Students in the Graphic Design program conceptualize and execute projects for a specific target audience. As students progress through the program, they create a body of work that demonstrates their creativity, analytical thinking, and expertise in graphic design techniques
Students in the Graphic Design program conceptualize and execute projects for a specific target audience. As students progress through the program, they create a body of work that demonstrates their creativity, analytical thinking, and expertise in graphic design techniques.
Students learn to combine typography and images to create a wide variety of designs such as magazine and newspaper advertisements, television storyboards, product packaging, and displays.
Assignments also include using design to communicate both a corporate image and a personal identity. Graphic Design students must develop finely tuned analytical skills.
Their assignments are based on learning to analyze the needs of a client, creating a concept that will meet those needs, and articulating that concept, both visually and verbally.
Professional communication skills and business acumen are essential to success in the design field. A variety of methods and tools are applied in the completion of projects.
Graphic Design students will learn to use industry-standard graphic arts equipment and software to produce fully functioning electronic files. Project management is also an important component of the program. Students must learn to plan and execute projects with multiple deadlines efficiently and professionally.
Graphic Design Outcomes
Upon completion, students will be able to:
Communicate using semantics, visual metaphor, persuasion, images, symbols, and signs.
Perceive, organize and arrange elements of design (including structure, form analysis, composition, and visual framing).
Present projects employing visualizing techniques including drawing, model making, and collage.
Utilize materials, tools, and technology for web and print.
Blend ideas and production techniques such as writing objectives, briefs, and reports.
Manage projects using design methodology and design evaluation.
Apply design theory, criticism, history, and professional ethics to their practice.
Career Opportunities
Graphic Designers work in advertising agencies, design studios, publishing, printing companies, corporate art departments, government agencies, as well as freelance.
In the 1920’s, Chicago was an advertising capital of the world during a period of new freedom and economic growth. The world’s best commercial art agencies, writers and artists could be found here.
One such creative, Frank H. Young, a successful studio owner and nationally known and respected authority on advertising layout, yearned to start his own art school. An Art Academy that would teach the students all of the fundamentals to become a successful artist.
After a very successful few years, The Academy was dealt a near fatal blow when the depression hit. However, we were able to keep it alive through reduction of space and other expenses. The quality of instruction was never sacrificed during those trying times. As the depression finally eased the school revived and steady progress was made in every way.
The Academy’s reputation had grown to a national and internationally known school of the utmost quality and instruction. With the significantly diminished enrollment during World War II, once again the Academy was faced with difficult times.
During this period, the school added to its offerings as the American Academy of Art and Dress Design. As the war ended and the GI Bill took effect, the school bounced back with an influx of returning veterans.
As the economy once again boomed, Chicago still held prominence as a world advertising studio capital. These studios employed many Academy graduates who created countless icons of American advertising art for print, packaging, and for the first time, television.
It was an incredibly rich, optimistic and exciting time for artists. During this era, Frank Young, Jr. began to take over the direction of the school for his father, Frank Sr.
This era brought about many changes in the world and the art field. The dominance of traditional illustration in advertising began to give way to photography and pop art. The Academy kept current by teaching students a variety of real world styles and techniques.
Our students and alumni were well trained in the fundamentals to roll with the changes, while others took the opportunity to pivot toward more personal fine art work.
This course introduces graphic and publication design principles applied to designing visual elements and digital publications using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.
Adobe InDesign is an exceptional page layout application used to create ads, flyers, posters, and brochures. In class, you will be working hands-on from the very beginning, following along as the instructor demonstrates each step.
A desktop publishing software application for creating flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers, and books. Â InDesign is used by graphic designers, artists, publishers, and marketing professionals.
This course serves as an introduction to Photoshop. Photoshop has countless real world applications including: web design, logos, graphics, lay-outs, image touch-ups, color enhancement.
Adobe Photoshop has long been the industry standard for image manipulation and pixel-level editing. This 3–day intensive hands-on Photoshop training goes well beyond the basics to cover concepts and skills that will make you a proficient and efficient Photoshop user.
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