Tag: Graphic Design Student

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Graphic Design News

Graphic Design Inspires Student to Teach

Graphic design colleges can inspire students to change the world. One student found his passion for the art while attending a Texas College and was inspired enough to go back to school at another college. Now he teaches others the art of graphic design, a passion he shares with his students.

Inland Valley News – “My style is me and mine alone, creativity flows through this mind like a painter with a brush to canvas, smooth and effortless.” –Justin Robinson

Having a creative mind and being able to create things through visual arts is a gift, but being able to share that gift with others is more inspirational. The Inland Valley News is honored to introduce its readers to Justin Robinson, a young man who has been giving back to the community through graphic design.

Justin Robinson, 25, graduated from Diamond Ranch High School in 2005. He attended Mount San Antonio College where he received his Associates of Art degree in Fine Arts. He later transferred to the University of Redlands and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Graphic Arts. Robinson currently teaches graphic arts as a substitute, and recently signed a contract to be a permanent teacher and activities director at Cathedral High School in Los Angeles.

Robinson’s interest for graphic design started while he was at Mount San Antonio College where he was majoring in art. He came to the realization that everything from magazine covers, t-shirt designs, buildings and everything else is made by a graphic designer. “I wanted to challenge myself. Graphic design kept me going; it kept me excited and wanting to learn and do more,” Robinson said.

Not having a limit of what he designs, Robinson specializes in photo editing, logo design, website design, album covers, advertisement design, magazine layouts and everything else that you can think of. He is very versatile when it comes to graphic design.

Recognizing the importance of attending college, Robinson turned to one of his biggest inspirations… read more at Inland Valley News.

More Graphic Design School News:

BHS students spruce up sheriff’s office with murals

Cleveland School of Arts presents Festival of New Works

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Graphic Design News

Graphic Design Students Premier Artwork at School Gallery

Students in a school teaching vocational courses in the arts, including graphic design and general art, are hosting a showcase exhibit at their school this month.

Some of the students of Scotts Valley High School are also participating in an International Baccalaureate program at the school, where the dual enrolled students and others have the culmination of their years in the art program on display.

The graphic design work and other forms of art will be on display at the school through April, but on last Friday, the students hosted a meet and greet between the artists (themselves) and their admiring public.

The dual enrolled students in the graphic design program at the school had to opportunity to discuss their motivation for their artistic creations. The sessions served as a pre-test for the IB students who will soon take an hour-long exam as part of the dual enrollment program. (Students in dual enrollment are earning college and high school credits simultaneously.)

The event was coordinated by the art teachers at the school and exhibited the work of students in the school’s Art I and II classes in addition to the IB student submissions. Many of the presented works had been in process for several years and represent all of the skills students have learned throughout their time at the school.

While the non-IB students were given open ended projects to be build to a certain specification, the dual enrolled students were allow to be more creative with their designs.  College level courses in graphic design and art are more focused on project management and creativity, so there was plenty of room for artistic expression among those students. According to other reports of the event, teachers say that many of the students are enthusiastic about their studies and some intend to attend a graphic design college.

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Graphic Design Classes: Learning Software

Second to artistic interest and talent, software may be the most important aspect of graphic design school. Classes in graphic design software are among the first classes a student must pursue in a graphic design degree program because the technology will be used throughout the course of the student’s education, as well as their career. There is no shortage of graphic design programs on the market today, but classes typically focus on a few of the industry’s mainstays in the realm of digital technology.

Many of the programs employed in graphic design classes and by graphic design professionals are published by the major graphic design company Adobe through the Adobe Creative Suite. The Adobe Creative Suite is the most prolific set of design programs in the industry and is therefore a core competency in graphic design schools.

In a typical graphic design class, students become well versed in a number of digital tools including programs that allow students to edit and compose images (Photoshop), illustrate and draw intense graphic designs (Illustrator), create dramatic page layouts for all types of uses and with varying levels of functions (InDesign), and programs that help tie all other programs together (Bridge).

A Bridge type of program is commonly taught in the first phases of this graphic design class, simply because it pulls together a student’s project work between all of the other programs in the Suite. In addition to thorough introductions to the interfaces and technologies within each program, classes teach students about all of applicable functions they will need to use within each program. These functions include working with objects, layers, and tools as well as images, typography, and tables. All functions are applied to a graphic design project used throughout the course of the graphic design class.

After completing a graphic design class in software technologies, students are typically able to create multiple page layouts and multiple layer images by being thoroughly skilled at using the Creative Suite to their best advantage. Using object placement, morphing and layering skills, and typography along with artistic critiquing allows students to make appropriate designing decisions about a specific project.

In addition to textbooks that help guide students through the class work for each of the graphic design programs, many graphic design schools require students to purchase recommended programs for their degree and discipline. Software is often sold in Suites and student discounts are often obtained through student book stores or with a partnering company to minimize the students’ expenses on software purchases.

Most graphic design software Suites are costly, but necessary components of successfully completing most of the classes in any degree program. Upgrading to newer versions, even after graduation, is less costly than purchasing new software. For this reason, creative software programs can be considered an education and career investment by students of graphic design classes.

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Graphic Design News

Graphic Design College Gives Students Networking Opportunity

Graphic design colleges do more than teach students about the latest and greatest technologies and design concepts they will need in the real-world; they also teach them how to network with other professionals to set up a web of professional contacts for future success and relationships.

The Salford University’s graphic design classes were awarded a unique opportunity to do just that at an event hosted for not only the current graphic design students, but recent graduates from the school.

Students got the opportunity to spend time with each other and some of the local experts in the graphic design industry. Northern Digitals was also on hand to help add to the numbers in the crowd.

Companies at the event saw it as a way to meet and greet some of their potential future employees, too. They enjoy inspiring young designers as well as scouting out the talent at events such as this.

According to a report from Creative Broom, Joanne Greenhalgh, coordinator of the graphic design school at Salford’s School of Art & Design said that the events are always beneficial to both the students and the companies in attendance.

“The students get advice and guidance from key companies which informs their practice and helps to further develop their career aspirations, while businesses that get involved have the opportunity to scout for new talent,” she said.

The graphic design school at Salford takes three years to complete. At the end of the day, graphic designers are indeed graphic communicators who must be keen to the latest consumer trends and research related to how people respond to advertising.

Like most other schools, Salford gives a little on the term “graphic design” for the more appropriate title “graphic communication”. Networking events by graphic design schools very much focus on the communications aspect of the art.

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Graphic Design News

Student in Graphic Design Class help Restore Ship

It is the type of project in which even college-aged graphic design students rarely get the chance to participate, but students in one high school’s graphic design class made it happen.

Graphic design students at Union High School in New Jersey are helping the S.S. United States Conservancy save and restore one the country’s valuable relics; the S.S. United States.

The Conservancy is made up of members who own the ship or are considered stewards of the ship. They are attempting to create a partnership with public and private organization to refurbish the relic.

The S.S. United States was, at one time, an ocean liner that was designed mostly for civilian luxury cruises but built with the caveat that it could move troops across the Atlantic if it was ever needed. The dilapidated ship is now sitting in a South Philadelphia dock and in need of some serious help from a few willing participants in preserving the natural history of the ship.

Students in Union High School’s graphic design class decided that they wanted to help, so they created a big sign calling people to action in the important restoration project. Their creation has (almost) as many bells and whistles as the ship itself according to reports. The sign is 60 inches tall and has a smoking smoke stack and light-up portholes to draw attention to its message that it’s “Time for Action” in preserving the relic.

The graphic design class heard about the needs of the S.S. United States through the Conservancy, who appealed to the public for help. The S.S. United States Conservancy came to the school to give a presentation about the ship’s history and current predicament. It was after the presentation that the graphic design students presented the Conservancy members with their promotional sign, which will be put to good use in the effort to get help restoring the ship.

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Earning a Graphic Design School Degree Online

Online degree programs are becoming more popular with every graduating class and industries like graphic design are the ideal fields of study when it comes to earning an online degree. Graphic design schools offer loads of training about technology, concepts, artistic styles, marketing, and more. It is one of the few schools of art in which nearly 100% of the occupation requires digital rendering and web-based or computer-based technology to execute.

For students who wish to attend graphic design school, the advent and acceptance of online degree programs is great news. The almost all-digital nature of graphic design makes it a completely relevant study in the online education genre. Furthermore, graphic design schools taught primarily through online courses force learners to become even more familiar with the technology they will inevitably use in the future: computer applications and internet-based marketing.

While not all graphic designers are entering the field of online marketing, the lion’s share of them do work in digital desktop publishing. There are far fewer limitations on the types of degrees that can be earned online from a graphic design school than most other occupations out there. Add to this the flexibility of online class schedules and the lowered cost of an online degree, and the perfect picture begins to develop.

So what kind of degrees can you earn online from a graphic design school? Associate of Arts (A.A), Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), and Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) makeup the majority of degree programs that can be completed through a primarily online curriculum. Degree levels allow students to choose exactly how detailed they will get in their education and the level of graphic design jobs for which they will be qualified to apply upon graduation.

With an online A.A. degree from a graphic design school, students are recognized to have an understanding of print and online technologies, concept development, brand management, typography, and packaging designs. New A.A. degree holders can apply for entry level positions in graphic design and work their way up to other positions or can work on their next level of degree.

With an online B.F.A. from a graphic design school, employers accept that the student knows everything that an A.A. student knows and that they are especially aware of the problem in various industries of marketing and design. They also learn about problem solving, learn how to be innovative with their designs, and are trained in the social causes for marketing strategies.

Online degree holders with an M.F.A. from an accredited graphic design school are believed to be the most well-trained college graduates once they’ve earned their master’s degree. In addition to all of the subordinate degree learning, these graphic designers are trained in public speaking to narrate graphic design concepts and have become strategy experts. Students with this type of degree from an online graphic design school are widely-accepted at most graphic design jobs after graduation and are the highest earners in the group.

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Graphic Design News

Contest Teaches Graphic Design Students about Self-Promotion

A contest sponsored by the Graphic Arts Education and Research Foundation (GAERF) is out to teach students in graphic design classes how to sell themselves to potential employers in the future.

The “Why Hire Me?” contest is open for submission from graphic design instructors on behalf of students until June 15th, with prizes including up to $2,000 and a trip to the GRAPH EXPO 2012 in Chicago.

This is the fourth annual contest hosted by GAERF for student works. The contest is open to secondary and post secondary graphic design schools. Secondary graphic design instructors may submit up to 5 student campaigns, but post-secondary school teachers may submit an unlimited number of student designs for consideration in the contest.

The challenge of the Why Hire Me contest is to create a self-promoting marketing campaign that the student believes will put them a step-ahead of other professional competitors in the job market. To accomplish this task, however, student must consider which type of graphic design discipline they most desire to pursue.

Graphic designs students can choose from a wide array of career paths upon graduation in disciplines including art and design, science, and technology, communications, and business. Within each discipline, the student must further differentiate his or herself by choosing a specific job title, with options like web page designs, multimedia designer, cartoonists, package designers, pre-media specialist, production manager, editor, and many more.

One first place contest winner will be chosen from a post-secondary graphic design school and one from a secondary school before the GRAPH EXPO in October, along with a second and third place per type of school. First place prize for contestants, in addition to the all-expenses paid trip to the expo, is $2,000. Second place will be awarded $1,500 and third place will win $1,000.

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Graphic Design News

Graphic Design Class Designs Drunk Driving Billboard

A graphic design class was recently awarded a project thanks to a grant by the Illinois Department of Transportation to help the class create billboards that would help drivers remember to slow down, buckle up, and never drink and drive.

The Ottawa Township High School graphic design class was awarded the project, which was spearheaded by the school’s group “OTHS Pirates Displaying Awareness Team”.

OTHS graphic design students designed the billboards with emotions in mind, playing on the natural anxiety that occurs when a patrol car pulls up behind a car and turns on the lights and sirens. The graphic design class listened to the presentation normally given by the OTHS Pirates Displaying Awareness Team to gain inspiration for their project.

The Illinois Department of Transportation awarded the grant to the Pirates Displaying Awareness Team for their efforts to inform and educate teens and other motorists about the dangers of intoxicated and distracted driving. The team also uses a smashed car that was wrecked by one of the school’s former students to make their point about drunk driving.

The team recently won an award for their efforts in the Illinois Operation Teen Safe Driving program, as well. The group won $2,500 through the competition.

The graphic design class at OTHS designed four billboards for the project, but only one was selected. It features the OTHS Pirates logo and the message “Slow Down O-Town”. The billboard depicts a dark night with bright red, yellow, and blue lights (presumably flashing) on the roof of a patrol car.

The design was said to be inspired by the feeling a person gets from being pulled over – an emotional reminder of just one of the many reasons that driving impaired is a bad idea. The billboard was designed by Mackenzie Alderman, senior and student of graphic design classes at the school.

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Graphic Design News

A Graphic Design School Requires Software Purchase

As plans are made to turn the graphic design program into a four year major next fall, one school has decided to follow the lead of other major universities by requiring graphic design students to purchase their own design software licenses.

The change in requirements has been met with mixed reviews at Farmville, Virginia-based Longwood University, but as at least one school official points out, the shift to student purchased technology reduces the limitations of the program.

Right now, the computer lab at Longwood College is operated by the technology team and not the people who are in charge of the arts programs at the school. As Christopher Register pointed out in a report by the school’s new publication (The Rotunda), the technology in the school’s computer lab is dated and is not really updated to sufficiently support the design programs necessary for the graphic design class’ projects.

Graphic design students therefore run into problems with transferring their projects into a presentable format using school provided computers. To ease the burden of the requirements on the students in the program, the school has made a deal with a local bookstore to obtain graphic design software at deeply discounted prices. Where Adobe retails for nearly $2,000; the students can obtain a full copy of CS5.5 for less than $500.00.

To students, the requirement to purchase expensive software seems like a burden. However, the license they purchase will belong to them and they will then have an upgradable version of the design software they will inevitably use after graduating from the school.

While this may be of little comfort to those seeking graphic design classes at the school in the short term, programs included in the Adobe Suite of design products are critical in the graphic design industry and purchase of these programs will be inevitably necessary anyway.

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Graphic Design News

Artistry Important in Schools of Graphic Design

Graphic design is about being creative, solving problems, and having the wisdom and conceptual “know how” – just a few of the skill sets one will learn in graphic design classes.

Schools of graphic design also teach the important skills necessary to keep up with others in the field through introductions to technology and software that will be used in the real world, but those that are in the field say this is just the tip of the iceberg.

While all agree that designers will spend a lot of time chasing the latest technologies, success depends on the creativity of the individual graphic designer and his or her ability to get the job done within the constraints of the project. Many graphic designers (successful graphic designers) say that it is the art itself that keeps them successful. This wisdom isn’t limited to those who graduated from schools of graphic design, either.

The late Steve Jobs, a worldwide celebrity for technological innovations, knew that it wasn’t all of that programming that really influenced his success. It was his attention to the art of what he was doing that really inspired so many great ideas that surpassed the expectations of his competition. When discussing the importance of artistic talent, Jobs said, “If I had never dropped in on that single calligraphy course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.”

So it is with schools of graphic art and the practices learned there. Many graphic design classes can bring to light the talent (or lack of talent) in the realm of physical art; where hands-on creativity reigns over technical know-how. At its heart, graphic design is an art and successful designers are thinking like an artist. It requires the ability for one to “think outside of the box” to combine the most effective uses of artistry, technology, and concepts that are taught in graphic design schools.