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Who should consider the graphic arts/printing program at MCC? Graduating high-school students with a desire to pursue a career or a four year degree in the graphic arts. Designers who are looking to refresh and/or upgrade their skills.
"Distilled, design is the art of visual communication."
What is graphic design? Although part of a designer's responsibility is the "style" or the "look," this is far less important than the idea used to deliver a message.
What does a graphic designer do? The designer's job is to identify and solve problems visually. Designers research, experience and explore. Designers consider options, sketch ideas and finalize solutions. Traditionally designers work in two dimensions although some work in three. Some of the skills a designer develops are the basic tools, principles and application of drawing, 2D and 3D. Creative thinking skills are a plus. Computer skills are a necessary evil. History, English, science and math, like peas, sometimes taste bad, but they are an essential part of a healthy diet.
What is good design? Examples of good design would be the white lines that keep us on the road at night, the FedEx logo and Shaker furniture. These examples work well because they are based on simple facts. Examples of poor design would be butterfly ballots, yellow page directories and the exit and enter signs of most establishments. These examples don't work well because they are based on myth and assumption.
Vision is our master sense, our primary means of perception and comprehension. We live in a highly visual world filled with images in which the processes of design, communication, and perception are entwined. What may appear as elusive and arbitrary is actually a very deliberate act with a distinct methodology. Therefore ...
"Design is a paradox."
Designers see the world differently, with a preciseness the common man does not. It is our goal to create visually literate students who will recognize the vast purposes and functions of visual communications by learning to analyze and conceptulalize information in a visual world. Our focus is on the exploration of design theory through problems in design aesthetics from conception to final output.
A graphic designer uses symbolism, typography, illustration and photography in any combination necessary to create visual communication with meaning and significance. Unlike a fine artist, the graphic designer must produce a product for a specific consumer. The visual communication that is created must meet specific goals for a specific audience. To do this successfully the designer must understand the entire process from first ideas to the finished product.
"Process is Important... "
...in today's digital environment. So the designer must always wear two hats. One that is creative and is focused on aesthetic issues, and one that is practical and is focused on technical and production issues. Once the entire process is understood then the designer is free to be creative knowing that whatever he/she creates can be produced within the parameters of that specific job.
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