ObjectivesThis three year program provides full and comprehensive training to the graduate who wishes to enter the professional industry of Graphic Design. Starting with basic design and technical literacy the student is developed into a current industry professional in both print and interactive digital media.
Academic titleGraphic Design Ontario College Advanced Diploma
Course descriptionLevel 1 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
WRIT-1036 Reason & Writing 1-Art & Design 3.00
GRAF-1037 Design Basic 1 3.00
GRAF-1034 Typography Basic 4.00
GRAF-1027 Digital Applications 1 4.00
GRAF-1036 Interactive Design 1 3.00
GRAF-1040 Creative Concepts 1 3.00
Level 2 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
GRAF-1038 Design Basic 2 3.00
GRAF-1035 Typography Digital 4.00
GRAF-1030 Digital Applications 2 4.00
GRAF-1031 Interactive Design 2 3.00
GRAF-1041 Creative Concepts 2 3.00
PHOT-3004 Camera Basics 2.00
COMM-3029 Communications for Media & Art 3.00
Level 3 Credits
Gen Ed - Take a 3 credit General Education elective course
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
GRAF-3013 Design Intermediate 1 4.00
GRAF-3014 Digital Illustration 1 4.00
GRAF-3015 Digital Applications 3 4.00
GRAF-1043 Natural Media Illustration 1 4.00
GRAF-3017 Interactive Design 3 4.00
Level 4 Credits
Gen Ed - Take a 3 credit General Education elective course
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
GRAF-3018 Design Intermediate 2 4.00
GRAF-3019 Digital Illustration 2 4.00
GRAF-3020 Digital Applications 4 4.00
GRAF-3022 Interactive Design 4 4.00
Level 5 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
GRAF-5013 Digital Illustration Advanced 1 4.00
GRAF-5012 Design Advanced 1 4.00
GRAF-5014 Digital Applications 5 3.00
GRAF-1042 Digital Master Class 1 4.00
GRAF-5016 Interactive Design 5 4.00
GRAF-3001 Time Money and Materials 1.00
Level 6 Credits
Take all of the following Mandatory Courses:
GRAF-5018 Digital Illustration Advanced 2 4.00
GRAF-5017 Design Advanced 2 4.00
GRAF-5019 Digital Applications 6 3.00
GRAF-3025 Digital Master Class 2 4.00
GRAF-5021 Interactive Design 6 4.00
GRAF-3023 Dynamic Media One 4.00
Gen Ed - Electives
Take 6 General Education Credits -
Normally taken in Levels 3 and 4
COMM-3029 - Communications for Media & Art
Media and Design employees require targeted messages and persuasive approaches. In this course students will learn various communication and writing formats and techniques such as brainstorming and researching concepts, creating proposals, copywriting, story boarding, pitching ideas, and creating effective, professional job search pieces. Teamwork culminating in a group presentation will model workplace practices. Issues and norms regarding copyright and the use of appropriated text, images and sounds as well as digital rights will be examined. Professional standards for workplace writing will be reinforced in all assignments.
GRAF-1027 - Digital Applications 1
This course is designed to introduce the student to the tools and facilities of the current trade iteration of "page layout" software for producing page composition, typography and design projects. Students are introduced to the current trade iteration of "vector drawing" software for producing graphic images. Students will use these two software technologies together to produce design projects.
GRAF-1030 - Digital Applications 2
This course is designed to introduce the student to the tools and facilities of the current trade iteration of "bitmap editing" software for producing bitmap images in both black and white and colour. Students advance their exploration of "page layout" software, which began in DIGITAL APPLICATIONS 1. Students will use "page layout" software together with "bitmap editing" software and "vector drawing" software to produce design projects.
GRAF-1031 - Interactive Design 2
This course is designed to further develop the skills needed to employ the tools and enhance the techniques that facilitate the process of interactive design. Students will be lead through a series of graduated lessons and group activities. These will be supported by relative in-class and weekly take home assignments, 2 major term projects a thesis essay and a written term exam. The skills learned this term will help hone and develop the ‘spatial’ quality needed to organize, develop and produce dynamic interactive presentations. Students will further hone their skill sets adding to the process of creating a self-defining style, with a continuing consideration for; planning, organization, layout, style, technical development, typography, content development and integration.
GRAF-1034 - Typography Basic
This 15 week introductory course is designed to help the student develop an awareness of type and typographic design. Typography is a very complex field with a language unique to this particular discipline. Students will be introduced to various aspects of typography and basic projects will be presented in a very straight forward manner.
GRAF-1035 - Typography Digital
This 15 week course is designed to change the student develop an awareness of type and typographic design. Digital applications of typographic design will be emphasized. Students will be introduced to various aspects of digital typography and projects will be executed using the computer.
GRAF-1036 - Interactive Design 1
This course is designed to introduce the student to the tools and techniques that facilitate the process of interactive design. Students will be lead through a series of graduated lessons, both practical and theoretical, supported by relative in-class assignments, 2 major term projects and a thesis essay. The current trade iteration of both HTML software Dreamweaver Studio8, and of "raster drawing" software Macromedia Fireworks, will be utilized. Students will be encouraged to begin the process of creating a self-defining style, with acute consideration for; planning, organization, layout, style, technical development, typography, content development and integration.
GRAF-1037 - Design Basic 1
This course will introduce students to the basic elements, principles and history of design. Students will undertake black and white two-dimensional projects related to graphic design and explore all possible solutions in which creativity, procedures, craftsmanship, and conceptual techniques are emphasized. All work is done using traditional tools and supported by practical applications, lectures audio/video presentations, field trips and open class discussions.
GRAF-1038 - Design Basic 2
This course further emphasizes the basic elements, principles and history of design as well as to introduce the applications and theory of colour. Students will formulate a keen understanding of the many colour theories through practical applications, lectures and supported audio/visual media. Students will also begin the process of combining colour to the learned principals of design to emphasize emotion, balance and mood.
GRAF-1040 - Creative Concepts 1
This course is designed to develop and explore the innate creativity within the students. This course guides students through explorations of various media in order to reflect upon and express their unique personality and creativity within their cultural context.
GRAF-1041 - Creative Concepts 2
This course is designed to further develop and explore the innate creativity within the students. This course continues to guide students through explorations of various media in order to reflect upon and express their unique personality and creativity within their cultural context.
GRAF-1042 - Digital Master Class 1
This course deals with the production of high resolution finished artwork using the current trade iteration of "bitmap editing" software Adobe Photoshop. A continuing student advancement and exploration of the "bitmap editing" software from the DIGITAL APPLICATIONS IV course.
GRAF-1043 - Natural Media Illustration 1
This course is designed to develop the students’ abilities in drawing, as they relate to the industry standards of the professional Graphic Design business. Students will discover how to develop and draw their conceptual ideas to a professional level of visual communication, using only pencil and paper.
GRAF-3001 - Time Money and Materials
This course will introduce the student to the Fiscal/Production side of the Graphic Design Industry. The student will encounter different types of graphic/design organizations and discover how they bill and use current industry production standards.
GRAF-3013 - Design Intermediate 1
This course will introduce the student to The Creative Process in design. Students will learn how to prepare and present appropriate design ideas beginning with pencil layout, to computer comps through to final outputs mounted or packaged and orally present in a professional manner. Emphasis will be placed on how to come up with design solutions using objective thinking to explore the creative process.
GRAF-3014 - Digital Illustration 1
This course will enable the student to use vector-based software to produce digital design projects. Students will learn through demonstrations and the completion of various workshops the tools available, colour theory, and print final images. Creativity, craftsmanship, and presentation techniques are emphasized.
GRAF-3015 - Digital Applications 3
This course is designed to provide the student with the expertise necessary to apply all of the tools and facilities in the current trade iteration of "bitmap editing" software and to use that program together with the current trade iteration of "vector drawing" software and "page layout" software to produce digital files for output to various devices. Students will prepare files for output in a PDF workflow environment.
GRAF-3017 - Interactive Design 3
This is an intensive 15-week course that focuses on the processes of interactive design. The students are led through a graduated curriculum of in class assignments, weekly work projects, and 3 major term projects. Students will work independently and in organized groups to research, visualize, conceptualize and produce various interactive presentations.
GRAF-3018 - Design Intermediate 2
This course will expose the student to the creative and professional approach in solving design problems. Emphasis will be placed on conceptual and objective thinking skills. Students will produce various projects, which will deal with different substrates, design perimeters, production considerations, and presentation methods for each design situation.
GRAF-3019 - Digital Illustration 2
This course will enable the student to use pixel-based and vector-based software in combination to produce digital design projects. Students will learn through demonstrations and the completion of various workshops the tools available and different illustration techniques. Creativity, craftsmanship, and presentation techniques are emphasized. The students will also be able to design to different dielines for packaging purposes.
GRAF-3020 - Digital Applications 4
This course is a continuation of DIGITAL APPLICATIONS 3. It is designed to provide the student with the expertise necessary to apply all of the tools and facilities in the current trade iteration of "bitmap editing" software and to use that program together with the current trade iteration of "vector drawing" software and "page layout" software to produce digital files suitable for the production of commercial-quality printed material for business/promotional projects. Students will prepare press-ready files for output in a PDF workflow environment.
GRAF-3022 - Interactive Design 4
This is an intensive 15-week course that focuses on the processes of interactive design. The students are led through a graduated curriculum of in class assignments, weekly work projects, 3 major term projects and a written exam. Students will work independently and in organized groups to research, visualize, conceptualize and produce various interactive presentations.
GRAF-3023 - Dynamic Media One
This course is focused on the complexities of combining visual, auditory, and temporal information, as they exist in time-based and interactive media. Through lecture and in-class demonstration students will learn the technological processes necessary to blend video, audio, animation, and interactivity together to create a "rich media experience".
GRAF-3025 - Digital Master Class 2
This course is a continuation of the Digital Masters Class I. It deals with the continued production of high resolution creative and artwork using Adobe Photoshop for print and video production
GRAF-5012 - Design Advanced 1
Design Advanced 1 is designed to assist the student in functioning as a practicing graphic design professional. The student will undertake advanced assignments. These assignments will be in-depth and for the most part be self directed graphic design studies of various graphic design communication problems.
GRAF-5013 - Digital Illustration Advanced 1
This course is a continuation of GRAF3019 and instructs in the design and production of two, three and four dimensional graphics using Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop.
GRAF-5014 - Digital Applications 5
This course will be delivered in a Macintosh OSX environment offering the latest production techniques. An in-depth approach of practices required for high-end film output for desktop publications will be delivered. Classes will cover the effective use of industry standard digital publishing software to create, prepress proof and output publication files. For each of the system/software areas covered, classes will involve exercises in file management, font management, inter-software colour theory, publication mechanics and proper film output mechanics based on print method used.
GRAF-5016 - Interactive Design 5
Macromedia Flash Professional 8 is a powerful addition to any designer's arsenal. This course is designed to show by example the limits and the extents of this vibrant program. The student will be led through the entire process of creating unique interactive Flash websites. These websites will be used to promote the skills and ambitions of the student as they will be hosted live on the Internet.
GRAF-5017 - Design Advanced 2
Design Advanced 2 is a continuation of GRAF5012 and is designed to assist the student in functioning as a practicing business graphic design professional. The student will undertake advanced assignments. These assignments will be in-depth and for the most part be self directed graphic design studies of various graphic design communication problems.
GRAF-5018 - Digital Illustration Advanced 2
This course is a continuation of Digital Illustration Advanced I and instructs in the design and production of two, three and four dimensional graphics using Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop.
GRAF-5019 - Digital Applications 6
This course offers an in depth look into print production in a PDF workflow environment. Discussion and exercises in Preflighting files ready for filmseparation from original application and PDF files. For each of the system/ software areas covered, classes will involve exercises in file management, font management, inter-software colour theory, publication mechanics and proper film output mechanics based on print method used. Content will be delivered in a Macintosh OSX environment.
GRAF-5021 - Interactive Design 6
This final semester will see an accumulation of all the interactive tools, techniques and methodologies learned up to this point. This will include e-marketing strategies, the reserving of a domain name, website hosting and complete integrated web design and development projects. The main focus will be in the creation of a self-defining portfolio website with animated 'e -mmercial', that will be presented on-line.
PHOT-3004 - Camera Basics
This course is designed to provide the successful student with a practical working knowledge of digital cameras. Basic principles of good photography and equipment usage culminate in digital photography ready for commercial use.
WRIT-1036 - Reason & Writing 1-Art & Design
This course will introduce art and design students to essential principles of reading, writing, and reasoning at the postsecondary level. Students will identify, summarize, analyze, and evaluate multiple short readings and write persuasive response essays to develop their vocabulary, comprehension, grammar, and critical thinking. This course will also introduce students to selected topics and concepts in art and design.