Visual Design

The Technology in the Entertainment and Media Industries course examines the impact of technology and technological innovations across various industries. Students will explore a variety of interactive forms, media types, programming languages, and organizational structures and will also learn how these various components can be combined to create professional technology-based projects. In addition, students will learn how emerging technologies are shaping entertainment and media industries and how to prepare for careers in this dynamic field.

The Design and Art Theory course provides an understanding of composition, design, art, basic color, and graphics through a study of varied artistic styles and their sociological and psychological effects throughout history. This course is essential in the world of design, where traditional art forms are often blended with current imagery to create new and significant artistic genres.

The Graphic Principles I course is designed to teach students basic levels of graphics creation through the use of software programs employed by design, animation, and interactive-media companies worldwide. This course emphasizes vector graphic design from a production point of view, as students gain a thorough understanding of input/output techniques, color theory, and tools for graphic design and image creation.

The Graphic Principles II course is designed to teach students advanced levels of graphics creation through the use of software programs employed by design, animation, and interactive-media companies. This course emphasizes raster graphic design from a production point of view and expands students' knowledge of digital color models and image-compositing techniques.

The Color Theory course exposes students to the theories and application of color as it relates to both print and screen. Historical and geographical perspectives will be discussed. Students will review methods and techniques for using color to create impact as well as necessary color-correction practices for the various delivery options. In this course, students will learn how color can impact original design concepts across multiple media types.

The Project I: Visual Design course combines hands-on learning experiences with summative and formative portfolio assessments. In this course, students will create graphics and illustrations that demonstrate an understanding of fundamental design principles. Using traditional drawing techniques and industry-based software, they will explore the research, preproduction, and concept-development processes involved in the creation of original design projects.

The Portfolio I: Visual Design course emphasizes the use of a production workflow to ensure proper file organization, effective team communication, and consistent art direction. Students will explore the expectations and standards of the visual design industries and develop a portfolio plan that reflects their career goals.