Photo :: Cornish College of the Arts -Seattle, WA
2006
Visual Communication Design
The Visual Communication Design curriculum provides the educational environment that enables students to develop into exceptional communicators with visual language. In today’s saturated media context, almost all ideas are presented visually through image and text. Every organization, such as businesses, schools, theaters, restaurants, and community groups, has a visual identity created by a designer. Designs range from complex transit systems that appear as simple maps and schedules to packaging with detailed ingredient lists for every item in a grocery store. The ubiquitous male/female icons for restrooms were designed, as were all the other signs that help people navigate the everyday environment. People identify themselves with issues, causes, and cultures by wearing symbols that were designed like the peace symbol, sports emblems, or wristbands. Ideas presented in books, graphic novels, magazines, and newspapers are designed through the selection, creation, and use of typography, illustrations, images, publication formats, and even the selection of paper. Visual Communication Design focuses on the visual interpretation of ideas, information, and messages. Alumni have professional opportunities to enter design positions within design firms; magazine, book, comic, and newspaper publishing; strategic branding companies; in-house corporate design and communication departments; printing companies; or to develop independent illustration and design practices.
The Design Department at Cornish provides a small, personal studio environment, with a focus on demanding conceptual projects that support exploration and creative risk-taking. The curriculum is based on visual, technical, and conceptual investigations. These will lead to new approaches to communicate information, envision environments, and new forms for storytelling. Students will also learn to promote ideas and messages, explore graphics in motion, and discover new interactive experiences and visual forms for entertainment.
The department integrates professional engagement with community involvement into the curriculum. The faculty is composed of active working professionals in the Seattle community and the Department Advisory Committee provides ongoing advice about the programs. The wider professional community is involved through studio projects based on actual client projects in the students' junior and senior years. These activities include inviting guest designers to class critiques; lunchtime and evening guest speakers; field trips; extra-curricular group projects; internships; student exhibitions; student interest groups; and active links with professional associations such as the AIGA, IIDA, and ASID. The classroom studios mimic the professional environment. Every student works at a drafting table with a personal laptop connected to a range of digital peripherals. Senior students have a personal studio space for their final year.
The Visual Communication Design curriculum provides the educational environment that enables students to develop into exceptional communicators with visual language. In today’s saturated media context, almost all ideas are presented visually through image and text. Every organization, such as businesses, schools, theaters, restaurants, and community groups, has a visual identity created by a designer. Designs range from complex transit systems that appear as simple maps and schedules to packaging with detailed ingredient lists for every item in a grocery store. The ubiquitous male/female icons for restrooms were designed, as were all the other signs that help people navigate the everyday environment. People identify themselves with issues, causes, and cultures by wearing symbols that were designed like the peace symbol, sports emblems, or wristbands. Ideas presented in books, graphic novels, magazines, and newspapers are designed through the selection, creation, and use of typography, illustrations, images, publication formats, and even the selection of paper. Visual Communication Design focuses on the visual interpretation of ideas, information, and messages. Alumni have professional opportunities to enter design positions within design firms; magazine, book, comic, and newspaper publishing; strategic branding companies; in-house corporate design and communication departments; printing companies; or to develop independent illustration and design practices.
The Design Department at Cornish provides a small, personal studio environment, with a focus on demanding conceptual projects that support exploration and creative risk-taking. The curriculum is based on visual, technical, and conceptual investigations. These will lead to new approaches to communicate information, envision environments, and new forms for storytelling. Students will also learn to promote ideas and messages, explore graphics in motion, and discover new interactive experiences and visual forms for entertainment.
The department integrates professional engagement with community involvement into the curriculum. The faculty is composed of active working professionals in the Seattle community and the Department Advisory Committee provides ongoing advice about the programs. The wider professional community is involved through studio projects based on actual client projects in the students' junior and senior years. These activities include inviting guest designers to class critiques; lunchtime and evening guest speakers; field trips; extra-curricular group projects; internships; student exhibitions; student interest groups; and active links with professional associations such as the AIGA, IIDA, and ASID. The classroom studios mimic the professional environment. Every student works at a drafting table with a personal laptop connected to a range of digital peripherals. Senior students have a personal studio space for their final year.
