Classes

Design Conception
School of Visual Arts MFA Design
In this course, students will build essential skills required for the conception and development of their thesis. This will be an intensive where students explore what is personally significant to them, examine industries and research social organizations towards the goal of developing thesis concepts. Throughout the course, students will grow lateral thinking skills, generate ideas and test their assumptions. The goal is for each student to have a fundamentally sound concept to be further developed during second year.

The Feeling of Design
School of Visual Arts Course
Check for availability here

How does design create feeling and tone? When clients ask for a project to look a certain way (modern, fun, historic, confident, professional, etc.) how does a designer understand that and then achieve it? This course addresses graphic design as a tonal and atmospheric whole. We will build upon an understanding of the individual elements of design: typography, composition, color, image usage, etc., and examine how-together-an emotional or intellectual tone is created. This course is structured on weekly assignments that begin with singular tones, and move quickly into multi-tonal and more complex projects. We will discuss visual perception, meaning-making, amplification, the idea of counterpoint and the significance of genre. Assignments will range in topic and form, all with the goal of improving our methodology and execution as visual designers. Students will develop an understanding of how to create a desired feeling in design through specific visual decision-making.

Offered through School of Visual Arts in Fall and Winter Sessions.
 

Student Feedback

"Take this class! I took Sue Walsh for The Feeling of Design and she really ignited my passion for the design. She goes beyond the call of duty to ensure her students succeed. The class is project-based, and the projects are creative and challenging. I walked away having learned so much about current design practices and theory. Highly recommend!"

"The Feeling of Design course resonated so much with me that I'm strongly considering taking it again, it keeps my creative juices flowing!"

"Your class helped me look at design in a different way and context—not just as a series of client briefs disconnected from people's needs. My professor in my design studio class at school, which I took directly after your class, said she noticed a difference in what I was focusing on."