Consult the breadth requirements to see how many options you need to take for the Bachelor of Design.
Select from the following option courses. Not all option courses are offered each term or year.
DESN 200 - Drawing for Illustration
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Students explore the communicative potential of illustration as a visual medium. The human figure, natural and manufactured forms are rendered through traditional illustration techniques. Through creative, aesthetic and expressive choices, students are challenged to resolve the illustration of visual concepts. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 203. |
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DESN 250 - Introduction to Photography
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Using a DSLR camera and accessories, students explore photography as a tool of communication. Through the practice of photographic techniques, students develop the photographer’s sensibilities for composition, exposure, lighting and camera operation. Creative decisions, both technical and aesthetic, are emphasized. Master photographers are studied to inspire and develop a critical vocabulary. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 120 and DESN 150. |
|
DESN 260 - Introduction to Video
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This course introduces the communicative possibilities of video, focusing on creative vision, acquisition, and editing. Students engage in the creative process, produce short video projects, and learn how to creatively utilize video assets. Students will explore how audio and visual editing techniques influence the message and viewer perception. |
| Prerequisites: N/A |
|
DESN 261 - Motion Graphics I
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Students create visual narratives with motion typography and animation. The principles of motion, time, colour, sound and space are explored as students learn to apply the tools and techniques of the motion graphics designer to creative animated visual sequences. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 131 and DESN 260. |
|
DESN 295 - Field Placement
| Hours:0:0:105 |
Credits:0 |
| The opportunity to establish working relationships and observe the real-world workplace is central to this course as students experience the pace and demands of a design agency or communications department. Working under the supervision of a professional practicing designer, students apply the skills learned in course work and demonstrate the techniques, methods and problem solving expected of a professional designer. NOTE: Students cannot obtain credit in both DESN 295 and DESN 391. |
| Prerequisites: Minimum grade of B- in DESN 231, DESN 240, and DESN 310. |
|
DESN 300 - Illustration Techniques
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Students develop the technical, conceptual and expressive illustration skills to design, prepare and produce illustration work for commercial outcomes. The history, use and trends in hand-rendered and digital illustrative design are also explored as students experiment with a wide range of media and stylistic techniques. Study, practice and assignments focus on the development of illustration concepts and principles of composition. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 200. |
|
DESN 314 - Environmental Graphic Design
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This studio course introduces students to graphic design principles and practices specific to the design of informational and directional graphics for the built environment. Students engage in a mix of theoretical and practical production activities to develop critical and applied understanding of graphic design for three dimensional application. With an emphasis on wayfinding and place making, students design effective solutions that consider form and user experience as it relates to information, environment and cultural context. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 310. |
|
DESN 315 - Visual Narrative and Storytelling
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| The focus of this course is the exploration of visual narrative forms and their role in visual storytelling. Contemporary visual narrative theories guide student projects as they explore and discuss their effect on storytelling. Students stretch their image-making and design abilities to tell dynamic stories in visual form, while choosing appropriate media, narrative structure, pace, rhythm and sound, in order to elicit an emotion in the viewer. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 310. |
|
DESN 316 - Branded Environments
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This course explores brand identity when it is visually and spatially applied to the built environment. Students extend the audience's experience of a brand into three dimensions through the use of visual and sensory cues, including environmental graphics, signage, identity systems and finish materials selection. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 311. |
|
DESN 317 - Publication Design
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| In this advanced course, students examine and compare the anatomy and overall design characteristics of editorial publications, catalogues, and books with a focus on audience, style, format and organization. Students experience the publication process, from initial client meetings to final production. Working alone and in teams, students develop and defend solutions that address the communication needs of these varied publication types, while planning and adhering to industry standards of production workflow. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 220, DESN 231 and DESN 310. |
|
DESN 318 - Advertising Design I
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| In this course students focus on marketing and advertising design principles in the studio environment. Importance is placed on process, analysis, and the development of creative solutions. The advertising message, formats for common ad copy, and production methods are considered as students design several advertising campaigns. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 311. |
|
DESN 331 - Typography III
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This course provides students with an in-depth study of typography as an essential component of visual communication design. Complex content, grid systems, and advanced typographic systems are put into practice in increasingly sophisticated multi-page publications for a variety of formats and media. These advanced projects include proposal writing, research, documentation of process and findings, and verbal presentation of final work. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 231. |
|
DESN 342 - User Experience Design Theory, Methods and Issues I
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Students learn how to strengthen their interface design decisions by using participatory research and testing methods, interaction and usability theories. Research methods are explored by learning their benefits, context of usage, implementation techniques and data analysis strategies. Informed by the findings of this research, students design a digital product from strategy to high-fidelity visual prototype. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 240 or CMPT 250. |
|
DESN 344 - Interaction Design I
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Designers wireframe and prototype software applications (apps) and other high interactivity digital products using the latest industry tools. Students learn how to turn a user's needs into product concepts, task flow diagrams, wireframes and finally high-fidelity prototypes. Projects require skills of typography, information design and knowledge of user experience and interaction design principles. Note: Students cannot obtain credit in both DESN 344 and DESN 241. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 131, DESN 205 and DESN 240. |
|
DESN 350 - Photo Lighting, Production, and Styling
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
Students explore lighting, production and styling within the context of advertising and editorial photography as an integral component of visual communication in design. Students build upon prior courses to employ creative process and advanced camera techniques in the creation of compelling photographic imagery. Note:
Students cannot receive credit in both DESN 350 and DESN 251. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 250. |
|
DESN 352 - Image Manipulation and Post-Production
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Students use image manipulation and post-production techniques to influence the communicative impact of an image. Industry standard software is used to create, process, and modify images that effectively responds to a creative brief. Note: Students cannot receive credit in both DESN 352 and DESN 252. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 250. |
|
DESN 361 - Motion Graphics II
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This course examines advanced topics and practices in motion graphics production. Students explore the communicative potential of motion graphics in a project-based context. There is special emphasis on concept development, asset management and motion branding. Students also explore animation techniques including code-driven animation. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 261. |
|
DESN 393 - Multi-disciplinary VCD Studio
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Students from related disciplines (Arts and Cultural Management, Communication Studies, Business, etc.) form teams with design students to work on a project. Each team must identify a problem, complete research about the problem, interview stakeholders and potential audience, identify constraints and opportunities, create communications plans, design mockups for possible solutions, evaluation solutions, and possibly execute the solution based on the mockup evaluations. Students will be expected to manage their own project using project management skills taught in previous courses. |
| Prerequisites: Minimum grade of B- in DESN 240, DESN 310 and DESN 311. |
|
DESN 395 - Internship
| Hours:0:0:290 |
Credits:3 |
| Students complete a full-time, eight-week supervised workplace learning experience where they apply and test their design skills and knowledge. The opportunity to establish working relationships and observe the real-world workplace is central to this course as students experience the pace and demands of a design agency, in-house communications shop or related department. Working under the supervision of a professional practicing designer, students apply the skills learned in course work and demonstrate the techniques, methods and problem solving expected of a professional designer. |
| Prerequisites: Minimum B- in DESN 290, DESN 310 and DESN 311. |
|
DESN 400 - Applied Illustration
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Students apply techniques and strategies from previous illustration courses to address particular client needs using process and methods that are unique to commercial illustration practice. Importance is placed on conceptual and expressive illustration skills to design, prepare and produce illustration work for commercial outcomes. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 300. |
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DESN 413 - Information Design II
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This course builds upon principles and methodologies introduced and developed in the previous information design course. Emphasis is placed on data visualization and allowing the student to choose an appropriate medium to deliver the end product. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 313. |
|
DESN 414 - Experiential Design
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This intra-disciplinary studio course focuses on the design of storytelling and multi-sensory experiences for cultural, commercial, and entertainment purposes in public spaces or other environments. Importance is placed on interpretive planning, design for specific audiences, the integration and manipulation of objects, and the communication of complex ideas in the built environment is explored. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 314. |
|
DESN 417 - Book Design
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| In this advanced course, students explore traditional, non-traditional, and digital book forms. Students will experience the process of book creation at all stages of development, ending with a final product that will be self-published, either in print or in online formats. There is a special emphasis on format, layout, and typography; concept development; and the adherence to industry standard practices of production. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 317. |
|
DESN 418 - Advertising Design II
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This course focuses on the development of comprehensive advertising campaigns that incorporate both traditional and non-traditional approaches such as social media and viral and guerrilla marketing to advertising design and communications. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 318. |
|
DESN 440 - Web Design & Development II
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This is the capstone course for students focusing on website design. All technical skills, usability theories, information architecture concepts and research methods learned in previous courses are combined and put into practice. An emphasis on Content Management Systems (CMS) and HTML/CSS frameworks offers students insight into how the majority of websites are deployed on the internet. NOTE: Student cannot obtain credit in both DESN 440 and DESN 343. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 340. |
|
DESN 442 - User Experience Design Theory, Methods and Issues II
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
This course challenges students to explore and contextualize their work in the digital interaction space. Students will investigate contemporary user experience design topics, such as: service design, information interaction, big data, internet of things, social media, and privacy. This will be done through readings and discussion then incorporating this knowledge into practical projects. These projects will require students to use theory, methods and skills from previous user experience design courses. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 342. |
|
DESN 443 - Multi-disciplinary UXD Studio
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Students from multiple disciplines (user experience design, computing science, business, etc.) form teams to work on a project. Each team must identify a problem, complete research about the problem, interview stakeholders and potential end-users, identify constraints and opportunities, design prototypes for possible solutions, evaluate prototypes, and build the solution based on the prototype evaluations. Students will be expected to manage their own project using the project management skills taught in previous courses. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 342 and DESN 344. |
|
DESN 444 - Interaction Design II
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| Building upon skills and methods from Interaction Design I, students learn how to design experiences and interfaces for apps that will be delivered using various form factors: mobile, tablet, desktop, wearable, virtual. Projects are more open-ended and require students to be problem identifiers not just problems solvers, using startup or design entrepreneurship theory and best practices. Note: Students cannot obtain credit in both DESN 444 and DESN 341. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 344. |
|
DESN 445 - User Experience Design Capstone
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This is a capstone course where students demonstrate proficiency in the different subject areas taught throughout the user experience design pathway. Students conduct a self-directed open-ended term project. Making use of their knowledge and skills gained from all previous courses students explore, discover, research, define a problem and prototype and evaluate possible solutions. Emphasis is on the overall experience, where each touch point provides an integrated solution for the end user and client. These projects will involve real stakeholders, whether with partners in the University, a non-profit organization, industry partner or faculty-led research initiatives. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 440, DESN 443 and DESN 444. |
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DESN 485 - Special Topics in the Design Field
| Hours:30:30:0 |
Credits:3 |
| This advanced course provides an opportunity of an in-depth study of special topics and current issues in visual communication design. The topic for the course varies year to year and is announced prior to registration. Specific prerequisites for each topic are also specified, and students are advised to check the descriptions prior to requesting permission from the Chair. |
| Prerequisites: DESN 240, DESN 310 and DESN 380. |
|
DESN 486 - Individual Study
| Hours:0:0:15 |
Credits:3 |
| This individual study course provides senior students with an opportunity to explore a design topic in greater detail than in any currently offered design courses. The student works in consultation with and under the supervision of a member of the department with the requisite expertise. An individual study course includes directed reading and literature search, and/or field or applied design research. Students may opt to execute a design project proposed through a prior independent study course or Studio. Note: This course may be taken twice for credit. Prior to enrollment, the student must submit a description of a project and obtain signed authorization from a supervising professor. |
| Prerequisites: 60 credits of DESN coursework including DESN 380. |
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