Digital Design Courses
DES 1007 Visual Literacy – This course introduces the student to understanding the impact of layout design; its ability to command attention and its communicative power. Students will be exposed to traditional as well as new technologies with regard to the fields of Typography, Paste-up Mechanicals, Color Theory, Layout, and Aesthetics. The course is largely geared toward the media of paper production such as newspaper design, magazine and advertising design, as well as designing for the Internet. The historical context of graphic design will be taught, discussed, and researched.
DES 2016 Graphic Design I – This studio course is designed to introduce students to the industry standard software – Photoshop, Illustrator, and Quark Xpress – used in the design field. Students will explore creative ways to solve design problems employing these powerful tools. Strong emphasis is placed on the application of desktop publishing, including technical and aesthetic use of typography, illustration, graphics and layout.
DES 2017 Graphic Design II – Prerequisite: DES 2016 – Visit www.centenarycollege.edu for current fees. This course expands upon the fundamentals covered in DES 2017. The course is designed to teach students about researching and conceptualizing information in a visual manner and analyzing the digital production process using computer graphics applications. Production procedures use of the computer as a design tool, using design software, such as Illustrator and PhotoShop with a particular emphasis on Quark Xpress, will be explored. An emphasis is placed on solving design problems involving electronic illustration, image manipulation, and color correction. Pre press production, business and ethics of computer graphics are also discussed. Web design software, Dreamweaver, will be introduced at the end of this course.
DES 2007 History of Graphic Design – This course introduces the student to understanding the history of Graphic Design. The historical context of graphic design will be taught, discussed, and researched. Projects in this course are done in relation to specific time periods of design.
DES 2008 Typography – Prerequisite: DES 2016 – Laboratory Fee: Visit www.centenarycollege.edu for current fees. This course will provide an introduction to and understanding of practical, day-to-day techniques of typography, typographic basics-- i.e. type faces, points, picas, leading, column measure, and font layout--copy fitting and proofreading, aesthetics of typography, font identification, and trends in the print and type industry. This course is designed for anyone involved with type, whether in sales, purchasing, or production. It also is beneficial to those involved with the printing process or desktop publishing.
DES 3002 Digital Illustration – Prerequisite: DES 2016 and DES 2017 – Laboratory Fee: Visit www.centenarycollege.edu for current fees. This course deals with creating illustrations as a means of effective visual communication. Emphasis is placed on the development of the creative visual concept and its relationship to style, media, technique and method of production. A variety of traditional and computer-generated illustration techniques are introduced. Specific problems are given in the publishing promotion and advertising areas involving books, magazines, posters, newspapers, CD ROMs, the Internet, and other printed and electronic media. The use of the software application 'Painter' will be thoroughly explored in this course along with PhotoShop and Illustrator.
DES 3005 Web Design I – Prerequisite: DES 2016 and DES 2017 – Laboratory Fee: Visit www.centenarycollege.edu for current fees. This course is an introduction to Web Site development. Students will receive hands-on experience in all aspects of HTML, including linking, layout and design, forms, graphics, creating on-line help files, security concerns, and maintaining a web site.
DES 3006 Web Design II – Prerequisite: DES 3005 – Laboratory Fee: Visit www.centenarycollege.edu for current fees. This course is a continuation of Web Design I. Students will move into more complex techniques such as scripting languages, dynamic HTML, CGI/Server-side scripting, style sheets, and databases. Digital animation for the Internet (Flash) will be introduced.
DES 3007 Computer Animation for Multimedia & Video – Prerequisite: DES 3006 – Laboratory Fee: Visit www.centenarycollege.edu for current fees. Creation of animated sequences using the computer, video and multimedia software as well as traditional methods of film animation. Emphasis will be placed on students' practical comprehension of animation principles, computer software and design for interactivity, their relationship to each other, and their use in the communication of content and/or aesthetic through the frame-by-frame sequencing of movement and sound.
DES 3008 3-D Computer Graphics – Prerequisite: DES 3007 – Laboratory Fee: Visit www.centenarycollege.edu for current fees. This course will introduce students to the principles of building three-dimensional objects and environments with the computer. The concept of three-dimensional space, lighting, surface texture, and the relationship of mass and gravity will be reviewed through class projects. The latter part of this course will focus on providing 3-D computer animation, as well as analyzing films and 3-D graphics used in various media.
DES 4007 Senior Project in Visual Communication I – Prerequisite: Senior Standing and Permission of the Instructor – Senior projects are designed to develop sustained solutions to complex multiple unit problems in graphic design, computer graphics, or illustration. Continuity and sustained quality are emphasized. All projects are geared toward the development of a professional print portfolio.
DES 4008 Senior Project in Visual Communication II – Prerequisite: DES 4007 – This course is a continuation of DES 4007. Students may substitute this course with a digital design internship (the internship must be approved by the instructor). All projects are geared toward the development of a professional multimedia online portfolio.
DES 4010 Graphic Design/Multi-Media Internship – Prerequisite: Senior Standing and Permission – Laboratory Fee: Visit www.centenarycollege.edu for current fees. This course serves as a professional work experience with graphic design jobs and advertising assignments, either through co-op work placement or in-house assistance with design projects. Students are also advised in assembling and presenting work for a portfolio.
DES 4012 Advanced Photoshop – Prerequisite: DES 2016, DES 2017, and Senior Standing – Laboratory Fee: In this course students will be introduced to the creative and technical capabilities of digital photography. Students must have some experience working with Adobe Photoshop. Through demonstrations and hands-on sessions, students will learn the basics of using cameras and imaging software on a Macintosh computer to produce digital photographs. Topics will include camera operation, shutter speed, aperture, focal length, composition, uploading files, image enhancement, and printing. Slide lectures on historical and contemporary artwork will explorethe aesthetics of photography, and weekly assignments will build digital techniques. A digital camera is required .
