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VisualDESIGNLab
Scholarships
In the Visual Communication program, you will acquire strong foundational training in Art, Design, and Technology. Our degree program offers the opportunity to graduate with an emphasis in graphic design or animation. In our small, intimate studio classes, you will be guided by faculty members to foster your artistic voice while creating effective strategic approaches. Work on real-world projects in one of our experiential and professional learning opportunities at the VisualDESIGNlab and Advanced Media Lab.
Our wide range of studio classes will prepare you with in-demand skills and expand your abilities in a continually-evolving field for years to come. You will graduate with a highly competitive and individualized portfolio that will help you integrate seamlessly into the job market. Our alumni have started successful independent design practices and work for some of the country's leading firms, including Yahoo, Citigroup, Motorola, Netflix, GoDaddy, Amazon Game Studios, Google, IBM, GAP, W.L. Gore, Nike, and L’Oreal.
HIGHLIGHT REEL
Frequently asked questions
WHAT TYPES OF CAREERS CAN I HAVE WITH THIS DEGREE? Accordion Closed
- Graphic designer
- Motion graphics designer
- UI/UX designer (User Interface / User Experience)
- Interaction designer
- Animator
- Web designer
- Packaging designer
- Illustrator
- Corporate media designer
- Print production designer
- Art director
- Creative director
- Design manager
- Freelance designer
- Advertising designer
- Content developer
WHAT ARE THE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES? Accordion Closed
Outcomes align with Standards from the National Association of Schools of Art & Design Accreditation
Studio
- Gain functional competence with principles of visual organization, including the ability to work with visual elements in two and three dimensions; color theory and its applications; and drawing.
- Present work that demonstrates perceptual acuity, conceptual understanding, and technical facility at a professional entry level in their chosen field(s).
- Become familiar with the historical achievements, current major issues, processes, and directions of their field(s).
- Be afforded opportunities to exhibit their work and to experience and participate in critiques and discussions of their work and the work of others
Art/ Design History, Theory, and Criticism
- Learn to analyze works of art/design perceptively and to evaluate them critically.
- Develop an understanding of the common elements and vocabulary of art/design and of the interaction of these elements, and be able to employ this knowledge in analysis.
- Acquire the ability to place works of art/ design in historical, cultural, and stylistic contexts.
Technology
- Acquire a working knowledge of technologies and equipment applicable to their area(s) of specialization.
Synthesis
- While synthesis is a lifetime process, by the end of undergraduate studies students should be able to work independently on a variety of art and/or design problems by combining, as appropriate to the issue, their capabilities in studio, analysis, history, and technology.
Specialization
- Students must demonstrate achievement of professional, entry-level competence in the major area of specialization, including significant technical mastery, capability to produce work and solve professional problems independently, and a coherent set of artistic/ intellectual goals that are evidence in their work.
- Students must demonstrate their competence by developing a body of work for evaluation in the major area of study. A senior project or final presentation in the major area is required.
- Students must have the ability to form and defend value judgments about art and design and to communicate art/ design ideas, concepts, and requirements to professionals and laypersons related to the practice of the major field. They are able to work collaboratively as appropriate to the area(s) of specialization.
WHAT WILL I LEARN IN THE GRAPHIC DESIGN EMPHASIS? Accordion Closed
- The ability to solve communication problems, including the skills of problem identification, research and information gathering, analysis, generation of alternative solutions, and prototyping.
- The ability to describe and respond to the audiences and contexts which communication solutions must address, including recognition of the physical, cognitive, cultural, and social human factors that shape design decisions.
- The ability to create and develop visual form in response to communication problems, including an understanding of principles of visual organization/composition, information hierarchy, symbolic representation, typography, aesthetics, and the construction of meaningful images.
- An understanding of tools and technology, including their roles in the creation, reproduction, and distribution of visual messages.
- An understanding of design history, theory, and criticism from a variety of perspectives, including those of art history, linguistics, communication and information theory, technology, and the social and cultural use of design objects.
- An understanding of basic business practices, including the ability to organize design projects and to work productively as a member of teams.
WHAT WILL I LEARN IN THE ANIMATION EMPHASIS? Accordion Closed
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Knowledge and skills in the use of basic principles, concepts, tools, techniques, procedures, and technologies sufficient to produce animation from concept to a finished product that communicates ideas and/or stories to a viewer or to an audience. This includes, but is not limited to, the ability to use the competencies listed in items below in professional contexts as appropriate to the needs of specific projects.
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Knowledge of the principles of animation, including its visual, spatial, sound, motion, and temporal elements and features, and how these elements are combined in the development of motion graphics.
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Functional understanding of and ability to use narrative, non-narrative, and other information/language structures (linear, non-linear, thematic, cinematic, interactive, etc.) to organize content in time-based media.
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Ability to use concepts and processes for the development, coordination, and completion of motion graphics (examples include, but are not limited, to concept, visual, and character development; the use of scenarios and personas; and storyboarding, flowcharting, and layout).
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Functional understanding and ability to use the characteristics and capabilities of various animation methods and technologies in creative and project development contexts.