Advisory:NART 285; It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This course is intended for students interested in the history, theory and practice of typography as it applies to graphic design, advertising, and other areas of design and visual communication. Students learn and practice hand-rendered and mechanical aspects of typography, and how typography attracts, informs, educates, inspires, and creates retaining impressions—as well as how typography modifies human actions and behavior. Through discussions, exercises, and projects, students develop an understanding leading to clearer interpretations of typography and its role in human history, communication, design, and art. Activities include the history and principles of typography, letter structure, typeface selection, fundamentals of typesetting and introductory typographic layout.

Advisory:NART 285; It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to:UC, CSU

This introductory course is an introduction to graphic design and uses vector software (like Adobe Illustrator) as the principal digital tool. Topics include the principles and elements of design, typography, color, shape stroke, illustration techniques, page layout design, as well as introductory critical concepts and professional practices employed by graphic designers. This course includes exercises, projects, and portfolio building with an emphasis on professional standards. This course is for students interested in a degree or certificate in graphic design as well as those interested in 2-dimensional (2D) design and layout applications employed as tools by graphic designers.

Advisory:NART 285; It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to:UC, CSU

This introductory web design course is a practical introduction for students interested in user experience (UX) and visual interface design, and the challenges they pose for graphic designers. Using web design applications (like Adobe Dreamweaver and Photoshop), students are introduced to the steps involved in creating a basic, functional, and interactive website. Topics include aesthetic design considerations, front-end technology, interaction, UX, user interface (UI) and cascading style sheets (CSS) design, file optimization, and website principles and practices. This course is for students interested in a degree or certificate in graphic design and those interested in web design and interactive design.

Prerequisite: GDSN 164
Advisory:NART 285
Transfers to: CSU

This course is an exploration of branding and identity design, a sub-discipline of graphic design. Topics include the research and development of trademarks and logos for clients, the principles and elements of design, typography, color, shape stroke, illustration techniques, and page layout design, as well as intermediate and advanced critical concepts and professional practices employed by graphic designers. This course includes portfolio building with an emphasis on professional standards. This course is for students interested in a degree or certificate in graphic design as well as those interested in 2-dimensional (2D) design and layout applications employed as tools by graphic designers.