, social and economic responsibility” (GDC Sustainable Design Principles, 2009). Projects emphasize collaboration, the discovery process, and the development of platform-neutral solutions. Instruction in design-related software supports the course.

This course provides students with a thorough understanding of typography as a core element of visual communication. The evolution of type from the mid-1400s to the present day is discussed in the context of the technology of the time and its influence on letterforms. Students gain a grounding in the principles of best typographic practice as they apply to print and digital mediums. Instruction in design-related software supports the course.

This course introduces students to the field of brand identity by following the process of a branding assignment as it would typically be handled in a design studio or advertising agency. Students are guided through the process from creative brief through strategic framework to logo development and design of a variety of marketing materials. Presentations are conducted in a simulated “real world” environment.

This course focuses on developing skills in the primary software programs used in the visual communication professions and builds on the principles introduced in Digital Media I. The emphasis is on the role of the designer and/or illustrator in the creation of visual communication for static and dynamic media, including information-rich websites. Applied projects address the needs of differing real-world digital communications scenarios.

This course builds skills in front-end technologies for digital media production. The emphasis is on user interface design and navigation for different types of screen technologies. It is important for students to already have a working knowledge of web authoring tools.

Students select from a wide variety of full-day workshops covering specialized topics in visual communication. Some workshops support skill development specific to a concentration (e.g. interactive design, illustration, or branding). All workshops provide tools and resources for self-learning, online support, and individualized faculty feedback on workshop projects.

Students select from a wide variety of full-day workshops covering specialized topics in visual communication (topics differ from those in Visual Communication Workshops I). Some workshops support skill development specific to a concentration (e.g. interactive design, illustration, or branding). All workshops provide tools and resources for self-learning, online support, and individualized faculty feedback on workshop projects.

Thematically structured around the concept of “design for good”, this course introduces a variety of creative briefs, research methods, leadership skills, and tools that model best practices. Students work in groups to deconstruct the briefs, build on the research, identify tasks, map workflow, explore and define problem-solving strategies, and build solutions and case studies. Students will work in their choice of visual communication areas.

Thematically structured around the concept of “design for good”, this course introduces a variety of creative briefs, research methods, leadership skills, and tools that model best practices. Students work in groups to deconstruct the briefs, build on the research, identify tasks, map workflow, explore and define problem-solving strategies, and build solutions and case studies. Students concentrate on illustration for project deliverables.

Thematically structured around the concept of “design for good”, this course introduces a variety of creative briefs, research methods, leadership skills, and tools that model best practices. Students work in groups to deconstruct the briefs, build on the research, identify tasks, map workflow, explore and define problem-solving strategies, and build solutions and case studies. Students concentrate on branding for project deliverables.

Thematically structured around the concept of “design for good”, this course introduces a variety of creative briefs, research methods, leadership skills, and tools that model best practices. Students work in groups to deconstruct the briefs, build on the research, identify tasks, map workflow, explore and define problem-solving strategies, and build solutions and case studies. Students concentrate on interactive design for project deliverables.

Using the process modeled in Visual Communication Studio I, students collaborate to identify areas of research that could benefit from design thinking expertise. The entire design process from problem identification to final solution is followed and recorded in case studies. Group work is complemented with focused individual study in a choice of visual communication subjects. The course is supported by research conducted in Design Thinking and Research II.

Using the process modeled in Visual Communication Studio I, students collaborate to identify areas of research that could benefit from design thinking expertise. The entire design process from problem identification to final solution is followed and recorded in case studies. Group work is complemented with focused individual study in illustration. The course is supported by research conducted in Design Thinking and Research II.

Using the process modeled in Visual Communication Studio I, students collaborate to identify areas of research that could benefit from design thinking expertise. The entire design process from problem identification to final solution is followed and recorded in case studies. Group work is complemented with focused individual study in branding. The course is supported by research conducted in Design Thinking and Research II.

Using the process modeled in Visual Communication Studio I, students collaborate to identify areas of research that could benefit from design thinking expertise. The entire design process from problem identification to final solution is followed and recorded in case studies. Group work is complemented with focused individual study in interactive design. The course is supported by research conducted in Design Thinking and Research II.

This course focuses on the development of professional portfolio websites for designers and illustrators embarking on careers in the visual communication industry. Students are introduced to current trends in web experience design and a number of tools for building and showcasing a portfolio of work. Instruction will support students with varying degrees of front-end development experience.

This experiential learning course takes place primarily off campus. Students work within a studio/agency environment or with a personal mentor in a capacity related to visual communication. Students undergo a placement interview and both parties work to strict contractual guidelines that guide behaviour and learning in a professional environment. Students provide written reflection and a final report on their work experience.