Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design

Prospective Bachelor of Design and Design Studies students, alongside students enrolled in the CS+DES program, share in the Foundations Program experience—an intensive studio-based curriculum introducing techniques in form-making and conceptual visualization.

The year’s courses develop a student’s manual skills and proficiency with digital technology. Through exposure to design practice, design culture, and critical observation, students experience Chicago as a global design center.

Studio courses organized by Foundation Studio Coordinators, who are members of our full-time faculty, rapidly immerse first-year students into the processes of design. Foundation studio courses are taught by professional designers from within our faculty and from the Chicago design community. Courses in two- and three-dimensional form-making, analog and digital visualization, interactive media, and color theory provide the basis for entry into a BDes or BA program.

Courses leading to a BDes or BA degree depend on successful completion of the first-year program. For this reason, the UIC School of Design is not able to accept transfer credit for design courses from other institutions. Students completing the Foundations Program undergo a portfolio review by departmental faculty in consideration for a place in one of the major areas of study.

Click here for more information on the Foundations Program and the Foundation Review.

The second year of the BDes Graphic Design program begins with immersion into the aesthetics, mechanics, and systems of arranging type. Advanced work in form- and image-making builds awareness. Projects in user-interface design and web-based publishing teach students to introduce motion into their work. Students execute type-based communications, design symbols, complete a work in motion graphics and design, and develop a personal website.

DES208 TYPOGRAPHY: FORM provides an introduction to the aesthetics and mechanics of typographic form and usage. Students gain an understanding of measurement systems; learn recognition and classification; and explore alignment, hierarchy and legibility.

DES209 TYPOGRAPHY II: SYSTEMS introduces systematic properties of typography and visual order in the context of graphic design practice. Students explore connections between material and immaterial space in typographic systems and are introduced to micro and macro typographic patterns in print and digitally.

DES220 FORM AND IMAGE STUDIO introduces principles of creation, comparison and sequencing of symbols, letterforms, and images. Students create graphic symbols, utilize symbols as compositional elements, and develop layout strategies combining graphic and typographic forms.

DES250 DIGITAL MEDIA DESIGN II: INTERACTIVITY expands basic principles of interaction design through an introduction to user-interface design and dynamic web-based publishing. Students use web-based software and development tools to create an interactive design work.

DES251 DIGITAL MEDIA DESIGN III: MOTION introduces narrative and storytelling through motion. Students expand digital literacy into narrative-sequence planning, the animation design process, and multimedia technologies.

The third-year Graphic Design curriculum orients toward an increasing complexity and deeper understanding of typography with a shift toward experimentation and personal expression. New media–design coursework focuses on combining multiple tools and technologies for interactive and online formats. In addition to studio courses in typography and dynamic media, students are enrolled in a yearlong history of design sequence.

DES235 HISTORY OF DESIGN I surveys the history of design in Europe and the United States from the mid eighteenth century to about 1925. After taking this course, students will be able to identify and discuss key figures, events, and trends in the history of modern design; analyze objects and primary source materials to determine their historical significance as well as their relevance for contemporary issues; and compose clear and concise arguments for written, spoken, and “designed” communication.

DES236 HISTORY OF DESIGN II surveys the history of contemporary design from various historical, methodological, and theoretical perspectives. Covering a wide range of fields, including art, architecture, and interior design, as well as industrial and graphic design, this course considers objects as indices of the larger cultural, economic, and political forces that have shaped the history of modern design.

DES318 TYPOGRAPHY III: DIMENSION explores physical dimensions of typography as a medium and resource in graphic design.

DES319 TYPOGRAPHY IV: EXPRESSION is an advanced design studio course that explores typographic form and expression. Students engage in textural investigations of typographic form and expression with an emphasis on composition (contrast, rhythm, tension), non-linearity, visual argumentation, dimensions, and the interplay between digital and analog operations. 

DES350 NEW MEDIA DESIGN IV: ADVANCED INTERACTIVITY provides advanced instruction in interactive design with emphasis on web-based applications. Students work in the realm of digital publishing as they gain an understanding for the relationship of design and content in dynamic media. 

In the fourth and final year, studio courses take two distinct paths to applying acquired knowledge: personal and professional. The Graphic Design thesis is a yearlong investigation into a guided but self-directed project that may encompass multi-media implementation. The professional practice track provides students an opportunity to select from yearlong course offerings based on individual interests and project options offered by design studio faculty.

DES480/481 GRAPHIC DESIGN THESIS offers senior graphic design students the opportunity to  initiate and frame a complex design project, clarifying individual interests and strengths as they relate to professional their aspirations. Students determine the final form of their thesis project, which is exhibited in the UIC Design Year End Show.

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE CAPSTONE frames a set of design problems, often sponsored by commercial or cultural organizations, that ask students to develop strong creative solutions in the context of real-world constraints. Emphasis is on teamwork and client interaction. 

Each year the School of Design offers Professional Practice courses with changing topics. Courses are open to seniors in Graphic Design and Industrial Design and often include faculty and students from other UIC departments. Past examples include:

DES420 MOBILE APP DESIGN / MAD offers students the opportunity to work in collaboration with faculty and classmates to design and develop a mobile app for a smartphone or tablet. Involves screen-based typography, visual and interactive design, motion graphics, and development considerations.

DES430 INTERDISCIPLINARY PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT / IPD integrates industrial design, graphic design, business, and engineering students and faculty to develop product/brand concepts for a leading consumer products company. Past clients include Motorola, Coinstar, Cobra Electronics, Dell, Cricket Wireless, and Whirlpool Global Consumer Design. 

DES430 BIO-ENGINEERING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT / BIO is a variation of IPD, which includes bio-engineers and focuses on product development at the crossroads of design, biology, and engineering: products for medical applications, medical imaging, and healthcare product and service design. 

DES430 ENTREPRENEURIAL PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT / EPD engages students who are interested in entrepreneurial approaches to design. The first semester covers product venturing—getting products manufactured and making them available for sale. The second semester covers licensing—developing and communicating new product ideas for others to bring to market. The course does not cover how students can become freelance designers or start their own design consultancy.

DES440 DESIGN THINKING AND LEADERSHIP / DTL gives students the opportunity to work together in teams on a large-scale project concerned with the development of a visual identity for a participating client organization. A research and systems-based approach develops context, concept, and design documentation for client presentations. 

DES452 INFORMATION AESTHETICS / INFO introduces students to information visualization and programming in the context of art and design. It is a project-oriented course that uses computer code and custom software for information analysis, representation, and creative expression.