Art and Design courses

Delightful, intuitive and engaging user experience is integral to a company’s success. Gain the skills employers are searching for in this introductory course. You’ll study user-experience design concepts, processes and practices, including topics such as…

Develop your digital communication skills by using drafting and editing commands in Autodesk AutoCAD, the industry-standard computer-aided drawing software. Progress with more advanced commands such as XREFs, blocks with attributes and XCLIPs. Learn to…

Architecture is not just about forms, material and implementation of styles; good architecture is based on concepts and ideas. This first in a sequence of design studios is arranged about a series of design explorations that require you to think conceptually;…

Diagramming and prototyping are essential tools to convert innovative ideas into tangible and profitable products. Designers use diagramming to visually communicate with end-users and other team members about the holistic experience they are developing. In…

This course introduces students to the key concepts and best practices of accessibility in the context of user experience (UX) design. Students will explore the principles of universal design and develop a working understanding of multimedia accessibility,…

Color is one of the most powerful, useful and expressive tools for designing compelling interior spaces. Review the color-based theories of Albert Munsell, Johannes Itten and Josef Albers. Learn how to change the value and intensity of colors using paint.…

Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard tool for creating vector graphics, a must have skill in any graphic designer's toolbox. Through step-by-step instructions, you will learn to use Illustrator's powerful drawing tools to create drawings, icons, logos,…

Interior designers must be able to communicate to those who construct their designs. Learn how to produce a complete set of working drawings—from plans through details and specifications—so that your designs are realized efficiently and accurately. Example…

Adobe InDesign is a powerful desktop publishing and typesetting tool. You will explore the essentials of InDesign, including its unique typographic and graphic capabilities, while learning shortcuts and tips to efficiently use the program in your design work…

Gain the skills to create effective concept and design drawings using 2-D and 3-D software. In this introductory course, learn how to use Google SketchUp and Adobe Photoshop and InDesign to augment your creative ideas. This class is perfect for students and…

You reinforce the skills learned in Design Communication II and advance to the next level of sketching and rendering skill by developing visual note taking and establishing a method for accurate freehand perspective drawing. Explore colored pencils, markers,…

Develop your skills in hand drafting and sketching with this basic course in line work, lettering and page layouts for architectural drawings. Learn to produce floor plans, elevations and sections for construction and presentation to contractors and clients.…

Learn how drawing can be most effective in the design process. Representing design ideas using software is commonly required, but what do we call those drawings? This course introduces you to the vocabulary of representing 3-D environments. You gain the…

Survey the history of photography to learn how to incorporate the techniques and ideas developed by major photographers into your work. Explore skills such as stop-action composition and creative use of color theory. Classroom discussion topics include…

Learn how to use color to enhance your drawn imagery. You explore fundamental concerns of drawing—line, value, texture, shape and space—through assignments that emphasize the effective use of color, color mixing, color properties and color schemes.…

Explore the world of residential and commercial interior design in this introductory course. Gain exposure to resources, design theory, history, vocabulary and the process of design. For those contemplating registering for the certificate, this course…

Get an introduction to the essential materials and techniques of painting, including building and stretching a canvas, mixing color, underpainting, glazing and washing, dry brushing and using a palette knife. Explore the use of composition, line, contrast,…

Expanding on the basic painting techniques and principles learned in Painting Fundamentals ART X410, this course further engages you in the use of composition, color, contrast, light and movement. Image-illustrated lectures, demonstrations, and individual and…

This course covers the use of Adobe Photoshop, an essential tool for the work of any graphic or visual designer. The class focuses on the creation of " composites," a design technique unique to Photoshop. Students will learn the fundamental concepts of the…

Develop a cohesive body of work that demonstrates your approach to art making; gain a skill level appropriate for potential application to graduate programs; and practice the presentation of your conceptual intent and artworks in formal, philosophical and…

Examine the value of graduate-level education, the state of the art market, prac­tical realities of applying for grants and public commissions, and the role that the media plays in developing an artistic career. (Available summer term)

Explore various pathways to global environmental sustainability, examining commerce, culture, design, policy and individual actions. Focus on key concepts such as ecological footprint measurement, life-cycle analysis, cradle-to-cradle design, green energy,…

Learn the fundamentals of building information modeling (BIM) using Autodesk Revit Architecture. See how to implement and employ BIM software to facilitate the design process and automate documentation. Participate in hands-on activities to familiarize…

“The camera is an instrument that teaches people to see without a camera.” —Photographer Dorothea Lange Learn to employ the eye and the mind and incorporate both perception and concept into image-making. Explore the creative process and develop your aesthetic…

Study the principles of information, interaction and navigation design to organize and present information for optimal user interface design (UI). Examine human-computer interaction (HCI) in the context of graphical user interfaces (GUI) by exploring the core…

Explore the underlying principles of visual/graphic design through a series of weekly studio exercises, online lectures, readings, seminars and guidance in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. You use these software demos to explore color theory (CMYK, RGB,…

Get an introduction to HTML5 and CSS3 to create a small or personal website. After Applying web standards as you code and mastering the fundamentals of web development and design, you then proceed rapidly with semantic coding, starting from text editor in the…

The process of working in series is an effective vehicle to unlock creative potential, capitalize on unexpected discoveries and uncover new forms of self-expression. Illustrated lectures introduce you to contemporary artists who work in series and to the…