The digital design fundamentals classes are intended as an overview or introduction to digital graphic design and are conducted under the assumption that not all students have prior formal art training.
There are three classes within this course, each having its unique focus: design principles addresses fundamental issues in graphic design; colour theory and management discuss the visual effects of colour, as well as accurate digital representation; and scanning and resolution investigates what every designer needs to know about the digitization of imagery.

Adobe Photoshop has been the industry standard software solution for professional photo editing and image creation on the desktop since its inception. Featuring comprehensive image manipulation capabilities, a wide variety of tools, commands and options tailored specifically for the purpose of working with high-quality still images, Photoshop is the worldwide standard. Working knowledge of this application is a prerequisite for any position in graphic design, multimedia, Internet and web development, print production and prepress.

This course assumes a basic working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and its tools. It will build upon that knowledge throughout the course, looking in-depth at some of the more advanced techniques used in the industry. This course emphasizes efficiency and portfolio building, with each project being geared toward techniques that can be applied in the development of a portfolio. Class time will be divided into lecture and application sessions. During lectures, students are exposed to theory and new techniques with hands-on examples. During application sessions, there will be opportunity to work on class projects and assignments with the guidance of the instructor.

Adobe Illustrator is the leading vector graphic illustration application for desktop graphic design professionals, multimedia content and interface developers and web artists. It is loaded with powerful tools for prepress image preparation, enhancement, special effects, file format conversion and web graphic formatting. It also features tools for image composition, close cropping, superimposition and high-end layering effects.
In this course, students look in depth at some of the basic techniques used in the industry, emphasizing efficiency and portfolio building. Each project is geared toward techniques that can be applied in the development of the student’s portfolio. Class time will be divided into lecture and application sessions. During lectures, students are exposed to theory and new techniques with hands-on examples. During application sessions, there will be an opportunity to work on class projects and assignments with the guidance of the instructor.

Every walk of life is defined by, expressed with, and indeed, dependent on type and typography. A firm knowledge of the art of typography distinguishes the true designer and is essential in order to communicate design ideas.

This course adds to the level of knowledge acquired in Adobe Illustrator 1. More focus will be placed on visual problem solving and the application of advanced techniques available in the Illustrator arsenal. Other topics of discussion and hands-on application will be Illustrator’s interaction with Adobe Photoshop and other high-end prepress applications.

Participants in this course will learn to use Adobe InDesign as the primary design and layout tool for creating production-ready electronic documents. The lessons will also address how InDesign integrates with other Adobe applications, such as Illustrator and Photoshop, into the electronic design and production process. In this introductory course, students will learn to layout single-page documents, and multi-page booklets.

This level two course in page layout addresses more complex design projects, bringing with them greater challenges in project management. Unlike most graphic applications for drawing or photo imaging, a page layout document is virtually never a self-contained file. The development process is such that the layout file must always remain associated with and accompanied by the external art files used within its design. This makes page layout as much an exercise in project management as in page design.

This level three course focuses attention on more advanced and technical issues as they concern page layout within the specific application of an annual report. Through an examination of master-page usage and more elaborate text-chain management, this course will reinforce the students understanding of typesetting and page layout tools and address more advanced techniques like charts, tables, graphs, and anchoring images.

Web Design Fundamentals provides an introduction to web design from a few different perspectives. Students learn to distinguish and articulate what structural and functional components are and how they can build into their own site designs. The web structures and Storyboard component teaches students how to plan the design of their own site.
The culmination of the course is devoted to helping students create designs for their own portfolio website that they will be constructing later in the program. Focus will be on creating the artwork, using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. Attention will be given to the ultimate functionality of the site, while focusing primarily on the design visuals.
 

The introduction to digital imaging prepares students for the world of multimedia by providing a brief theoretical overview of the industry as well as a hands-on introductory examination of graphic applications for print design and web design.
The course focuses mainly on introducing students to best practices for working on the current OSX version of the Macintosh operating system. Time will also devoted specifically to file management, font management and general application interfacing: essential skills every participant needs to continue with the subsequent courses in the program.

Carried out in workshop format, this Advertising Design Composite class presents students with a design challenge that requires them to integrate their to-date learned skills in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign into a single project.
The project itself is the design and development of a print ad campaign consisting of three full-page ads that share a single idea or theme. Students will decide on a single product, service or event to promote and then prepare the ads from start to finish, ultimately presenting their campaign to the class. Visual and thematic consistency, or lack thereof, throughout the ad campaign will be one of several indicators of the campaign’s success.

This advanced composite design workshop marks the convergence of the web design and print design portions of the program. Similar in structure to the advertising design composite workshop earlier in the program, the majority of the course is dedicated for students to work on their own independent project, with instructor guidance and support. Students complete the print design and mock-up of a CD face and jewel case for their own electronic portfolio. The artwork for this piece will be adapted from their website created in the web design fundamentals course.
Students will also have the option to use the CD to burn an image collection of their work from the course; or to create a PDF that includes a custom self-promotion collecting of materials.

Portfolio development is devoted to one-on-one instruction where students will be able to work directly with instructor to finalize for their print and web portfolios. The instructor will be able to assess the individual needs of students and assist them in compiling the best portfolio possible.
Final portfolio presentation: The final graduating day is dedicated to each student showcasing their print and web portfolios. These presentations will be conducted in a professional setting in front of the whole class, program instructors and invited industry guests. This method of delivery offers invaluable feedback, as students will be required to present themselves as if it were a real interview and will be expected to discuss their completed work in this formal presentation of their portfolio.

Conducted in a seminar format, this course prepares students for the graphic design industry job market that they will be entering upon graduation. Presented in three separate units, topics include: resumé writing, cover letters, interview skills, networking, accessing the hidden job market and using the web to access employment opportunities and other electronic communications.
Skills to help present a portfolio to a prospective employer or client will be addressed. Students will learn the most effective ways of compiling and presenting their portfolio for various types of positions.