Graphic & Web Design Diploma Program

This well-designed program prepares graphic designers, web designers, and illustrators with the tools necessary to take on a wide range of responsibilities and duties to effectively create visually rich design to gain a competitive edge as visual artists, digital media artists, and publishers.

Students become confident and proficient in using current industry-standard applications for graphic and web design, such as Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and Adobe Dreamweaver.

Graphic designers conceptualize and produce graphic art and visual materials to effectively communicate information for publications, advertising, films, packaging, posters, signs, and interactive media such as Web sites and CD-ROMs.

They are employed by advertising and graphic design firms, by establishments with advertising or communications departments, and by multimedia production companies, or they may be self-employed.

Graphic designers who are also supervisors, project managers, or consultants are included in this unit group. Illustrators conceptualize and create illustrations to represent information through images. They are almost solely self-employed.

Main Responsibilities

Graphic designers perform some or all of the following duties:

• Consult with clients to establish the overall look, graphic elements, and content of communications materials in order to meet their needs.

• Determine the medium best suited to produce the desired visual effect and the most appropriate vehicle for communication.

• Develop the graphic elements that meet the clients’ objectives.

• Prepare sketches, layouts, and graphic elements of the subjects to be rendered using traditional tools, multimedia software, image processing, layout, and design software.

• Estimate cost of materials and time to complete graphic design.

• Use existing photo and illustration banks and typography guides, or hire an illustrator or photographer to produce images that meet clients’ communications needs.

• Establish guidelines for illustrators or photographers.

• Co-ordinate all aspects of production for print, audio-visual or electronic materials, such as Web sites, CD-ROMs, interactive terminals, etc.

• Co-ordinate sub-contracting.

• Work in a multidisciplinary environment.

• Supervise other graphic designers or graphic arts technicians.

Illustrators perform some or all of the following duties:

• Consult with clients to determine the nature and content of illustrations in order to meet their communication needs.

• Develop and produce realistic or representational sketches and final illustrations, by hand or using computer-assisted design (CAD) software, for printed materials such as books, magazines, packaging, greeting cards, stationery, etc.

• Assist in developing storyboards for electronic productions such as multimedia, interactive and digital products, television advertising and productions, etc.

• Produce 2-D and 3-D animated drawings or computer illustrations.

• May adapt existing illustrations.

Illustrators may specialize in a particular field, such as illustrations for children, advertising, editorials, humour, medical, scientific, or technical illustration, or multimedia design.