Graphic Design (GDES)
GDES-102 Survey of Graphic Design
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course introduces students to the characteristic manner of expressions, basic designs, various constructions, and execution of graphic design, and its visual aesthetics at particular times and places throughout history. The course covers how the look of graphic design has evolved and what caused this evolution, starting with commercial art at the beginning of the industrial revolution in the 19th century and ending with the current digital era.
GDES-120 Typography
2 Credits
Lecture: 1 hour per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course introduces the techniques used in typography, which is the visual communication of information through type. A historical perspective will trace the development of typography from its beginning to its current use in graphic design. Students will learn about the transition from traditional techniques and concepts to the creation of electronic documents utilizing quality typographic work. Attention to detail will be stressed so that students have an opportunity to acquire and demonstrate the use of the typographic skills necessary in today's graphic design work.
Prerequisites: GDES-131
GDES-130 Introduction to Apple Operating System (Mac OS)
1 Credit
Lecture: 1 hour per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course is an introduction to Apple's current operating system for graphic and web designers. The course will cover the necessary hardware, the basics of the operating system, the necessary peripheral devices, the use of wireless networking, and Mac troubleshooting in a graphic design environment. Students will be exposed to basic software installation and trouble shooting basic problems. This course also provides knowledge and skills that will be used in other NIC Graphic and Web Design courses.
Pre/Corequisites: GDES-131
GDES-131 Adobe Illustrator - Vector Graphics
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course offers in-depth knowledge of the Adobe Illustrator for Graphic and Web Design software program. Students will explore the fundamental concepts associated with Adobe Illustrator and learn the basics of computer-aided illustration.
GDES-132 Adobe Photoshop - Raster Graphics
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course offers in-depth knowledge of the Adobe Photoshop - Raster Graphics software program. This course introduces students to basic hardware and software, standard input and output devices, and basic troubleshooting in a graphic design environment. In addition, students will gain experience in image creation and manipulation. This course will cover the fundamental concepts needed to scan, correct, manipulate, and enhance bitmap (Raster) images.
Prerequisites: GDES-131
GDES-133 Adobe Indesign - Layout and Composition
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course offers in-depth knowledge of the Adobe InDesign software program. It introduces students to basic hardware and software, standard input and output devices, and basic troubleshooting in a graphic design environment. Students will also gain experience in typesetting and preparing single-page and multi-page layouts for publication.
Prerequisites: GDES-132
GDES-141 Web Design I
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course introduces the student to HTML, CSS and other essential web coding concepts in addition to the creation of pleasing graphical interface/web pages using industry graphic design software. Emphasis is placed on hands-on skills. Students will use standards-compliant HTML to create basic web pages, be able to use styles to format those web pages, and will demonstrate an understanding of advanced CSS selectors and properties. Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively design and layout web pages using CSS.
GDES-221 Graphic Design I
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course offers instruction in the principles of design. Students research case studies, use problem solving skills and techniques, and gain an understanding of basic layout composition and color theories in print, web, and video. Students develop concepts with rough layouts and comprehensive layouts on assigned projects including creation of their own business package. Field trips and student presentations support theories and concepts learned in the classroom.
Prerequisites: GDES-131
Recommended Corequisites: GDES-132
GDES-222 Graphic Design II
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course is a continuation of GDES 221. It is designed to give the student more hands-on experiences in developing skills with tools, materials, and professional methods for creating professional visuals. The student will learn to incorporate research, illustrations, and other graphics necessary to complete packaging, advertising proposals, and then present results individually and as a group. Continued emphasis is placed on computer applications and on assigned projects. This course is helpful in building visual literacy, expanding conceptual and technical skills, and improving creative problem solving.
Prerequisites: GDES-221
GDES-223 Graphic Design III
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course is a continuation of GDES 222 and provides hands-on exposure to a variety of complex visual design problems. Real life interaction with customers provides opportunities to best prepare students for future design careers. GDES 223 develops the creative use of computer technologies and requires clients' proposal submissions, presentations and respect to stringent deadlines.
Prerequisites: GDES-222
GDES-225 Introduction to Digital Video
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course introduces students to the basic technical skills necessary for using digital video cameras, lighting equipment, and audio/video editing software used in conjunction with Apple hardware and software. The course covers the step-by-step processes necessary to create effective video projects including story boarding techniques and sequences related to a video production workflow. Individual and team video projects produced in a DVD and online format will be required.
GDES-226 Computer Animation
2 Credits
Lecture: 1 hour per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course provides students with computer animation techniques using leading vector and Raster software commonly used in the graphic design and media industries. The end product is integrated into various existing and new media including web browsers, self-running applications such as DVDs, online, and interactive kiosks. It covers step-by-step process animation projects combining graphic design and professional video animation software.
GDES-227 Digital Video and Computer Animation
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course introduces students to necessary creative and technical skills for using digital video cameras, lighting, and audio equipment while utilizing graphics and video editing hardware and software to industry standards. Students will be able to produce effective messages/storytelling in multiple digital formats by editing and compositing 2D and 3D motion-graphics, video, and animation techniques for broadcast-ready playback to interactive formats within web browsers to new media applications.
Prerequisites: GDES-120, GDES-221
Corequisites: GDES-222
GDES-235 Adobe InDesign Layout, Composition, and Pre-Press
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course introduces students to an in-depth knowledge of the Adobe InDesign software program and a systematic introduction to the complex print production process. The study of graphic design job coordination and preflight techniques, including functions related to matching customer needs to the requirements of prepress and press operations, are covered. Topics include management of print production workflow from concept through execution and job costs calculation for traditional and digital output production.
Prerequisites: GDES-221
GDES-245 User Experience Design and Usability
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course takes an in-depth look at the use of prototyping and usability testing and their impact on user experience on various design projects throughout the semester. Topics include: website planning and strategy, sketching, prototyping, wireframes, interaction design, web usability testing methods, reporting and presentation skills.
GDES-247 Social Media Design Strategies
2 Credits
Lecture: 1 hour per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course is specifically tailored to meet the needs of the web design professional. The class instructs the student on how to build a presence and leverage it across multiple iterations of modern social networking portals; creating a foundation for the current and future application of these portals in the business and creative environments.
Corequisites: GDES-221
GDES-252 Web Design III
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course builds upon foundational knowledge of semantic and standards-based HTML and CSS by introducing students to contemporary design patterns for desktop, tablet, and mobile user interface design. Students will learn how to write, integrate and validate client-side scripts into website projects, utilize advanced semantic coding techniques, perform markup validation, apply website deployment methods, and implement and interpret website analytics. Upon completion, students should be able to employ advanced design techniques to create high-impact and highly-functional hand-coded websites.
Prerequisites: GDES-141, GDES-255
Corequisites: GDES-245
GDES-255 Web Design II
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course is a continuation of the Web Design I course and further utilizes HTML and CSS for designing and formatting online content for the web. This course will focus on contemporary web standards for interface development by reinforcing the separation of content from the presentation layer and focusing on end-user behavior. Students will use optimized graphic formats, typography, layout principles, and cascading styles to develop conceptual designs into fully working functional, live, interactive websites.
Prerequisites: GDES-141
Pre/Corequisites: GDES-221
GDES-258 DOM Scripting for Designers
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course introduces students to basic programming concepts through the use of ECMAScript (JavaScript) and the Document Object Model. Students will learn the history of ECMAScript and its role in contemporary websites and web applications. Basic and intermediate scripts will be created to solve common interface problems. Students will learn to evaluate existing libraries and scripts so that they can make informed decisions about their applicability for a given task. Students will learn best practice and unobtrusive DOM scripting techniques.
GDES-261 Applied Web Development
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course is a project-oriented course that will have students apply knowledge from previous web design classes. Applied Web Development students will learn how to build dynamic, database-driven websites using PHP and MySQL. They will use PHP to transform static HTML web designs into functional dynamic web sites. Students will become proficient at server-side programming, form processing & validation, database queries and content management.
Prerequisites: GDES-252
GDES-271 Design Projects
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Fall Only, All Years
This course includes the development of real-life design projects. Students will complete publishable projects while performing client-graphic designer interaction; designing pre-production, production, and marketing costs; and delivering projects to the customer in a variety of media for different markets. Students must be responsive to client-driven deadlines.
Prerequisites: GDES-131, GDES-132, GDES-221
Corequisites: GDES-235
GDES-283 Portfolio Development
3 Credits
Lecture: 2 hours per week, Lab: 3 hours per week
Offering: Spring Only, All Years
This course provides an overview of the graphic design profession, provides techniques to engage students in the first assembly of their graphic design professional resume and portfolio, and knowledge of essential job interview skills. The result of combining a first portfolio, while acquiring practical and relevant information about the industry, prepares students for internship opportunities. The course is designed to further prepare students toward clients' expectations, to stress deadlines, and to reinforce necessary technical learning. Assigned projects mirror real life assignments, including professional ethics, communication, and production costs.
Prerequisites: GDES-222
GDES-290 Graphic Design Internship
3 Credits
Internship: 9 hours per week
Offering: Fall, Spring, and Summer, All Years
This course provides students with practical, on-the-job experience in preparation for a successful career in the graphic design field. The internship is paired with in-class learning and weekly meetings with the sponsoring instructor and designated business or agency. An internship is an excellent job market pathway. An exit portfolio review is scheduled at the completion of the course. GDES-290 can be repeated in order to earn a maximum of six credits in this course.