What Will a Student Learn at a Graphic Design College?
The field of graphic design provides students the opportunity to work in a variety of fields. It involves the creative use of elements and arrangements through the operation of various media for different applications. Graphic designers can be involved in developing brochures and newsletters to helping develop websites. They can work in advertising campaigns or in art museums. The job encompasses different occupational areas from private industry, government, and non-profit agencies.
Students in graphic design programs, like St Clair's Graphic Design Program can learn a variety of design concepts. They will learn how color concepts work is media and displays. They will learn how colors complement each other and contrast like how warm and cool colors offset each other. Students can expect to learn the historical development of graphic advertising. They will learn the different eras of design and how political and social events help shape design concepts at different times. They can learn how details like whitespace on a page, fonts, and the location of wording and images make the most visual impact. They will also learn how visual design makes an impression on the audience through different media sources.
Students will also learn how technology has an impact on design. They will discover what operating systems work best with different applications. One example would be the advantages Microsoft systems have over mac and vice versa. They will learn how to integrate software into design concepts and what works best.
Students will also learn different principles of design principles of design and their influence in different areas. Some of the graphic design principles they may learn are:
• Hierarchy where structure is used for visual impact
• Immersion which provides an intense focus that surroundings are excluded
• Entry Point in which the point of physical entry brings attention to the design
• Convergence in which similar characteristics evolve in systems
• Contour Bias where contoured objects are favored in a design
• Similarity where elements that are similar are perceived to be more related.
These and other principles are integrated into design concepts in different areas.
Graphic designers can find jobs in many areas. They can work in publishing and communication. They can find work as part of teams such as architects and builders. Some can work for an employer while others may freelance on their own as contractors with different clients.
With the increasing use of technology, graphic designers are becoming a jack of all trades. On the one end students learn art and design concepts and their implementation through media. On the other they need to know the latest in cutting edge technology as the field evolves. With a good education, students in a good graphic design program can have a secure future.