Communication Design

Overview

Our BFA in Communication Design seeks as its primary objective (aside from teaching the basic principles of design, image making, color theory and typography) to help students learn to be effective conceptual thinkers and, most importantly, creative problem solvers in the disciplines of advertising and of graphic design. Ours is not a program designed for the student who is merely interested in learning the most advanced technology.

The MA and MFA in Design programs exist to teach students from design and a diverse array of other disciplinary backgrounds how to utilize design-driven knowledge and skills within select theoretical frameworks to identify and solve complex social, technological, economic, and environmental issues. The 36 credit-hour Master of Arts in Design (MA-Des-IS) and the 60 credit-hour Master of Fine Arts in Design (MFA-Des-IS) are both taught as concentrations in Innovation Studies. The curriculums of both programs have been designed to place students in interdisciplinary teams so they can master core theoretical and problem-solving competencies rooted in collaborative innovation, including: imaginative and adaptive thinking, visual argumentation supported by select types of reasoning, iterative prototyping, project based workflow development and fostering ethically rooted empathy for others.

The communication design area is housed in the Art Building, which include studio classrooms, a dedicated computer lab/classroom, a general access computer lab, and faculty offices. Additionally, the communication design area maintains a valuable resource room (Art Building, Room 239) for its majors. This resource room consists of over a thousand reference books, magazines and paper/print samples of photography, illustration, typography, graphic design, and advertising

Undergraduate Program

Our undergraduate curriculum is a three-and-a-half year sequence of coursework. One must submit a portfolio in the Entry Portfolio Review (occurring each December) in order to gain admittance to this competitive and demanding program. The sophomore year introduces basic skill sets for communication design such as typography, color rendering, design thinking, and creative methodologies for problem solving. At the end of the sophomore sequence, each student must participate in the Mid-Point Portfolio Review. This review is used to select those students who have demonstrated an appropriate degree of proficiency necessary to continue in the program. The junior year offers a variety classes featuring different design experiences in graphic design, art direction, package design, publication design and web design. At this point in the curriculum, students are required to make a career choice of either graphic design or art direction. The senior year is an intense set of classes dedicated to helping the student hone conceptual and design skills, and to preparing a competitive, final portfolio. Additionally, students are encouraged to take advantage of an internship course for experience, and of advanced computer software and digital media classes.

At the end of the undergraduate program (whether in art direction or graphic design), our students should be able to successfully identify problems; develop strong, appropriate, conceptual strategies for specific target audiences; and implement, design and produce those concepts in a manner that effectively communicates to an intended audience.

Associate Professor Eric Ligon is the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for Communication Design.

• Suggested Undergraduate Curriculum for Communication Design 2009-2010 (PDF opens in a new window).
• December 2009—revised 09/10/09—Entry Portfolio Review (PDF opens in a new window).
• December 2009  Entry Portfolio Review Adobe Illustrator Proficiency Skills (PDF opens in a new window).
• December 2009 Communication Design Entry Portfolio Review
  Adobe Illustrator Proficiency Test Information (PDF opens in a new window).
• December 2009 Entry Portfolio Review Adobe Illustrator Practice Proficiency Test (PDF opens in a new window). Contains information about scheduling your test time and test dates.
• Visit the Communication Design Blog (opens in a new window).
• Suggested computer and software for Communication Design.

Master of Fine Arts in Design with a Concentration in Innovation Studies (MFA-Des-IS; formerly the MFA in Communication Design)

The MFA program has been designed to teach graduate students who have accrued professional experience in communication design or a related discipline to “discover the power of ideas” by immersing them in learning situations wherein they actually have to invent methods that can potentially fuel the development of new processes, products and systems. What students learn during this experience will allow them to address the types of complex communications problems currently emerging in the world, and will prepare them to create or assume essential positions as leaders, collaborators, provocateurs, and empowered advocates for change within it.

The active approach to learning that informs this curriculum emphasizes real-world problem identification and problem solving supported by empathy-building, select types of reasoning and iterative thinking. Students who emerge from this Masters of Fine Arts program will be prepared to pursue successful careers as communication design strategists, managers and project-based collaborators in the corporate world, the non-profit sector, or in the arena of communication design education at the post-secondary school level. Graduates from this program who wish to pursue academic careers will emerge from it well-equipped to function effectively in the university environment, and will have identified areas of design research that will be necessary for their growth and the attainment of tenure at the university level.

• Application Information for the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Design with a concentration in Innovation Studies (PDF opens in a new window).

Master of Arts in Design with a Concentration in Innovation Studies (MA-Des-IS)

The Master of Arts in Design with a Concentration in Innovation Studies exists to immerse graduate students who have not studied or practiced design in a series of learning experiences that will help them build and apply knowledge regarding design theories, methodologies and practices as a means to identify and test solutions for real-world social, technological, environmental and economic problems. This 36-credit hour program of study is unique to UNT, to graduate education in the state of Texas, and in this part of the U.S. The students who enroll in it represent a very diverse array of academic fields, professions and life experiences. Students will be challenged to work across disciplinary boundaries as they engage in design processes guided by select UNT CVAD Department of Design faculty. Some course projects within this curriculum may be taught all or in part by faculty from outside the CVAD Department of Design where knowledge or research interests complement or catalyze design processes.

• Application Information for the Master of Arts (MA) in Design with a concentration in Innovation Studies (PDF opens in a new window).

Associate Professor Michael Gibson is the Graduate Program Coordinator for the MA and MFA programs with concentrations in Innovation Studies. Please contact him for more information about these programs at michael.gibson@unt.edu. You may also request information from us by e-mailing ComDes@unt.edu.

Faculty & Staff