Graphic & Web Design (412.A0)

Students are required to successfully complete four (4) English courses to obtain their DEC. Courses 603-102 and 603-103 may be taken in either order only after successfully completing 603-101. Course 603-200-MQ is the 4th and last English course required. Click to view courses list. 

Every student needs one of each of the Block “A” and Block “B” courses in order to complete their DEC. For each block, there are four levels of courses: Level 1 , Level 2 , Level 3 and Level 4.
Placement in the appropriate level of French is determined by the students’ high school marks. The French Department reserves the right to change the placement of a student upon written notice. Students take the Block “B” course at the same level as the Block “A” course.
If placement determines that students do not have a college level of proficiency in French, students may be required to take remedial courses to upgrade their knowledge of the language. Click to view courses list. 

Students need three (3) Humanities courses to complete their DEC. Courses 345-101-MQ and 345-102-MQ may be taken in either order, but both must be successfully completed before registering in 345-21_-AB. Click to view course list. 

Introduction to editing, converting and manipulating digital images using Adobe Photoshop. Covers basic image editing functions and techniques used in both print and in web design production.

Introduction to basic web design concepts. Covers the basics of the HTML markup language, the CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) style language and introduces notions of responsive web design, interactivity and user experience that will be explored throughout the program. Students will learn to code web pages by hand and upload them to a live web server.

The first graphic design course (for print). Introduces the Adobe InDesign page layout software and all related concepts used in creating great looking printed documents such as magazine and newspaper ads, books, books, posters and stationary sets.

Introduction to vector drawing tools using Adobe Illustrator. Vector drawings are used for designing logos and resolution-independent drawings. Vector tools are often used in posters and infographics and are also used in designing typefaces and in some animation programs like Adobe Flash.

After successfully completing their 603-101 course, students may choose to take either a 603-102 or a 603-103 course. Click to view courses list. 

Students are required to successfully complete three (3) Physical Education courses to complete their DEC. Courses 109-101-MQ and 109-102-MQ may be taken in either order, but both must be successfully completed before registering in 109-103-MQ. Click to view courses list. 

Complementary courses provide an opportunity for students to explore subjects outside their field of concentration and are offered in six different areas. Except for Liberal Arts, Arts & Sciences and Double DEC programs, students must take two (2) complementary courses as part of their General Education requirement.
Students are encouraged to select courses from subjects that are outside their program of study;
Students can take a course from each ensemble of the same domain;
Or
Students can take a course from either ensemble of two different domains;
Or
Students can take a course from the same ensemble of two different domains;
Domain 1, Domain 2, Domain 3 , Domain 4 , Domain 5 and Domain 6

Click to view courses list. 

This course develops the student’s digital imaging skills in incorporating colour into images, working with metadata, processing RAW images, selecting and masking, and compositing images for web and print. Building on the basics learned the previous semester, this course becomes more creative and develops the student’s mastery of digital image workflow.

This course presents both the theoretical basis of designing an effective, functional website and the hands-on mechanics of creating a site using Adobe Dreamweaver®, the industry standard web page creation program. Students will work with the two basic web page components — structural HTML markup and CSS style sheet language — to create websites that are technically functional, standards compliant, aesthetically pleasing, and marketable.

This class teaches students to use Adobe InDesign to create layouts that respect the principles of typography and good design by using grids to provide an underlying structure ensuring balance and consistency. Stylesheets are used to ensure uniformity and efficiency in the design process. This course introduces the technicalities involved in producing multipage documents in print, particularly imposition and other techniques that permit accurate reproduction of a document at the print shop.

This more advanced class permits students to learn more sophisticated drawing techniques that can be applied to both print and web. Using a larger proportion of Adobe Illustrator’s functional capabilities, students will create design elements that can be easily adapted across different media. This includes creating resolution-independent graphics for web use as well as using advanced tools to create realistic shading and modelling effects.

This course looks at key concepts in the field of design. Students will closely examine modern design works (posters, DVD covers, club flyers, textbooks, billboards, business cards, etc.) and identify key elements within a contemporary context. Students will start to acquire an understanding of how design elements are “read” (Line, spacing, value, colour, texture; balance; emphasis; typography, etc) as an integral part of creating good design. Students will also be presented with an overview of the Graphic & Web Design program, today’s Design workplace, and the Canadian labour market for designers. Design languages, such as UI guidelines from companies such as Apple and Google will also be examined.

After successfully completing their 603-101 course, students may choose to take either a 603-102 or a 603-103 course. Click to view courses list. 

Students need three (3) Humanities courses to complete their DEC. Courses 345-101-MQ and 345-102-MQ may be taken in either order, but both must be successfully completed before registering in 345-21_-AB. Click to view courses list. 

This course offers students an opportunity to combine their first-year software skills with their new-found knowledge of design to create a compelling brand image for clients and reflect that branding in the production of advertising materials.

The third web design course offers students a chance to delve deeper into the mechanics of building a modern web page. Web III pages will contain javascript-based interactive elements and more emphasis will be placed on creating responsive designs. Students will also focus on the aesthetics of their pages and continue to learn overall website management.

The graphic design course emphasizes the process by which long multi-page documents are created, edited and published. Graphic designers no longer work exclusively in print. Their work will often wind up on paper but also on tablet computers and other mobile devices. Some work may be published in PDF format and be incorporated into web pages as downloadable products. The course will identify best production practices and techniques and provide opportunities to adapt designs for different target media.

Design Studio is literally a hands-on studio course where students learn to apply the knowledge acquired in all previous classes in longer and more in-depth projects destined to be portfolio material. Students may be asked to build a wide variety of documents (logo, logotype, website, business card and stationary) but may also work on non-commercial projects including charities and non-profits, sustainability-focusued projects, posters, fine art as well as exploring different art forms such as photography, 3D models and maquettes and other media.

This class introduces the concepts and workflow techniques of modern digital photography. From capturing RAW files with proper focus and depth of field to using Lightroom and Photoshop to perform post-processing, the course offers students a glimpse into real-world image production tasks and techniques that photographers use in the industry. This course also requires that students take part in a compulsory 8 hour off-campus photo walk activity.

After successfully completing their 603-102 and 603-103 courses, students must choose a 603-200 course. Click to view courses list. 

Every student needs one of each of the Block “A” and Block “B” courses in order to complete their DEC. For each block, there are four levels of courses: Level 1 , Level 2 , Level 3 and Level 4.
Placement in the appropriate level of French is determined by the students’ high school marks. The French Department reserves the right to change the placement of a student upon written notice. Students take the Block “B” course at the same level as the Block “A” course.
If placement determines that students do not have a college level of proficiency in French, students may be required to take remedial courses to upgrade their knowledge of the language. Click to view courses list.

Students are required to successfully complete three (3) Physical Education courses to complete their DEC. Courses 109-101-MQ and 109-102-MQ may be taken in either order, but both must be successfully completed before registering in 109-103-MQ. Click to view courses list. 

Branding is the art of establishing a visual identity for a client. This requires research into who the client is, who their competitors are, and defining what readers should know about the client simply by seeing their visual identity products such as logo, logotype, website, business card and stationary. This course is project based and will give students a chance to delve deeper into the design process and create work worthy of their final portfolio.

Web Design 4 lets students explore the broader aspects of web design for commercial clients, specifically exploring more advanced topics such as using WordPress as a Content Management System (CMS). Students will be introduced to the fundamental differences in between traditional web design (“Web I”) and the so-called “Web 2.0” that defines social media. Topics will include WordPress and it’s required backend components (Apache, MySQL and PHP) as well as blogging, skinning, search engine and social media optimization.

This graphic design course follows up on the material taught in Publication Design I but focusses on commercial magazines, newsletters and the ePub electronic publishing format. Concepts include adapting page layouts to screens of different resolutions, dimensions and proportions as well as typography, resource embedding and linking; and proper choice of image formats.

This second Design Studio class follows in the footsteps of the first and gives students a chance to work on in-depth graphic design and branding projects that are destined to be part of their graduating portfolios. Projects are created using iterative approach of conceptualisation, creation, development and refinement similar to what happens in real world graphic design practice. The ultimate goal is to create work that looks “finished” and “professional” and does not look like “student work” or “homework” and as such belongs in the portfolios that will be built in the following semester.

Students need three (3) Humanities courses to complete their DEC. Courses 345-101-MQ and 345-102-MQ may be taken in either order, but both must be successfully completed before registering in 345-21_-AB. Click to view courses list. 

Students are required to successfully complete three (3) Physical Education courses to complete their DEC. Courses 109-101-MQ and 109-102-MQ may be taken in either order, but both must be successfully completed before registering in 109-103-MQ. Click to view courses list. 

Complementary courses provide an opportunity for students to explore subjects outside their field of concentration and are offered in six different areas. Except for Liberal Arts, Arts & Sciences and Double DEC programs, students must take two (2) complementary courses as part of their General Education requirement.
Students are encouraged to select courses from subjects that are outside their program of study;
Students can take a course from each ensemble of the same domain;
Or
Students can take a course from either ensemble of two different domains;
Or
Students can take a course from the same ensemble of two different domains;
Domain 1, Domain 2, Domain 3 , Domain 4 , Domain 5 and Domain 6

Click to view courses list. 

This course is focused on teaching students aspects of some of the more advanced web production techniques that they are likely to encounter in the workforce. Starting from the distinction in between what is a “web developer” vs what is a “web designer”, students will learn to design interfaces for websites that are not of their own making and potentially built using techniques they might not be familiar with. Students will focus on the content of the site, and create designs that are user friendly and responsive as well as search engine friendly.

This introductory course will teach students basic concepts and techniques that are used in the field of animation. Using different software tools and techniques, students will learn to build basic animations for web use as well as explore fundamental concepts common to many types of animation software such as keyframes, tweens and sprites.

This pure print production graphic design course covers the techniques required for one of the most in-demand graphic design tasks: packaging. Combining traditional 2D graphic design skills but applying them to 3D objects such as boxes, cans, jars, tubes and other commercial product containers, this course explores the necessary techniques used to adapt a flat design for printing onto objects in three dimensions. Concepts such as cut and fold lines, bleeds, registration, die cuts and various reproduction processes will be discussed and explored.

This final Illustration course concentrates on creating complex vector art pieces that go beyond commercial and graphic art and forays into the fine art world in terms of both aesthetics and content. Students who intend to pursue their studies in university will need portfolio pieces that are more conceptually challenging, focused on larger issues such as sustainability, ecology or social issues. This course gives students an opportunity to explore areas they have not explored until now in Graphic and Web Design, but will have to be familiar with at university or when having professional discussions with creatives and art directors.

This course is an introduction to the Computer Science-related aspects involved in web design. From using javascript to add interactivity to a page or using it to add totals in a shopping cart to using PHP to automate repetitive tasks, web programming is at the heart of Web 2.0. This course focuses on giving students an overall view of what-fits-where in the complex world of web development so that they can easily communicate with other web professionals as well as managers and clients.

This course is dedicated to building a student’s graduating portfolio. Previously taught in sixth semester, the course has been moved to the fifth semester in order to give students a better chance to complete their portfolio before it is needed for applications to university, presentations to potential stage hosts and employers. Older work can be redone and polished while new work can be created for the portfolio. The teacher will ensure that students have a well diversified and unique looking portfolio that adequately demonstrates their strengths and skills, and make sure that it also conforms to the requirements of design departments at local universities.

More and more GWD graduates are asked to apply their skills not only to website production but also to the marketing and advertising strategies that these websites were created for. Companies will hire GWD grads to manage and maintain Facebook and Google+ pages, YouTube channels, Twitter and Instagram feeds, Pinterest collections and more. Social media has its own set of specifications for image asset production, but also a whole inventory of related tasks including search engine optimization, writing social media-friendly metadata and the collection and use of performance analytics.

This course introduces basic business concepts necessary for starting up a graphic design company. This includes notions of Canadian copyright law, determining the market value of design projects, budgets, pricing, billing and taxation. Additionally, students will perform a cost analysis of what type of computer setup would be required to start their business while respecting their technical needs and budget limits.

This course introduces notions of motion graphics, which in many aspects can be similar to animation but nonetheless is its own specialty. Students will learn to shoot high-quality footage, import it and then add metadata, perform basic grading and then edit and assemble the footage in video editing software. Special effects can be added before the final project is exported in various formats destined to websites like YouTube or Vimeo, as well as for web page playback on standard and high-resolution screens.

The Stage course is centred around a three-week internship held at the end of the final semester. Students learn to prepare their portfolios, introduction letters and resumes in the hope of getting their internship at their desired host company. As such, they will develop a branding for themselves and promote their abilities according to that strategy. Students will spend three full weeks working for their stage host, after which they return to the college for a debriefing session and to hand in their stage reports and essays.

* Student should have passed all prior program specific courses in the Fifth semester to be eligible for Stage (only available in the Sixth semester).