Graphic Design

In this course, Graphic Design and Studio Art majors will develop the practical skills necessary for their professional development and career planning. Topics may include job applications, interviews, residency programs, exhibition opportunities, artist grants, portfolio documentation, web/social media presence, self promotion, and graduate programs. Students will create, revise, and refine a promotional portfolio which will include resumés, cover letters, and artist statements, in conversation with their art and design portfolios. 

The Studio Art & Design Capstone course facilitates seniors in the development of robust art and design practices that thrive. Through a series of readings, project prompts, group critiques, and written student reflections, seniors will examine their own art and design work, find their singular vision, and become fluent communicators of their ideas. To those ends, seniors will research the work and writings of contemporary artists and professional designers, providing context for their own visual art and design practices and locating their place in the broader discourse of the visual arts. Students will also write and revise artist-statements, and regularly present their work to the class as they refine their portfolios for capstone presentations and the senior Art & Design Exhibition.
 

Students will finalize their self-identity promotional materials, hone their interviewing and presentation skills, and present their final portfolios during the campus capstone event. In addition, students are required to prepare their work for exhibition, understand exhibition requirements, and mount a group exhibition of their work in the college galleries.

This introductory graphic design course provides a foundation in visual communication and creative problem solving. Projects, readings and exercises focus on form, concept, abstraction, composition, type and image and semiotics. Working methods range from traditional hand skills and studio art media to digital media.

This introductory elective internship is intended to provide any students in the graphic design program (BFA, BA or minor) with exploratory, on-site design-related work experiences and opportunities. Internships may be completed in design studios or firms or in-house in businesses or nonprofit organizations. A graphic design or studio art faculty member serves as the student's internship sponsor. An application must be submitted and approved by the faculty advisor and the Harrington Center for Experiential Learning prior to the beginning of the internship. Graded Pass/Fail.

This intermediate graphic design course provides a focused foundation in typography. Projects, readings and exercises address type anatomy and classification, typeface selection, typographic principles, expressive typography, syntax, typesetting best practices, grids and typographic layouts and typographic systems.

Recommended Prerequisite: GD 213

This intermediate graphic design course provides both a conceptual introduction to interactive design principles and a hands-on introduction to contemporary technical practices and approaches employed in web and mobile design. By developing basic understanding of coding, working knowledge of styling, familiarity with current programs and content management systems and fluency with relevant terminology, students will become able to plan, organize, envision and construct interactive projects for digital contexts.

Recommended Prerequisite: GD 213 and GD 312

This advanced graphic design course provides an extensive introduction to the design of corporate, institutional and product identity systems. Applications of identity design systems include (but are not limited to) logos, collateral materials, publications, packaging, environmental graphics and digital media. An emphasis is placed upon the design of contextually relevant and meaningful applications.

This advanced studio course facilitates deep and diverse explorations in the creation of illustrations. Students are encouraged to work in both analog and digital media – and to integrate these ways of working – experimenting with drawing, painting, collage, composite images, digital translation, 3D illustration and more. Applied exercises and projects will guide students in tailoring illustrations to various contexts and purposes, using advanced techniques, incorporating knowledge of past and current illustrators, and the role of an illustrator as a collaborator. This course will prepare students to confidently approach source material and transform it into a more powerful visual narrative.

An internship is required for all students in the graphic design major, both B.A. and B.F.A. Students arrange internships that offer experiences with mentoring professionals in client-based design firms, design studios or in-house design departments. A faculty member serves as the student’s internship sponsor. Students must submit an internship contract application to the Harrington Center for Experiential Learning for approval prior to beginning the internship. Graded Pass/Fail. Internships are arranged through the Harrington Center for Experiential Learning with approval and evaluation by faculty sponsors.

Specific information is available from the Harrington Center for Experiential Learning.