Graphic Design (GRA)

This course deals with an introduction to the MAC platform/operating system as well as two of the three major software applications used in digital graphic design Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. The first seven weeks focuses on file construction, colour management and application, typesetting and paragraph formatting techniques and tools, tab control, multiple column text boxes, text wrap, and provides an introduction to file preflighting and output with a final exam in Week 14 to demonstrate proficiency in these areas. The second seven weeks of the course are concerned with tools and their application, file construction, colour systems and swatches, special palettes and mesh techniques in Illustrator.

The course introduces the fundamentals of typography as a core component of visual communication. Students learn essential typographic skills—type anatomy, type classification, typeface selection, spacing, alignment, hierarchy, and grid-based layout, forming the foundation every designer must master. The course also provides a brief overview of the historical development of Western typography, from early letterforms and Gutenberg’s movable type to Modernist movements such as the Bauhaus and Swiss Typography. Through lectures, exercises, and projects, students develop the ability to analyze and apply type effectively in clear, readable, and professional design work.

This course provides the student with an introduction to Color and Design principles. Software will be used to emphasize the physical, psychological, emotive and optical properties of colour. This course will involve software such as: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator. Students will learn how to control the final appearance of their designs in both print and digital media by means of the controls provided by computer software.

This course is an introduction to the design thinking methodology. Visual fundamentals, principles of design and strategic problem solving are the integral parts of visual communications. Solutions to a variety of visual projects will be achieved by analyzing and exploring these practices. The first seven weeks focuses on design fundamentals with an in-class exercise and homework assignment almost every week to help reinforce what was learned in the lecture. The second half of the term focuses solely on design thinking concepts through lecture, exercises and complementary video and readings. Some concepts are: ethical design research, storytelling, idea generation, problem-solving, giving and receiving feedback, inspiration, creativity and brainstorming.

This drawing course teaches fundamental graphic design skills through in-class activities, lectures, sketchnoting and drawing assignments requiring traditional media use. Classes cover the design process, layout sensitivity, and visual communication using easily understood combinations of icons, symbols and text in well-balanced graphic compositions. The course includes a series of in-class guided sketchnote exercises, during which learners simultaneously draw what the instructor draws and listen to talks about what they are drawing. The first seven weeks begin with developing a minimal flat graphic form from a photographic image – a skill leading to logo design – and continue with two sketchnoting assignments. In this course, projects build on each other to gradually increase stylus confidence, the ability to use a design process and awareness of visual balance and layout in design creation. The second seven weeks start with two projects that require concise note-taking from TED Talks, then a translation of the notes into easily understood, clear, and well laid out sketchnotes. The last major project tests the learner’s knowledge of course material by requiring them to generate a flat graphic visual metaphor through research, idea generation, and review. The course concludes with the assembly of a document that includes all work produced in the class, showing the learning progression from start to finish.

In this course, students will explore the essential task of interpreting and communicating with text and image—their tone, tempo, logical structure and size. Students will use this knowledge to develop their page composition skills through the careful study and practice of both the art and craft of typesetting to gain typographic fluency in layouts. Some of the less conventional typesetting explorations will also be practiced to demonstrate the expressive potential of text type to liven any composition. Special consideration will be given to the application of design elements and their corresponding organizational principles to enhance the relationship and interaction between type and image.

This course deals with the operation of the MAC platform/operating system as well as two of the three major software applications used in digital graphic design: Adobe InDesign and Adobe Photoshop. The second seven weeks of the course are concerned building on prior learning from GRA120 with respect to Indesign as regards file construction, colour systems and swatches, special palettes and output issue from Adobe InDesign. The first seven weeks focuses on resolution issues, colour management, gamut ranges, layering techniques, colour channels, colour correction, painting tools, image sharpening and repair, as well as the integration of both software programs to create layouts. There will be a midterm in Week six in order to assess the learner’s knowledge of Photoshop and a final project due in Week 14 to assess the learner’s knowledge of InDesign.

This course discusses how modern typography is an integral part of design and communication. Advancing knowledge and skills acquired in the previous course students will further investigate typographic structures such as grid design and explore hierarchy principles in both the print and digital environments. Using Dair’s Typographic Contrasts, students investigate the expressive and creative approach to typographic design. This method is also used as the main course theme. Additionally, the creative concept of Text Design is applied as an approach to making well-crafted columns of type.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the history of graphic design in the Western world, tracing its evolution from ancient symbols on the walls of caves, to its manifestation in the late 20th century as postmodernism. The course is structured around weekly lectures and supplemented by slideshows, films and in-class discussions. These lectures guide learners along the timeline of design history and trace the development of written and printed communication, emphasizing the significance of graphic design in the development of Western civilization. Homework includes brief readings from the course textbook. Assessment is through thirteen weekly open-notes quizzes that test retention of lecture information.

In this course, students will be introduced to the basics of photography, photo editing and shooting for video. The history of photography (both traditional and digital) will be discussed and students will learn how to optimize their computers hardware and software for best performance and file security. The first seven weeks will focus on still photography and the basics of Adobe Photoshop with video and basic video editing techniques introduced in the second half of the semester.

This course is designed to foster a personal approach to conceptual problem solving while putting into practice the seven steps involved in the design thinking process. The design process engages a high degree of creativity, in a manner that is managed and directed by the process itself, to produce viable and practical solutions to design problems. While creativity in design is very important, design is an activity that serves both economic and creative goals. The design process helps to ensure that a design satisfies all such requirements and conversely generates a number of creative solutions. Student will learn how to utilize various methods such as research, brainstorming, mind-mapping, focus groups and creative exercises in the pursuit of innovative solutions.

In this course, students will explore the essential task of interpreting and communicating with text and image—their tone, tempo, logical structure and size. Students will use this knowledge to develop their page composition skills through the careful study and practice of both the art and craft of typesetting to gain typographic fluency in layouts. Some of the less conventional typesetting explorations will also be practiced to demonstrate the expressive potential of text type to liven any composition. Special consideration will be given to the application of design elements and their corresponding organizational principles to enhance the relationship and interaction between type and image.

The focus of the course is to develop an understanding of how images can be manipulated through the use professional digitally based systems. Students will explore the creative use of Adobe Photoshop through image manipulation, enhancement and compositing techniques. On completion of this course, students will be expected to produce highly refined design solutions, using type, image in the creation of targeted messages for specific media. Working with Photoshop and Adobe Camera Raw, students will learn to optimize original images and create both realistic and abstract composites for graphic design applications.

This course is an advanced exploration of typography as both a communication and design element for digital and multi media applications. Typography is a fundamental necessity in the world of communications design. When you learn to master this extraordinary resource you become a powerhouse for attracting an audience. It’s about connecting and relating through the art of persuasive and compelling visuals, that inform, guide, illuminate and influence the experience as the viewer navigates through the channels of information you create. This course will focus on the emotive, aesthetic and communicative value of typographic selections and solutions. It will build on the 10 typographic variables as applied to various environments.

This course deals with graphic production processes and their influence on design problem solving. Areas of study include typography, image capture, page assembly and input and output options as a production tool. The course will also introduce offset print production techniques and considerations as well as special document issues such as dielines, varnishes and coatings and custom sizes. The course is divided into two halves with the final seven weeks spent on creating a large scale project incorporating aspects and elements of Illustrator, Photoshop and Indesign. The first four weeks (Course Project Part 1 - Weeks 1-4) focus on brand development and the creation or combination logo including a wordmark, symbol and primary colour palette. The second four weeks (Course Project Part 2 - Weeks 5-9) focus on evolving the branding with a secondary colour palette, imagery and the creation of a four page brochure both digital and print usage. After 9 weeks (Weeks 9-11), live demonstration is implemented on how to create a custom die-line from scratch for project requirement. There is also a focus on resizing and re-sampling images for print specifications. This is also supported by a guest speaker in person featuring industry unique print samples, best practices and stories. The final four weeks (Course Project Part 3 - Weeks 11-14) focus on creative branded elements to tie into the overall course project completion.

This course will introduce the elements and principles of web design and production to graphic design students. Students learn the basics of web app design using basic HTML, CSS and JavaScript languages. In this course, students learn how to program simple, dynamic, client-side web apps. The final project brings together both client-side and server-side programming into a complete web app in Figma evidencing the learning outcomes established at the onset of the course.

This comprehensive Packaging Design course provides students with the essential knowledge and skills needed to create impactful and innovative packaging solutions. Through a combination of theoretical learning and hands-on practical MIRO exercises, participants will explore the principles of packaging design, materials, branding, and consumer psychology. In the first seven weeks this subject deals with an introduction to packaging principles, objectives, historical influences, materials, sustainability, legal and regulatory aspects and consumer behavior and psychology. The second seven weeks of the course are concerned with applying the marketing and branding deliverables to a product series with a focus on how packaging plays a crucial role in brand identity, communication and differentiation in the market. The process of creating digital prototypes to evaluate and refine packaging designs gives students practical experience in translating digital concepts into tangible, functional prototypes. There will be MIRO sprints that challenge the students to collaborate through their phase driven process work GRA410 is part of the Collaborative Marketing Campaign.

Branding design introduces students to the concept of branding, brand identity, and how it fits into an overall identity development campaign. Students will develop their skills in understanding the conceptual elements of identity design as well as the practical final file execution and implementation across a wide variety of media, Case studies throughout the semester highlight the development of various branding campaigns. The first assignment is a redesign of an existing identity. The second assignment has students working in a group setting as part of the Collaborative Marketing Campaign project, developing an identity for a specific product category. The third assignment has students develop their professional identity that can be utilized as part of their portfolio in semester 5. The semester concludes with the groups presenting their final CMC campaigns.

Application of design principles to qualitative and quantitative data and information will form the basis of this course. Students will learn how to create effective information graphics for various applications including illustrations, tables, maps and graphs using dimensionality, comparisons, numbers, and scale.

This course is designed to further develop the elements and principles of multimedia design and production using software such as After Effects and other graphic development related software. This course will provide a thorough grounding in the basic features of After Effects and will build upon the existing understanding of motion as taught in 3rd semester. Upon successful completion of this course students will have the fundamental skills and understanding of Motion Graphics required, as they pertain to After Effects video/online content, to meet the needs of the end users. The students will understand that motion graphics/graphic design is a form of visual communication used to convey a message or information to an audience as a visual representation of an idea relying on the creation, selection, and organization of visual elements.

This course expands the student’s knowledge of digital and interactive media by focusing on the multidimensional aspects of User Experience Design (UXD) and User Interface Design (UI). Starting with an in-depth exploration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) that now dominates the advertising, marketing, media, communication and entertainment industries; this course progresses towards considerations for the evolving future of interaction design and technologies. Working through various laws, principles and elements of UI and UX design, students will collaborate on a number of exercises intended to reinforce their ability to create usable, functional and effective interactive design solutions. Students will be working in small teams to produce content and components for the Collaborative Marketing Campaign (CMC) in conjunction with other courses in semester four. Focusing on the User experience, teams will conduct research, create and refine content and prototype the campaign’s website. They will also be working with a number of software tools including digital whiteboards, prototyping software and other content creation tools to facilitate their research, wireframing and prototyping activities.

This course introduces students to the marketing process and strategies to successfully bring a waste-free product or service to market. Students will apply these strategies to a three-phased integrated marketing campaign to create and launch a new product for a parent brand. Topics include brand dive, creative brief, competitive research, demographics and identifying target markets, developing a strategic plan, social media campaigns, presentation techniques, team dynamics and utilizing multiple forms of marketing and communications. The product launch will take place in week 14 with a 15-minute scripted and rehearsed team presentation incorporating all areas of GRA fourth semester classes supporting the product concept.

Experiential Graphic Design (also known as Environmental Graphic Design) is the intersection of communication design and the built environment, concerned with the visual aspects of wayfinding, communicating identity and information, and shaping the idea of place. This course will present the student with multi-faceted projects, designed to build on their developing graphic design talents. They will be challenged and encouraged to be innovative in order to create effective, original and engaging visual communications.

This course offers the opportunity for students to utilize the skills learned in the previous four semesters towards the creation of a three stage advertising/marketing campaign for client presentation. Each student receives a creative brief that outlines product information, challenges and objectives. In the first stage students begin by researching competitors in the category and developing creative concepts on how to position the product. Students are also responsible for copywriting headlines and determining the visual look and feel of the campaign by sourcing or developing imagery. The next stage extends the concept into forms of experiential marketing such as engagement, event, and ambient. The goal is to develop the most appropriate approach based on the client and product. The final stage adapts the concept to work as online banner ads in various size formats. At the end of the semester, students present all stages of the campaign.

Building on the interactive design and User Experience knowledge from GRA462, this course shifts towards a deeper understanding of User Interface (UI) design concepts such as interface elements, interaction design and information architecture. Working in small teams, students will develop a high-fidelity prototype for a mobile solution utilizing prototyping software; beginning with an interactive project plan that follows the UXD Process of Strategy, Scope, Structure, Skeleton and Surface. Groups will then conduct Usability Testing on these projects, working with different online software solutions. User-Centered Design (UCD) considerations such as User goals, environment, process and work flow will be discussed as will the contributions of Cognitive Science in understanding how people, society and culture work and interact with technology. Human cognition, perception, psychology and social trends will be addressed at various stages of the course to reinforce the importance of these considerations at all stages of planning and design. This course will also look at working with vector animation software and various outputs such as online advertising. Starting with the creation of storyboards, students will plan and develop animated graphics to enhance their publications online.

The purpose of this course is to prepare and plan an industry-level graphic design portfolio. This portfolio will enable students to seek employment in the design industry. The first step is to assemble and organize existing projects, these will mainly be from Terms Three and Four. This must be a selective process as not all projects are suitable, for example, projects from Term One. Part of this selection process is to identify certain projects for revision. The objective is to convert students’ projects into industry-level work. Not all projects can be revised due to time constraints. Part of the course learning is to develop an understanding of the term ‘Portfolio Ready.’ All projects included in the student Folio must be at this level. A Process Portfolio (a much smaller, more focused folio) will also be made during the latter part of the course, the focus of this is to display the students’ creative thinking process.

Graphic Design is an integral part of our society and we, as designers, must strive to create designs that communicates the clients message with originality. This course will emphasize the students ability based on a series on specialized projects. Students will participate in cooperative ventures within the School of Communication Arts and with external NGO, and not-for-profit agencies. The ethical mandate for this course is to develop the young designers sense of doing good, not just good design.

This course will identify and investigate current trends leading to future directions in graphic design. Students will learn how these trends affect technology, business, people, culture and policy. Students will focus and explore a significant or emerging area in visual communications through in-class exercises, projects and presentations.

This course covers a range of topics that heighten the understanding of professional business management and maintenance as it applies to the graphic design industry. This course covers topics surrounding money management, job search, interview techniques, working with clients and teams, intellectual property and rules for professional conduct. This course is a solid step toward students transitioning from their academic lives to the professional practice of design.

Students will gain an understanding on the scales of businesses in the Canadian visual industry; large and medium firms, boutique studios, partnerships and cross-disciplines. They will work as teams to establish and work as a new communication agency. They will utilize on-line business tools to track expenses and create professional estimates and invoicing along with time management. The teams will respond to a detailed RFP (Request for Proposal) from a real client and develop a full creative presentation with invoicing for work done to date by week 7. Students will track all time with details of work completed for their group activities. This course will also examine entrepreneurship and strategies for successful start-ups and give a full insight into the growing world of the gig economy.