Imagine. Design. Achieve.
The Graphic Design pathway focuses on visual communication, branding, and digital media, equipping students with the skills to create stunning designs for various industries. Throughout this pathway, students will explore marketing design packages, logo creation, company branding, and advertising mediums, gaining hands-on experience in professional design applications.
This pathway consists of four specialized courses, each designed to build technical expertise and design skills:
Adobe Visual Design I – Focuses on foundational design principles and certifies students in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
Adobe Visual Design II – Expands on digital design techniques, advanced layout design, and digital media, preparing students for real-world design applications.
Advertising & Design – Explores advertising principles, typography, multi-platform media design, and certifies students in Adobe InDesign.
CTE Advanced Studies – A capstone course directly aligned with the Academy's internship program, providing real-world experience in a professional design setting.
Taught by Mr. Busch and Mrs. Brinton, this pathway offers hands-on projects, industry-recognized certifications, and an internship opportunity, ensuring students graduate with the skills needed for careers in graphic design, advertising, and digital media.
Explore graphic design, digital illustration, and photography using Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop in this dynamic course. Skip the lectures and dive into hands-on projects, earning badges through Adobe Professional certifications that highlight your design skills. Beyond basic button-clicking, you'll master design principles, refine problem-solving, and collaborate on designs with fellow creatives. Take the first step towards a career where your design passion evolves into expertise. This course is aligned to the Adobe Certified Associate Photoshop and Adobe Certified Associate Illustrator certification.
What do students say about the course?
“I like this class a lot, it helps us with Illustrator, along with other editing softwares, and I will definitely use the tools I've learned how to use in the future.”
“In this class, I really appreciate the structured and thought out assignments, interactive class activities, and lively atmosphere. I'm learning a lot of helpful tools that add to my capability to be flexible and knowledgeable.”
“I think this class provides really universal skills that can be applied to multiple fields, especially as our world becomes more and more technologically advanced.”
“I think this class is very fun and peaceful, and I like how the assignments you can do on your own time. Another thing is that it takes time to learn and memorize all of the keys, it takes tons of practice but is worth it in the end!”
This course builds on student design and development skills by focusing on longer print production projects as well as more in-depth content and advanced techniques for graphics and layout development. Students continue to produce rich print communications as they focus on effective graphic design, project management, design specifications, and iterative development. Students develop graphic design and print production skills that solve specific communication challenges to meet client and audience needs. This course is aligned to the Adobe Certified Associate InDesign certification, and also integrates Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator skills.
What do students say about the course?
“Adobe Visual Design II is a class that has really helped me develop my creative skills and fueled my desire to pursue creative design.”
“I really enjoy Adobe Visual Design! Going into the course, I had zero experience with any Adobe software. I am in my second year now, and I have really enjoyed the course! The class projects have a lot of freedom. The grades are also decided on whether or not you complete the requirements, not about how good your design looks, so anyone new to the software can easily learn.”
“Adobe Visual Design is a great free spirited class that encourages personal creativity through a more hands of approach to design. It is a great class for those who wish to learn about the adobe suite of programs as well as those who want to bolster their own creativity.”
This course focuses on the digital aspects of advertising and design in the current digital world. Knowledge needed in this area requires students to understand the basic concepts and procedures learned in either Adobe Visual Design or previously offered graphic design courses. Students learn more in-depth knowledge of the Adobe programs and demonstrate creativity skills in making portfolio projects. Students also learn job ready industry skills and are paired with industry guest speakers and officials.
What do students say about the course?
“I enjoyed the teacher's style of teaching—it was very hands-on and I learned a lot about directing my creative energy in a productive way.”
“Advertising & Design was the perfect course to take in my Graphic Design pathway. The class took the foundational design principles I learned in previous courses to the next level, even designing marketing and branding material for actual organizations.”
“After taking Advertising & Design, I have a clear idea of what creative design profession I want to do in college. The class really helped me gain experience in the design industry, and I definitely learned skills I'll use years from now.”
The Advanced Studies course augments the content of previous courses and prepare students for success in transitioning to postsecondary education and future careers. Students work under the guidance of a teacher with expertise in the content of previous coursesin collaboration with community members, business representatives, and other school-based personnel. The four parts of the course include writing a research paper, producing a product, developing a portfolio, and delivering a presentation. Students apply 21st-century skills to solve real-world challenges, showcasing their creativity, collaboration, and technical expertise. Competitive events, community service, and leadership activities provide the opportunity to apply essential standards and workplace readiness skills through authentic experiences.
Photos Coming Soon!
What do students say about the course?
"Advanced Studies provided me with great insight into how design could be used in a professional career setting. The internship opportunities it provided were very beneficial in determining what career path I wanted to pursure and the way the class meshes with ACD is very beneficial to anyone pursuing the arts. I would recommend Advanced Studies for any seniors who are passionate about design."