Graphic Design

NJ CIP CODE: 50.0409

OUR MISSION

To provide school to college or school to career preparation for careers of Graphic Design through a core curriculum centered around technical skills, design process, and the principles and elements of art. This program offers opportunity to earn college credit and relevant field experience.

OUR GOALS

  1. Assist in achieving the Graphic Design work-force needs of the State
  2. Promote the concept of Graphic Design as essential to all field, organizations, and industries
  3. Assist in creating a work force in this field that has ethnic and gender diversity
  4. Promote a broadly trained worker who will meet the needs for future new projects in Graphic Design.
  5. Provide students with a strong foundation in art, design, and computer program as related to Graphic Design.
  6. Enhance quality high school to college articulation.

The Course Sequence

1) Computer Graphics I

This Graphic Design course emphasizes design elements and principals of design that are used by commercial artists in order to communicate a message. This is a project-based instructional program where students work on Art projects such as advertisements, product designs, and identity symbols. One of the main foci of this program will be the study of professional graphic designers and the influence/impact of their work on the culture. Students will be exposed to a variety of industry grade programs including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign.

2) Computer Graphics II

This course builds upon the skills learned in Computer Graphics II and prepares students for the third course in the sequence. Students will be expected to earn a significant level of proficiency with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe InDesign.

3) Computer Graphics III

This class will be a third level advanced class, working with Illustrator & Photoshop on assignments that continue to show advanced styles and effects that may be seen in advertising, magazines, commercials, games, internet, etc. The class will also incorporate more of the design/printing processes that are part of design, which will teach cost, limitations on designs as well as budget savings. Part of the printing curriculum will also include learning how to use the banner/color printers.

OR

3) Advertising Design

Advertising Design is a 3rd course in our Graphic Design sequence. The course is intended to give students real-world experience working as a Graphic Designer and taking projects from inception through completion. The Advertising Design class will focus on branding our school district by creating graphics, logos, and designs intended for district brochures, posters, our website, social media outlets, and more. Additionally, the Advertising Design class will take requests from teams and school groups that need designs (e.g. redesigning the facade of the school store with a fresh graphic/logo or helping to create new uniforms/coloring and logos for the tennis team). Although the projects in the class will vary from year to year based on the demand and needs of the district, the one constant each year will be the production of the high school yearbook. The yearbook design and production will continue over the course of the year and it will be the responsibility of the students in the class to not only research and complete the details of the book from content to layout, but also to market and sell the book as a real-life business model which will prepare them for future jobs in the industry.

The CTSO

SkillsUSA

SkillsUSA is a partnership of students, teachers, and industry working together to ensure America has a skilled workforce. SkillsUSA's mission is to empower its members to become world-class workers, leaders, and responsible American citizens.

www.skillsusa.org

Articulation Agreements

Sussex County Community College (6 total credits)

Computer Graphics I.................................Vector Graphics: GRAD105 (3 credits)

Computer Graphics II..............................Imagery and Editing: GRAD128 (3 credits)

Savannah College of Art and Design

Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is more of the nation's most elite colleges for art. Through our partnership with SCAD our students in Graphic Design will have the opportunity to have their professional portfolios reviewed twice a year by a SCAD faculty member to increase their chances of being accepted into the school. Additionally, students may have the opportunity to "portfolio out" of several first level classes upon their acceptance.

Structured Learning Experience

Job Shadow: During the second half of Computer Graphics I (the first course in the sequence) students will have the opportunity job shadow in the areas of Graphic Design. Opportunities are available at Wilcox Press -- a local company that works in Graphic Design and publication or at The National Winter Activity Center. Students will observe the ins and outs of the business from the design process to budgeting, printing, proofing, and customer relations.

Volunteer: While enrolled in Computer Graphics II, students will each need to sign up for 10 volunteer hours after school to work with the District's Director of Special Projects, Assistant Superintendent, and Superintendent to complete in-house Graphic Designs for use by the District on our brochures, print ads, websites, posters, and social media, as well as for sports teams and clubs.

Internship: Mountain Creek and The National Winter Activity Center has committed to offering our students the opportunity to intern with their area of concentration. Students will each have the opportunity interview for the paid internship, however, their employment in not guaranteed.

School-Based Enterprise: During Advertising Design students will be creating the layout, distribution, and publication for the school yearbook. This class will be run as a business model giving students real-life work experience in the field of Graphic Design.

Third Party Assessment

Visual Communication and Multi-media Design #3425-- NOCTI exam (administered at the end of the third course)

Students may also opt to sit for an Adobe assessment, administered online through Certiport, in Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, and/or Adobe Illustrator. Successful completion of these exams leads to industry certification.