Nicole Roberts MFA Thesis Visual Component Artwork - Savannah ...

Unlike any other major of study, graphic design 

education is riddled with countless inconsistencies, from 

the trade schools to the liberal art colleges; from the 

independent art schools to the university departments 

of design. National academic accreditation is not in 

demand and professional certification does not exist. 

Realistically, a student’s performance in the 

professional workplace upon graduation is the only 

measurable indicator as to the qualitative success 

of pedagogical practices. One of the primary goals 

for graphic design curricula is to prepare students 

for success in today's professional workplace. 

However, with vast curricular variables and 

ever-evolving technological advances, students 

are left with an opaque definition of what 

it truly means to ‘meet industry standards.’ 

Changing Graphic Design Pedagogy seeks to 

clarify this definition by providing a consistent 

criterion of professional expectations. 

CHANGING GRAPHIC DESIGN PEDAGOGY 

scad-atlanta 2010 

MFA THESIS 

a master OF 

fine arts thesis by 

NICOLE R. ROBERTS 

With surveys from leading designers, 

professionals, educators, and students, Changing 

Graphic Design Pedagogy provides diverse, informative 

perspectives that highlight opportunities and formulate 

solutions to better prepare students for the heightened 

demands of the twenty-first century workplace. 


Educator Objectives 

Student Realities 

Professional Expectations 

for the 

21 ST Century 

Wor k p l ace

CHANGING 

GRAPHIC 

DESIGN 

PEDAGOGY 

a master of fine arts thesis by 


i

© 2010 

Nicole R. Roberts 

nrober24@student.scad.edu 

Savannah College of Art & Design 

Atlanta, Georgia 

All Rights Reserved 

Special thanks to: 

Barry Roseman, Thesis Committee Chair 

Liset Robinson, Topic Consultant 

Stephanie Batcos, Editor 

Peter Wong, Advisor 

and participants of the research survey 

ii

Design is one of the most perplexing pursuits in 

which to excel, yet as a profession it is relatively 

easy to enter. It requires no accreditation, no 

authorization from official institutions. There is no 

set body of knowledge that must be mastered by 

the practitioners. [Regardless] the designer must 

contend with encyclopedic amounts of information, 

not limited to any particular idea or form. 

Paul Rand 

iii

contents 

Abstract .................................................................................... 1 

Introduction ............................................................................... 2 

Fundamental Skills ..................................................................... 6 

Creativity .................................................................................. 10 

Craft & Technique ..................................................................... 14 

Design Discourse ...................................................................... 18 

Dexterity in Digital Media ......................................................... 22 

Multi-Disciplinary Approach ...................................................... 28 

Innovative Business Strategies .................................................... 34 

Social Responsibility ................................................................. 40 

Visualizing Curricular Concepts ................................................. 46 

Conclusion ............................................................................... 62 

Bibliography ............................................................................ 64 

About the Author ...................................................................... 67 

About Survey Participants ......................................................... 68 

v

Craft continues to be a big part of 

design today, but what’s changing 

is the movement outward. Design 

is becoming less inwardly directed 

and more socially directed. 

Ellen Lupton 

vi

abstract 

Leading professionals learn to adapt quickly as technology 

and globalization continue to change how we consume 

graphic design. All too frequently, it is the collegiate 

design schools that are slow to respond to this continuous 

learning curve. Unlike any other major of study, graphic 

design education is riddled with countless variables and 

lacking professional certification to ensure the proficiency 

of its graduates. Realistically, a student’s performance 

in the professional workplace upon graduation is the 

only measurable indicator as to the qualitative success of 

pedagogical practices. Expectations of new graduates are 

defined by leading professionals in terms of (1) creativity, 

(2) craft and technique, (3) design discourse, (4) digital 

media, (5) multi-disciplinary approaches, (6) innovative 

business strategies, and (7) social responsibility. By aligning 

professional expectations with student realities, educators 

will be able to better visualize current curricular objectives 

and initiate an informed future of pedagogical change that 

ensures more competent graduates for the twenty-first 

century workplace. 

1

introduction 

The curriculum for the Bauhaus 

School in Weimar, Germany 

combined coursework derived 

from architectural programs, crafts 

schools, and academies of the arts. 

2

introduction 

Since William A. Dwiggins first coined it in 1922, the term ‘graphic design’ has 

witnessed a definitive expansion from its origins of exclusively printed communications. 

Its perception has evolved from a mere craftsman’s trade to a multifarious “professional 

craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force.” 1 How we perceive design has evolved 

in tandem with the expeditious advancements in communicative technology and the 

globalization of business in a continual expansion. Twenty-first century graphic design 

is no longer a luxury commissioned by billion dollar conglomerations, or exclusively 

found tucked away in highbrow museum galleries. Design is now a household term 

for the average consumer, however loosely understood. With this increased public 

awareness comes increased public demand. Leading professionals learn to adapt quickly 

in the field, continually learning and implementing new methods and technologies as 

consumer demands arise. All too frequently, it is the collegiate design schools that are 

slow to respond to this continuous learning curve. Some progressive graphic design 

departments revisit their curricula often to incorporate new industry advancements, while 

others stumble upon the politics of academia, preventing their good intentions of timely 

refinement. Many hold fast to the form-based Bauhaus teachings, while others embrace 

the complex postmodern concepts and tools of what is now termed the “information era.” 

Proactive educators learn new software and have begun to reinvent the balance of teaching 

technical skills with teaching critical thinking. 2 Graphic design historian – Philip Meggs 

denounces, “While many schools are busy manipulating form, the profession is busy 

manipulating minds. American design education has drifted toward European modernism, 

while American graphic design has maintained a pluralistic pragmatism. Students often 

suffer an intense culture shock after graduation, for they have been taught to be form 

manipulators, while the profession demands that they become message makers.” 3 

1 AIGA: The Professional Association for 

Design, “About AIGA,” AIGA, http:// 

www.aiga.org/content.cfm/about-aiga 

(accessed January 31, 2010). 

2 Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips, 

Graphic Design: The New Basics 

(New York, NY: Princeton Architectural 

Press, 2008), 5. 

3 Philip Meggs, “Pedagogy vs. the Real 

World,” from AIGA Journal of Graphic 

Design, vol. 4, no. 1, 1986, in Meggs: 

Making Graphic Design History, ed. 

Rob Carter, Libby Meggs, and Sandra 

Wheeler (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & 

Sons, Inc., 2008), 75. 

3

introduction 

The dichotomy Meggs describes is evident within many of today’s new graduates. 

Their shortcomings are the result of an intrinsic design school struggle between 

the development of experimental creativity and critical thinking versus the need to 

concurrently prepare students for practical clientele and real-world workplace limitations. 

Defining a universal solution is complex, as graphic design education is laden with 

variables unlike any other major of study. Discrepancies in pedagogical practice are 

accepted, with no professional certification to validate its graduates, or to definitively 

validate the outcome of the school’s curriculum itself. Unlike graphic design’s neighboring 

disciplines of interior design and architecture, laymen proficient in certain software are 

able to easily self-impose the title – graphic designer. Paul Rand often made reference to the 

misalignments from pedagogy to practice, “Design is one of the most perplexing pursuits in 

which to excel, yet as a profession it is relatively easy to enter. It requires no accreditation, 

no authorization from official institutions. There is no set body of knowledge that must be 

mastered by the practitioners. [Regardless] the designer must contend with encyclopedic 

amounts of information, not limited to any particular idea or form.” 4 

The inconsistencies are apparent from the community trade schools to the liberal art 

colleges, from the independent art schools to the university departments of design. Graphic 

design education has continued to be diversely interpreted into multiple configurations 

throughout the country. National academic accreditation is not demanded, and many 

schools align their curricular updates with differing regional standards. In order to bridge 

these gaps – three initiatives must commence. First, graphic design educators and collegiate 

administration must mandate consistent student portfolio reviews. Second, industry 

professionals must unite to prescribe a national certification program that ensures those 

who claim to have gained a professional graphic design education truly meet industry 

expectations. And third, if objectives of collegiate design programs are to comprehensively 

prepare students for success in the professional workplace, there must be a consistent 

criterion established of what it means to truly meet industry expectations. Without 

this paradigm, graphic design education as a whole is left with an opaque definition 

of professional expectations for the twenty-first century workplace – a definition the 

subsequent study seeks to clarify. 

4 Paul Rand, Design, Form, and Chaos 

(New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 

1993), 15. 

4

INTrODUCtiON 

Currently, a student’s competency in the professional field upon graduation is the main 

and potentially only measurable indicator as to the qualitative success of one’s design 

education. In this vein, the expectations of today’s industry practitioners become paramount 

to the objectives of graphic design pedagogy. And with today’s heightened public perception of 

design, it is becoming even more imperative to relay to students exactly what will be expected 

of them upon entering into the competitive twenty-first century workplace, as measured by 

today’s leading graphic design professionals. In this quest for a comprehensive set of industry 

expectations, a medley of perspectives becomes applicable from the realities of current or newly 

graduated design students, to the views from design educators within noteworthy schools and 

leading design professionals actively working in the field. Amongst the variant professional and 

educational perspectives surveyed arose three over-arching educational tenets: fundamental 

skills; new modalities, methods, and media; and parallel principles of business. Their categorical 

tenets ultimately served to define seven essential expectations of new graduates entering into 

the twenty-first century workplace: (1) creativity, (2) craft and technique, (3) design discourse, 

(4) digital media, (5) multi-disciplinary approaches, (6) innovative business strategies, and (7) 

social responsibility. By defining today’s leading professional expectations, we create an informed 

module of evaluation for how well current graphic design pedagogies are (or are not) preparing 

students for the workplace of today. History has proven that graphic design is a profession that 

will continue to grow and transform through time, thus changing the way it is taught along the 

way is an inevitable requisite. These expectations combine to provide a present-day barometer 

to better visualize current curricular priorities and pitfalls and to evoke an informed future of 

pedagogical change. 

We teach students to experiment, we teach 

them to produce, we teach them methods 

that will get them good jobs. Graphic design 

education indeed, graphic design practice, 

requires an even greater intellectual rigor. 

Steven Heller 

5

fundamental skills 

5 Steven Heller and Lita Talarico, 

Design School Confidential 

(Beverly, MA: Rockport Publishers, 

2009), 8. 

Fundamental skills for a professional graphic design education are outlined in 

black and white by each accrediting institution with which the school is associated. 

Examples include regional associations like sacs (Southern Association of Colleges 

and Schools), organizations exclusive to independent colleges like aicad (Association 

of Independent Colleges of Art and Design), or the largest, nationally recognized 

association – nasad (National Association of Schools of Art and Design). nasad 

has worked in tandem with aiga (the professional association for design) to publish 

essential competencies that undergraduate graphic design programs must address in 

their curricula. No matter where in the world the school is located, most classes teach 

the same fundamental skills and knowledge–it would be foolish to do otherwise. 5 

The criteria of accrediting associations is thorough, yet densely laced with so much 

industry jargon that it becomes almost cryptic for the pre-design student who is trying 

to choose which school to attend and why. nasad’s verbose, yet essential competencies 

can be boiled down to seven terms palpable by laymen’s standards listed below in 

alphabetical order. This abridged list of core competencies is used to survey leading 

professionals, educators, and students alike. 

6

fundamental 

skills 

Collective Cognizance 

Awareness of multiple disciplines 

with a wide range of influences 

Craft & Technique 

Proficiency of tools from hand 

sketches to computers to mock-ups 

Creativity 

The ability to brainstorm and generate 

a diversity of concepts visually 

Design Discourse 

Adept written and verbal communication 

of design, contributing astute criticism 

Portfolio 

Comprehensive and diverse professional 

display of project experience 

Process 

Knowledge of professional project 

process with documentation 

from concept to completion 

Research & Theory 

Ability to effectively analyze contemporary 

and historical data per one’s own ‘voice’ 


Your best work is your expression 

of yourself. Now, you may not be 

the greatest at it, but when you 

do it, you’re the only expert. 

Frank Gehry 

7

Which are most important to you? 

Professional 

Educator 

Student 

Collective Cognizance 

Awareness of multiple 

disciplines with a wide 

range of influences 


Proficiency of tools from 

hand sketches to computers 

to mock-ups 

Creativity 

The ability to brainstorm 

and generate a diversity 

of concepts visually 



Adept written and verbal 

communication of design, 

astute criticism 

Portfolio 

Comprehensive and diverse 

professional display of project 

experience 

Process 

Knowledge of professional 

project process with 

documentation from 

concept to completion 

Research & Theory 

Ability to effectively analyze 

contemporary and historical 

data per one’s own voice 

8


*Creativity ranks the most 

important for professionals, 

educators, and students alike. 

creativity 

is a type of learning process 

where the teacher and pupil are 

located in the same individual. 

Arthur Koestler 

9

EXPECTATION 1 | creativity 

Design requires esthetic, 

inspiration, and guts. To 

me, nothing is more vibrant 

than having the power 

to do something but not 

having the experience 

of knowing what’s right 

and what’s wrong. 

Tibor Kalman 

10

EXPECTATION 1 | creativity 

EXPECtAtiON 1 

creativity 

When a variety of leading professionals were asked 

which fundamental skill they believed to be most essential 

for today’s design workplace, the majority agreed that 

creativity is the highest expectation. In the field of design 

this expectation is basic, but the exact formula for teaching 

creative insight is widely debated. Educational philosophers 

like John Dewey would advocate that “an ideally perfect 

knowledge [of creativity] would represent such a network of 

interconnections that any past experience would offer a point 

of advantage from which to get at the problem presented in a 

new experience.” 6 Dewey’s description becomes indisputable 

upon further analysis of current graphic design curricula. 

With conceptualization and critical thinking at the forefront, 

students must posses both intuitive, aesthetic artistry in 

combination with a vast array of influences and experiences 

to inherently inform creative output. 

6 John Dewey, Democracy 

and Education: An Introduction 

to the Philosophy of Education 

(New York: The Macmillan 

Company,1916), 396. 

[For new grads] enthusiasm, optimism, 

energy, and a can do spirit are 

imperative, but ultimately the creative 

output needs to be demonstrated first. 

Connie Birdsall, Creative Director 

Lippincott 

New York, NY 

11

72 

CREATIVItY 

% of students 

worry that their 


are not strong 

enough to be 

successful in 

a professional 

workplace. 

7 Rachael Posnak, “Job Outlook: Juniors,” 

CMYK Magazine, vol. 44, July 2009, 74. 

8 Steven Heller, Education of an 

E-Designer, (NY: Allworth Press), 103. 

Along with industry professionals, both 

graphic design educators and students surveyed 

also feel as though creativity is the fundamental 

skill most emphasized within their current 

curriculum. However, upon further review, student 

insecurities became apparent; 72% of students 

surveyed claim they are not confident that their 

fundamental skills are currently strong enough 

to compete professionally. Students must realize 

that creativity is one facet of design education 

that derives predominantly from the passion and 

inspiration within themselves. Educators must 

not only teach students the constructs of critical 

thinking, but also strive to inspire them to expand 

their influences from which creativity is ignited. 

The opportunities for pedagogical change can 

be found in the framework that further peaks 

student curiosities to discover and create. This 

framework “defines the limits, but the canvas 

varies, from student to student, from time to time, 

and from technology to technology.” 8 Taking into 

account how rapidly the field of graphic design has 

and will continue to evolve, the best solution to 

instilling creativity that succeeds in the twenty-first 

century workplace is to promote the necessity for 

continuous learning. 

We’re in the ideas business, 

first and foremost. Creativity is 

not something you can switch 

on and off. You need to live it. 7 

Colin Jeffery, Creative Director/Partner 

David & Goliath 

Los Angeles, CA 

12

pORTFOLIO 

DESIGN 

DISCOURSE 

PROCESS 

CRAFT & 

TECHNIQUE 

PORTFOLIO 

CREATIVITY 

DESign 

discourse 

CREATIVITY 

craft & 

technique 

CREATIVITY 

CRAFT & 

TECHNIQUE 

PROCESS 

DESIGN 

DISCOURSE 

professional 

EXpectations 

Educator 

Objectives 

student 

proficiency 

13

EXPECTATION 2 | craft & technique 

It took me a few seconds 

to draw it, but it took me 

34 years to learn how to 

draw it in a few seconds. 

Paula Scher’s sketchbook of hand 

drawn typefaces. This Pincushion sketch 

inspired the design of an Eames chair 

for a Herman Miller charity auction. 

Paula Scher 

14


EXPECtAtiON 2 

craft & 

technique 

After creativity, craft and technique comprise the second 

fundamental skill today’s leading professionals expect from 

new design graduates. When asked what qualities his firm 

looks for in recent graduates, Colin Jeffery of David & 

Goliath advises students to, “Pay attention to the detail. 

It matters. Idea is king, but a great idea poorly executed is 

a missed opportunity. I’d rather see a great idea sketched 

up on paper than badly Photoshopped.” 9 Jeffery touches 

upon the fact that for many students, computers become a 

crutch. They are intrinsic tools that provide endless software 

opportunities to facilitate productivity. On the other hand, 

they created the need for a more technological education, 

and in certain cases diminish the attention given to skills 

of handcraft and technique. To ensure students’ success in 

today’s workplace, educators must cultivate student artistry 

both by hand and by computer. 

9 Posnak, 74. 

You have to roll up your sleeves 

and be a stonecutter before you 

can become a sculptor – command 

of craft always precedes art. 

Philip Gerard 

15


As a Project Designer, Liz Teston of asd in 

Atlanta observes, “Recent graduates often have 

tremendous computer skills that give the perception 

that they can also hand sketch, but actually many 

cannot.” This is a skill typically emphasized during 

first year foundation programs, but according to 

multiple professional testimonies, students are not 

retaining this knowledge. The deficiency of new 

graduates’ handcraft in the professional workplace 

is attributed not only to their exclusive dependency 

upon the computer, but also to the diminishing role 

of foundation studies and its inconsistent quality. 

Early design education should avoid the constructs 

of computer labs, only using them sparingly as an 

introduction to software for future use. An inadequate 

foundation curriculum yields students whose craft 

and technique are subordinate to that of the computer. 

These are the students who rush to commemorate the 

first idea that pops into their head by making it digital, 

versus taking half of the time to brainstorm numerous 

concepts with quick thumbnails by hand on paper. 

“This generally inhibits the development of ideas, 

because psychologically you tend to restrict yourself 

to what you are capable of achieving technically.” 10 

Research shows that students are not practicing 

their handcraft and technique by their own disposition. 

The solution is reminiscent of elementary math class 

when teachers admonished the old “show your work” 

adage to adolescents calculating their long division 

problems. There is validation in showing the process. 

For graphic design coursework, process books must 

be a non-negotiable expectation for each project from 

conception to completion. Ideally, process books 

are considered as a portion of the student’s grade 

at midterm and the end of the course. As educators 

emphasize and expect continual documentation of 

preliminary sketches, students will infuse the practice 

of handcraft into their permanent repertoire for 

the professional workplace. We are past the Milton 

Glaser heyday when he proclaimed, “Computers are 

to design as microwaves are to cooking.” 11 But despite 

these technological advances, it will always remain 

critical for design students to develop the skill of 

hand sketching concepts on paper. The opportunities 

for pedagogical change seem cut and dry to leading 

professionals like Mike Sloan, Partner at Lippincott 

in New York, “Schools need to pay more attention to 

hand sketching skills, not just computer skills.” 

You don’t have to give 

up your pencil when you 

switch to computer design. 

The Mac’s just another pencil! 

April Greiman 

16

Statement of the Eames Design Process 

by Charles Eames for the Louvre Show, 

“What is Design,” 1969 


10 David Dabner, Graphic Design 

School: A Foundation Course in 

the Principles and Practices of 

Graphic Design, 3rd ed. (Hoboken, NJ: 

John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2005), 56. 

11 ThinkExist.com, “Milton Glaser 

Quotes,” ThinkExist, http://thinkexist. 

com/quotes/milton_glaser/ (accessed 

January 31, 2010). 

Process is more important 

than outcome. When the 

outcome drives the process 

we will only ever go to 

where we’ve already been. 

If process drives outcome 

we may not know where 

we’re going, but we will 

know we want to be there. 

Bruce Mau 

17

Many students are competent 

designers, and some are better than 

that, but they must be equally good as 

thinkers. They must be able to research, 

analyze, critique, and write. 

Steven Heller 

EXPECTATION 3 | design discourse 

18


EXPECtAtiON 3 

design 

discourse 

Steven Heller indicates that, “In professional schools, 

the tendency is to stress craft and skills. It is a continuing 

battle to remind students that there is no poetry in skills 

alone.” 12 For that reason, it is becoming more critical than 

ever for design students develop their own informed ‘voice’ 

within the context of design – past, present, and future. 

Ben Graham, Creative Director/Principal of Turnstyle 

Design Studio in Seattle discloses, “The best candidates 

are those who have done their research well and can 

communicate why they’re qualified to work for us versus 

another firm.” Professionals like Graham reaffirm that a 

student’s articulation of design begins with the presentation 

of their own work. Unfortunately, survey results show that 

design students are not mastering this fundamental skill. 

Design discourse ranks as the number one shortcoming of 

new graduates entering today’s professional workplace. 

12 Heller, Education of an e-Designer,103. 

We [as educators] cover 

form-giving well, but our 

students need to work harder 

to develop their critical thinking 

and communication skills. 

Samantha Lawrie, Professor 

Auburn University 

Auburn, Alabama 

19

What is the most common 

of new graduates? 

Collective 

Cognizance 




Process 

Creativity 

Research 

& Theory 

Portfolio 

13 Nancy Mayer, “Putting Criticism into 

Critique,” in The Education of a Graphic 

Designer, ed. Steven Heller (New York, 

NY: Allworth Press, 2005), 98. 

14 Michael Rock, “The Designer as Author,” 

in Graphic Design Theory: Readings 

from the Field, ed. Helen Armstrong 

(New York, NY: Princeton Architectural 

Press, 2009), 114. 

20


To become adept in expressing and defending 

the conceptual content of one’s work, it is largely 

understood that students must study art and design 

history, theory, and criticism. Today’s design students 

face a disturbing disconnection between the art and 

design discourse they study, and the design discourse 

they receive in their studio critiques. Design discourse 

is largely initiated by thinking out loud. Ideally, a 

student will verbally present visual concepts to the 

class by first restating the design problem, including 

researched aspects of audience, culture, competitor 

precedents, etc. Then a student will describe 

thoroughly how each design decision fundamentally 

serves to solve said problem, from the form to the 

color selection to the typeface and imagery choices. 

The student’s peers and professor are then cognizant 

of the designer’s intentions (visually successful or 

not) and may proceed to contribute to an informed 

critique. However, far too frequently this ideal 

scenario does not occur. Many times a classroom 

critique is merely quick judgment, while truly 

informed criticism must relate to in depth inquiry. 13 

I would revamp our Intro to 

Graphic Design course to include 

more history, understanding of 

current issues and designers as 

well as the various professional 

outcomes of the profession. It 

would be more seminar and 

discourse with less projects. 

Eric Benson, Professor 

University of Illinois 

Urbana, Illinois 

This is due in part to the increased complexity 

and new technology per student project, which often 

presents a learning curve for both professor and 

student, thus chipping away essential critique time. 

It can also be attributed to educators not enforcing 

formal studio presentations, which in turn allows 

undergraduates to connote a lax approach to design 

discourse. Despite these challenges, educators are well 

aware of the significance of design discourse within 

today’s design education. Introductory courses are where 

the precedent for discourse must begin. Thereafter, each 

design project must originate with formal written and 

verbal presentations. By educators necessitating written 

creative briefs and proposals at the start and artist’s 

statements at the conclusion of studio coursework, 

students will develop more authority over their visual 

communication through an author’s perspective. 

The study of design discourse has presented 

designers of the twenty-first century with the insight 

and capability to no longer restrict them to simply 

mediating the text. Graphic designers have expanded to 

not only be creators of form, but also of the audience 

and of the textual message itself. Principal of 2x4, 

Inc. – Michael Rock calls for “an examination of the 

designer-as-author” relationship. “[It] could help us to 

rethink process, expand design methods, and elaborate 

our historical frame to incorporate all forms of graphic 

discourse.” 14 As a catalyst for the future of graphic 

design and the number one ranked shortcoming of new 

graduates, educators must push design discourse to the 

forefront of pedagogical priorities, while maintaining 

the balance between critical thought and technical 

proficiency. By accompanying every design project with 

formal written and verbal presentations, students will 

be more prepared for this expectation upon entering 

the professional workplace. 

21

EXPECTATION 4 | digital media 

You never can do what the kids do. What 

you do is look at yourself and find your 

own way to address the fact that the times 

have changed and that you have to pay 

attention. You can’t be a designer and say, 

Oh, this is timeless. Nothing is timeless! 

Paula Scher 

22


EXPECtAtiON 4 

dexterity with 

dIGITAL MEDIA 

When leading professionals were asked about new industry 

issues or trends that students in school must learn now for 

future success in the workplace, the results were evident. New 

graduates entering into the workplace are expected to be 

proficient not only with print design, but have a commanding 

knowledge of digital media design as well. Cartoon Network’s 

Art Director – Jay Rogers reports, “Many employers are 

seeking über designers – those who can jump between digital 

and print platforms seamlessly.” Digital technology brought 

fundamental transformation to the practice and pedagogy 

of graphic design. We witnessed a transition from a field 

primarily vested in two-dimensional printed media, now 

become a hybrid of visual communication in the third and 

fourth dimensions. In comparison to its print origins, timebased 

digital media is still a fairly new facet under the graphic 

design umbrella and designers are still experimenting with its 

vast potential. Yet the public demand for digital/interactive 

design persists and its communicative impact has proven to 

be resounding. The comments of leading professionals serve 

as warnings for graphic design students of the twenty-first 

century – it is now relatively impossible to surround a whole 

career on print design alone. 

Design, in its broadest sense, is 

the enabler of the digital era – it’s 

a process that creates order out 

of chaos, that renders technology 

usable to business. 

Clement Mok 

23


Conversely, when surveyed on this topic, 60% of 

educators do not believe that print design and digital 

design should be treated equally within undergraduate 

graphic design curricula. The opposite is true for their 

students; 73% feel that with the direction technology 

is heading, print and digital design should be taught as 

equals within their curriculum. The dichotomy persists 

when educators and students were asked which aspects 

of their curriculum are emphasized the most. Digital 

media ranked second highest for educators, while 

students ranked it as the least emphasized within their 

current curriculum. 

It is undisputed that digital design education 

must be incorporated into collegiate graphic design 

programs. The problem remains that with this 

addition there are significant time constraints placed 

upon educators and more pressure placed upon 

students to master new media while concurrently 

developing a quality design project. Therefore, how 

technology is taught must change. Ideally in design 

education, technical proficiency comes prior to the 

application of these skills to extensive design problems. 

Students report that when expected to master the 

two simultaneously, the results were both technically 

and aesthetically below average. Ultimately, when 

the aesthetics within new media projects suffer, it 

is predominately due to poor technical proficiency. 

The solution for graphic design curricula resides in 

separating the two tracks of new media learning 

(technical versus conceptual/aesthetic) to ensure 

students are equally competent in both. A close 

comparison can be made in respect to international 

students who must first take an ‘English as a 

Second Language’ class in order to fully articulate 

and comprehend future coursework within their 

curriculum. They do not expect other professors in 

each of their core classes to teach them basic English 

comprehension in order to verbally communicate, 

just as students of graphic design cannot expect their 

design studio professors to spend time teaching them 

basic new media software techniques in order to 

visually communicate. Students must come to these 

courses equipped with a moderate level of technical 

knowledge. This is not to add yet another requirement 

to an already lengthy course list for graphic design 

majors. But curricula must publicly offer elective 

courses focused exclusively on mastering software 

immediately prior to each relevant studio class. 

This effort will serve to set the pre-requisite of 

acquiring a moderate level of experience with new 

media software prior to the design studio coursework. 

As a result, students will no longer be weighed down 

by a technical learning curve while they try to produce 

quality design projects, and educators will not feel 

compelled to lecture an entire class on software 

techniques. This solution will save time and energy 

by allowing both educators and students to focus 

more so on the critical thinking and aesthetics to 

solve the digital design problem. The field of graphic 

design will always be intrinsically linked to the tools 

and technology its practitioners use to create. But as 

technology is destined to continually reinvent itself, 

so must the skill set of its students. The opportunity 

for pedagogical change lies in promoting technical 

proficiency prior to design studio requirements, 

while continuing to exercise their new media skill 

sets throughout their educational career. Graphic 

design curricula must not allow students to become 

technologically complacent. 

We as educators have not taken 

web design and interactive media 

as seriously as other areas like 

typography and imaging. 

martha Scotford, Professor 

North Carolina State University 

Raleigh, North Carolina 

24

It’s no longer possible 

to make a career 

in print alone. 

Jon Garcia, VP of Design 

Fuzebox Inc. 


This solution is actualized in the following academic scenario: 

A graphic design curriculum calls for a student to take 

‘Interactive Design Studio’ during spring/summer term. 

[1] Therefore, an academic advisor contacts the student 

prior to this term to inform them that this upcoming 

course requires a moderate level of technical proficiency 

in Adobe Flash ® for example. 

[2] The advisor then allows the student to self-assess their 

comfort level with the new media in question. At this 

point, most students have a low to below average 

comfort level using this program. 

[3] The student is made aware of the ‘Introduction to 

Flash’ elective course available for registry the fall/ 

winter term before their ‘Interactive Design Studio’ 

requirement. For the students who already have 

moderate knowledge with technical aspects of the new 

media in question, advisors will direct them to tutorial 

resources, like the web site lynda.com to briefly refresh 

their skill set prior to beginning the digital design course. 


I graduated without knowing much 

about web and interactive design; 

now I feel lost and behind the times. 

Amy McNeil, Class of 2007 

University of Cincinnati 

Cincinnati, Ohio 

25

73% Students SAY YES 

There should be more of an emphasis 

on web design and interactive classes. 

Our syllabus should be able to change 

with the times, rather than restricting 

us to the calendar year we enroll. 

Nandhini Mehra, Senior Student 

SCAD-Atlanta 


DIGITALDESIGN 

Should digital design and print design coursework receive 

equal emphasis within today’s graphic design curricula? 

PRINTDESIGN 

I would revamp the way 

new technology is taught 

because there is too high 

of a percentage that do not 

completely understand it. 

Renee Seward, Professor 

University of Cincinnati 

Cincinnati, Ohio 

60% PROFESSORS SAY NO 

26

Students must continually practice the use 

of digital, interactive, and web techniques 

during the length of their studies. 

Holly Quarzo, Professor 



27

Wide Influence 

EXPECTATION 5 | multi-disciplinary approach 

The new way of joining 

& interweaving in the 

development of design 

talents & use of relevant 

scientific knowledge and 

working methods is the key 

to graphic design education 

suitable for modern times. 

Focused Specialization 

Igildo G. Biesele 

28


EXPECtAtiON 5 

multi 

disciplinary 

approach 

Amongst the design professionals surveyed, multidisciplinary 

design is the second most prevalent industry 

trend today, after digital media. More professionals now 

expect new graduates entering into their design studio to 

possess a collective cognizance of other relevant disciplines, 

not just that of graphic design. Tim Brown, ceo of ideo 

is avidly acclaimed for his multi-disciplinary expectations 

with the creation of the term t-shaped people. His definition 

encapsulates what leading professionals will be seeking in 

new graduates in the future, “We look for people who are 

so inquisitive about the world that they’re willing to try to 

do what you do. We call them t-shaped people. They have 

a principal skill that describes the vertical leg of the t. But 

they are so empathetic that they can branch out into other 

skills, and do them as well. They are able to explore insights 

from many different perspectives and recognize patterns of 

behavior that point to a universal human need.” 15 

15 Tim Brown, “Strategy by Design,” 

Fast Company, June 1, 2005, from 

Issue 95, http://www.fastcompany. 

com/magazine/95/design-strategy. 

html (accessed February 5, 2010). 

I foresee students having the necessity 

of being more diversified in the 

knowledge of mediums. To be able 

to communicate amongst multiple 

disciplines is becoming a necessity. 

yolonda Baker, Senior Designer 

Deloitte 


29

In addition to core requirements 

graphic design curricula should 

direct students to general studies 

that support their specialty study in 

design. Design coursework should 

make use of concepts and skills 

acquired through study in areas 

other than design and vice versa. 

public relations 

computer science 

sociology 

anthropology 

philosophy 

systems theory 

communications 

mathematics 

psychology 

humanities 

physics 

generalist 

economics 

foreign language 

engineering 

statistics 

journalism 

world history 

programming 


photography 

publications 

marketing 

architecture 

business 

interior design 

writing 

human factors 

entrepreneurship 

environmental 

graphic design 

advertising 

industrial design 

print design 

digital design 

branding 

specialist 

identity design 

30


Art & Design History 

10% 20% 

Supporting Design Disciplines 

Graphic Design Core 

35% 35% 

General Education 

16 Steven J. Teper, “The Creative Campus: 

Who’s No. 1,” The Chronicle of 

Higher Education, October 1, 2004. 

http://chronicle.com/article/The- 

Creative-Campus-Who-s/4870 


17 Daniel van der Velden, “Research 

& Destroy: A Plea for Design as 

Research,” Graphic Design Theory, 

2006. http://graphicdesigntheory. 

net/Velden.html (accessed February 

12, 2010). 

The average newly graduated graphic designer 

does not laud all that falls within their educational or 

occupational grasp. The twenty-first century has presented 

a more technological and more global industry than ever 

before. Pioneering designers are broadening their horizons 

into new dimensions, combating the ephemeral stigma 

of print, and integrating a multi-disciplinary approach 

to design, digital technology, product development, 

and the built environment. Students entering into 

the professional workplace see their career paths as 

graphic designers in a more fluid manner than collegiate 

design department names suggest. 16 Practitioners who 

capitalize on this philosophy distinguish themselves 

from more traditional design titles with specificity, such 

as environmental graphic designer, interactive space 

designer, network brand manager, or experience designer. 

Daniel van der Velden, Partner in the design research 

think tank Metahaven witnessed that “the ambition of 

the designer always leads beyond his discipline and his 

official mandate, without this above-and-beyond having a 

diploma or even a name of its own. Still, it is remarkable 

that design… enjoys far less respect than the combination 

of design and one or more other specialisms.” 17 

Van de Velden’s notion of ‘beyond the discipline itself’ 

reinforces the need for multi-disciplinary knowledge. 

The term ‘graphic design’ exists today as a profession of 

pluralism, yet so often design education becomes insular 

in its process and methodologies. Many educational 

programs strive to further define individual disciplines, 

yet inadvertently create a void. After foundation studies 

design students are partitioned off, many find themselves 

enduring a multitude of projects, critiques, research, and 

theory, rarely crossing the paths of sister fields of design 

study. Naively, design students allow themselves to remain 

secluded, and mistakenly, collegiate administration fuels 

this divide by enabling curricula that does not require 

them to do otherwise. 

31

85 

% of educators 

are against taking 

away any liberal 

arts courses, even 

if it may allow 

for more design 

studio time. 

For many schools, infusing ample liberal arts 

into a design program is one way they strive to meet 

professional multi-disciplinary expectations. When 

surveyed, both students and educators agree with its 

significance. 85% of educators were against taking 

away any liberal arts courses, even if it meant it 

allowed for more studio time. The ideal ratio of liberal 

arts courses to art and design courses varies per each 

institution’s educational objectives and their various 

accrediting association requirements. But it is a crucial 

nasad requirement that prescribes in addition to core 

graphic design courses, curricula must direct students to 

general studies that support their coursework in graphic 

design and vice versa. 18 Graphic design pedagogy is at 

its best when it makes valid use of multi-disciplinary 

concepts and skills acquired through non-design liberal 

arts coursework. 

Premature specialization in schools 

perpetuates a similar isolation in 

practice and works against the 

hybridization that is increasingly 

desirable in real professions. 

Dan Friedman 

18 Teper, http://chronicle.com/article/ 

The-Creative-Campus-Who-s/4870 


19 Ellen Lupton and Abbott Miller, Design 

Writing Research: Writing on Graphic 

Design, (London: Phaidon Press Limited, 

1996), 66. 

20 Igildo G. Biesele, Graphic Design 

Education, (Zurich: ABC Verlag, 

1981), 5. 

21 Randy Pierce,“Graphic Design and 

the Built Environment,” InformeDesign, 

vol 1, issue 4, http://www.informe 

design.umn.edu/_news/may_v01-p. 

pdf (accessed January 06, 2010). 

32


The opportunity for pedagogical change is found 

in fusing cross-platform coursework, above and beyond 

that of offering elective general education courses. As 

the French philosopher Michel Foucault once said, 

“Design becomes powerful only when it enters the 

domain of other discourses.” 19 Graphic design programs 

must not only recommend, but also require and foster 

collaborative design projects with other programs of 

study outside of the graphic design department. In 

this instance, graphic design students will work on 

environmental graphic design projects in collaboration 

with architecture students; portfolio classes will harness 

the expertise of photography majors; brand identity 

studios will reach out to industrial, interior and fashion 

design classes. The result of such collaborative efforts 

is two-fold – architecture students, for example, will 

gain knowledge outside of their traditional curriculum, 

such as principles of typography. In return, graphic 

design students will become more astute with design for 

the built environment, learning human scale, differing 

materiality, and three-dimensional rendering techniques. 

The result is conclusively favorable from each side. 

These collaborative design experiences will educate 

all students involved (not just graphic designers) to 

be versed in the language of various disciplines, thus 

empowering them to apply a myriad of methodologies 

to future design process. 

It is undeniable that design pedagogy of the 

twenty-first century is now more multifaceted than ever 

before, and it is up to educators to ensure curricula is 

globally cohesive. International design critic – Igildo G. 

Biesele indicates, “the totality exists in the first place 

through an interdisciplinary cooperation, which, when 

the structure of the syllabus is appropriate, can also 

find its expression in the individual [graphic design] 

courses.” 20 Curricula must begin to incorporate not 

only the essence of the ever-changing message, but also 

its capability to pull from relative ideologies such as the 

permanence of architectural structure, the ergonomics 

of industrial form, and the psychology of human 

behavior within a virtual environment. Progressive 

educators are mindful of these concerns and some 

programs have already made gradual pedagogical 

changes. Rhode Island School of Design’s Professor 

Nancy Skolos reports, “We recently incorporated 

more strategic thinking into our senior studio in order 

to prepare students to work across many media.” 

Multi-disciplinary, collaborative design coursework 

will facilitate students to bridge the gap between the 

intangible design concept, the tangible sense of identity 

on paper or on screen, and the sense of place within 

the built environment. 21 Professional graphic design 

processes have evolved from singular tasks to multidisciplinary 

agents of change; graphic design education 

must follow suit to ensure the all-inclusive competence 

of a new generation of designers. 

Eliminating liberal arts would 

be detrimental to a student’s 

ability to draw inspiration 

from many different areas. 

David Short, MFA Candidate 



33

#25 & #26 of Michael Bierut’s 

26 year old sequential collection 

of notebooks. 

EXPECTATION 6 | innovative business strategy 

There always seems to be a lot of 

interest in designers’ sketchbooks, 

but I call these notebooks for a 

reason. Page after page contain 

nothing but records of phone 

conversations, notes from meetings, 

price estimates, specifications. I 

keep the random doodles to a 

minimum. Someone looking at 

those pages would think the book 

might belong to a lawyer or, more 

likely, a party planner. 

Michael Bierut 

34


EXPECtAtiON 6 

innovative 

business 

strategy 

Knowledge of parallel principles of business is 

another increasingly prominent expectation that industry 

professionals look to acquire in new design graduates 

entering into today’s workplace. According to Angelo Carusi, 

Principal at Cooper Carry, Inc, “More than ever, clients are 

going to be looking for design firms who understand the 

client’s business. New graduates who have an understanding 

of business and can present their ideas are going to have 

a leg up on their competition.” Graphic design curricula 

must take into account – there is no innovation without the 

connection to client objectives and business strategy. 22 When 

asked what new industry issue or trend he foresees that 

students in school need to learn now for future success in 

the workplace, Mike Sloan, Partner at Lippincott affirms this 

tenet by simply stating, “Client needs analysis, and businessdriven 

design strategy.” 

22 IDEO, “Innovation Strategy,” http:// 

www.ideo.com/thinking/focus/ 

innovation-strategy/ (accessed 

February 13, 2010). 

We don’t get hired to make 

pretty things or win design 

awards. We get hired to 

solve business problems. 

James Bradley 

35


One opportunity to better incorporate business 

strategies into the graphic design curriculum is for 

students to experience the client/designer relationship 

first hand in class. Students show proactive enthusiasm 

when asked to rate their interest level in various 

educational initiatives. Working on real client-based 

projects in class ranked most interesting for students. 

As an expert in operations management for creatives, 

Shel Perkins shares their enthusiasm. “An essential skill 

set for a designer is business savvy. We need to clearly 

understand [our client’s] business challenges, trends and 

options. We also need to be just as smart when it comes 

to our own. Business savvy is what makes our careers 

sustainable over the long haul.” 23 

As a witness to the recent economic downturn, 

Sarah Miller, Partner at Miller-Cormier in Cincinnati, 

Ohio, agrees that business knowledge is even more 

important during a troubled economy. “Design firms 

hire a lot of folks when times are good and lay them off 

when times are bad,” says Miller. “Many designers take 

on freelance work when times are tough and it is helpful 

to have prior business knowledge – how to bring in new 

clients, writing estimates, invoicing, and book keeping.” 

A typical graphic design curriculum does not include a 

plethora of business-driven design strategy above and 

beyond lectures on business conduct, proposal writing, 

and copyright basics. For this reason, educators ranked 

business practices the least emphasized within their 

curriculum as a whole. 

Which educational initiatives do you find most interesting? 

Student 

23 Shel Perkins, “Making a Living,” AIGA 

Center for Practice Management, 

Design: Business Issue 4, May 2005 

http://cpm.aiga.org (acessed 


*Real Client- 

Based Projects 

Revolving 

Courses 

Collaboration with 

Other Majors 

Graduate 

School 

5–Year 

Curriculum 

Recommend My 

School to Peers 

Trade Liberal Arts 

for More Studio 

36

Being good in 

business is the 

most fascinating 

kind of art. 

Andy Warhol 

What does your curriculum emphasize most? 

Educator 

Student 

*Business 

Strategies 

Contemporary 

Issues 

Design for the Built 

Environment 

Digital 

Media 

Global 

Culture 

Multi-Disciplinary 

Approach 

Professional 

Practice 

Securing 

a Job 

37

61 

46 

% of students 

respect the 

perspectives more 

so of professors 

who maintain 

a professional 

design position 


maintain a 

professional 

design position 

outside of school 


50 

% of students 

feel their 

curriculum 

doesn’t allow 

for enough 

professional 

practice time 

58 


surveyed believe 

that all design 

schools should 

make multiple 

professional 

practice terms 

mandatory 

38


There are several avenues within a student’s 

educational journey from which business strategy 

must begin to be instilled. The obvious source of this 

information is from professors’ expertise with client 

interaction. 61% of students surveyed said they respect 

the perspectives more so of professors who maintain 

a professional business position over those who do 

not. Yet the larger portion of educators polled (54%) 

do not practice professionally outside of the school 

environment. It is an obligation for educators in graphic 

design to stay up-to-date with their discipline. For busy 

professors, this may transform into authoring essays 

for academic publications or lecturing at various design 

conferences outside of their school of employment. 24 

Another opportunity for graphic design programs 

to encourage knowledge of business strategy, above and 

beyond the standard coursework, is from professional 

practice (also known as interning, co-oping, or 

apprenticeship). “A well thought-out internship program 

creates a relationship between the design firm and the 

student that is mutually beneficial. For the student, it 

provides exposure to the work environment and the 

complex challenges of ‘real world’ design projects.” 25 

58% of educators surveyed believe that all design 

schools should make multiple professional practice 

terms mandatory prior to graduation, although few 

schools comply. 50% of students feel that there are 

not enough opportunities for adequate professional 

practice experience within their undergraduate design 

program. Without this exposure, students will find 

themselves unprepared for the professional workplace. 

Design schools must not be content with offering 

professional practice on an elective basis, or expect 

students to acquire business connections on their own 

fruition. Collegiate programs must build this necessary 

component into their curricula as a requirement and 

assist students by providing the necessary contact 

information of interested employers. Business Week 

magazine recently published an article confirming this 

shift in demand for designers, “Those who can marry 

creative right-brain thinking and analytical left-brain 

thinking are at a premium. Right now a lot of new 

value is being found at the intersection of design and 

business. Professionals who can understand and respect 

both sides are at an advantage. 26 For new graduates 

to be competitive in today’s job market, they must 

come equipped with knowledge not just of creativity 

and craft; they must also be considerably strategic and 

innovative on the business side as well. 

My professors lacked a serious 

connection to real world trends and 

practices. This wasn’t as apparent 

in college, but became much 

more evident after being in the 

professional environment myself. 

24 Meggs, 75. 

25 Shel Perkins, “Be Smart about Student 

Internships,” AIGA Center for Practice 

Management, May 20, 2009, http:// 

cpm.aiga.org (accessed Feb. 13, 2010). 

26 Harry West, “The Cross-Discipline 

Design Imperative,” Business 

Week, October 4, 2007. 

http://www.businessweek.com 

(accessed February 15, 2010). 

Amberlee Isabella, Recent Graduate 

University of Kentucky 

Lexington, Kentucky 

39

EXPECTATION 7 | social responsibility 

Adbusters magazine 

cover design portraying 

the Bush administration’s 

disregard of critical 

environmental issues 

Design creates culture. 

Culture shapes values. 

Values determine the future. 

Robert L. Peters 

40


EXPECtAtiON 7 

social 

responsibility 

In 1963, Kevin Garland, a British graphic designer wrote 

the First Things First manifesto which challenged designers 

to become more responsible with their contributions to a 

global culture. In 1999, a revised version of the manifesto 

was resurrected in the United States by a younger generation 

of designers and was widely published in a variety of design 

journals and the likes of Adbuster magazine. As far as 

intrinsic design issues go, the First Things First manifesto 

sparked significant controversy concerning design ethics. 27 

Its revolutionary sentiments have since resurfaced within 

professional expectations of new graduates entering the 

twenty-first century workplace. Today’s leading designers 

are not just evaluating the ethics of commercial content, but 

are also evaluating the ethics of the processes by which they 

conceptualize, produce, and distribute visual communication. 

With today’s newfound public awareness of design 

comes a newfound social responsibility for designers. Graphic 

designers must acknowledge that they have the responsibility 

(and the ability to respond) not just to the needs of their clients 

but also to those of society. 28 When leading professionals were 

asked about new industry issues students need to learn now for 

future success in the workplace, the dominant social topic was 

sustainability. Concepts of global culture were also mentioned, 

as social media continues to expand as the popular form of 

dynamic communication. 

27 Michael Bierut, William Drenttel 

and Steven Heller, ed. Looking 

Closer Four: Critical Writings on 

Graphic Design, (New York, 

NY: Allworth Press, 2002) 4. 

28 Charlotte & Peter Fiell, Graphic 

Design for the 21st Century, 

(Hohenzollernring: Taschen, 

2005) 10. 

Designers have a dual duty; 

contractually to their clients 

and morally to the later users 

and recipients of their work. 

Hans Höger 

41

87 

% of professionals 

view sustainability 

as a top priority 

and are beginning 

to learn how to 

apply its principles 

more effectively. 

Too many design students 

are making without intent or 

understanding of the context 

in which they live as simple 

humans, let alone designers. 

Eric Heiman, Professor 

California College of the Arts 

San Francisco, California 

“As one of the defining ideas of the 21st century, 

sustainability holds tremendous possibilities for the 

creative community, its business partners and society.” 29 

‘Green design,’ as it is termed, seeks to find processes 

and materials that do not negatively impact the 

environment. For example, graphic designers may 

“research things such as recycled and tree-free papers; 

or try to find nontoxic inks; or devise folds and 

structures that result in less waste.” 30 The eminence of 

sustainability became even more apparent as our nation 

watched the first political campaigns of the twentyfirst 

century, which focused heavily on the importance 

of clean energy efficiency. Ideologies of conservation 

and environmental protection are changing how the 

world operates globally. “87% of recently surveyed 

aiga members view sustainability as a top priority, but 

many of them confess they are ill-equipped to apply its 

principles effectively.” 31 Opportunities for pedagogical 

change can be found in teaching applications that 

embrace these basic principles. It is critical that design 

students stay informed of increased environmental efforts 

for global business, as professional expectations of 

sustainability knowledge are guaranteed to follow suit. 

29 AIGA Center for Sustainable Design, 

“The Living Principles,” AIGA, http:// 

www.livingprinciples.net/ (accessed 


30 Brian Dougherty, Green Graphic 

Design, (New York, NY: Allworth Press, 

2008), 10. 

31 AIGA, http://www.livingprinciples.net 


32 Heller, Steven and Lita Talarico, Design 

School Confidential, (Beverly, MA: 

Rockport Publishers, 2009), 168. 

May 2009 Time Magazine 

illustrating the cover story 

on ‘green designers’ 

42


A collegiate curriculum is the ideal vehicle to propel 

such ideals to the forefront of future graphic design 

practice. Traditionally, studio courses such as ‘Social 

Awareness,’ ‘Design for Society,’ or ‘Contemporary Issues 

in Design’ provide opportunities for students to research 

and design a socially responsible campaign. Student 

projects typically range anywhere from literacy, politics, 

or animal cruelty to the likes of clean water, global 

warming, and recycling campaigns. Learning outcomes 

from such courses are imperative, as students digest the 

vital role of graphic design within society and global 

culture as a whole. However, survey results from today’s 

leading practitioners conclude that another layer of 

social responsibility knowledge must be added to existing 

syllabi to better meet twenty-first century professional 

expectations. Studio courses must begin to inform 

and encourage students to critically apply practical 

sustainable processes to any and all design problems. 

The Royal College of Art in London, uk has 

incorporated a class entitled ‘Passion for Print,’ which 

investigates printing possibilities “beyond the surface.” 

Students produce design solutions where the influence 

of production and process is a primary consideration. 

For example, student Lottie Crumbleholme designed a 

lithography campaign using sustainable ideals entitled 

‘This is the Environmental Impact of your Work,’ 

which encourages graphic designers to think more 

environmentally about the printing process. 32 American 

graphic design syllabi must take note and not only 

require students to research the content of such visual 

communications, but also research and practice with 

ethical production methods and materials. 

Barack Obama presidential campaign 

poster design by Scott Hanson of 

ISO50 highlights eco-friendly ideals 

This questionnaire gives designers the This opportunity questionnaire to audit gives a piece designers of work they 

have recently sent to print in order to see the the opportunity impact that to audit will a have piece made of on 

the environment. Non-drying inks printed work on they back have of recently the first sent page to print transfer 

any answers that relate to a poor environmental in order to choice see the onto impact the that image it below, 

literally showing the impact made. 

43


Amongst industry professionals, the notion 

of social responsibility also spawns discussions 

concerning the need for students to increase their 

cultural awareness prior to entering the twentyfirst 

century workplace. “Today’s new pluralism 

in graphic design must be seen as a response to the 

greater multiculturalism of today’s global society.” 33 

With the opulence of technology and our expanded 

global demands, the audience for which we design is 

increasingly important. Design history lectures will 

always idolize the “universal” design solutions of 

Bauhaus Modernism as the true “international style” 

of yesteryear. But with the new wave of social media 

and other forms of technology that broaden our 

communicative abilities, there is no longer such a thing 

as a universal audience. 34 With each project, students 

must learn to become experts on “the audience’s 

values, symbolic codes, and communicative styles; 

and preferred media and distribution channels must 

inform how we shape the written message.” 35 The First 

Things First manifesto reminds us that designers have 

the potential to create messages that have a profound 

impact on the world. Opportunity for pedagogical 

change rests in infusing practical principles of design 

ethics in students by requiring each studio project to 

fully research the global audience’s perspective and 

incorporate aspects of social responsibility by concept, 

process, and production. 

Design is directed toward human beings. 

To design is to solve human problems by 

identifying them & executing the best solution. 

Ivan Chermayeff 

33 Fiell, 8 

34 Katherine McCoy, “Maximize the 

Message: Tailoring Design for Your 

Audience in a Multicultural Era,” in The 

Education of a Graphic Designer, ed. 

Steven Heller, (New York, NY: Allworth 

Press, 2005), 279. 

35 Ibid, 283. 

The First Things First manifesto 

was published in January 1964. 

Inexplicably, reverberations are 

still apparent. 

44


Design is a 

call to action. 

Charles Eames 

45

visualizing curricular concepts 

46

VISUALIZING CURRICULAR CONCEPTS 

OBJECTIVES 

visualizing 

curricular 

concepts 

With all of the aforementioned variables of graphic 

design education, it is difficult for beginners to visualize 

which design programs are best suited for their individual 

priorities. As neophytes to design in general, most would not 

have an inkling of how to determine which programs are best 

aligned with today’s professional expectations. Under this 

premise, it becomes imperative for students to evaluate the 

competitive industry expectations they will face before they 

embark upon their educational journey. Bridging these gaps 

becomes possible by retaining educators that remain informed 

of current and future professional expectations. But also by 

equipping beginner students up front with the informational 

tools to make knowledgeable decisions about their choice of 

graphic design programs. 

Nothing is more tragic than to have 

students attend programs expecting 

to receive professional preparation, 

only to find after graduation that 

major gaps exist in their education. 

Philip Meggs 

47

What makes a 


course a success? 

Freedom 

When students are able to 

independently define and follow 

through with their own unique 

project parameters 

Educator 

Student 

Context 

When lectures and assignments 

connect with historical and/or 

contemporary real-world issues 

A class is a success when 

students demonstrate 

conceptual development, 

increased understanding 

and capacity for effective 

design methodologies. 

Discourse 

When the group engages in 

consistent thought-provoking 

discussion and critiques in class 

Dawn Barrett, Professor 

Rhode Island School of Design 

Providence, Rhode Island 

Challenge 

When the assignments have 

demanding yet attainable 

goals and objectives 

The students’ abilities 

to make intelligent design 

decisions, to work independently, 

to attain visual sensitivity and 

produce work that is visually 

cohesive and that reflects 

typographic competence. 

Learning Curve 

When I am able to learn 

something fundamentally new 

from my professor and perhaps 

vice versa 

Barry Roseman, Professor 

SCAD-Atlanta 


GPA 

When grade point averages 

are favorable and improve 

throughout the term 

Experimentation, enthusiasm, 

integration of theory and 

thinking beyond the expected 

design solution 

Sherry Blankenship, Professor 

Ohio University 

Athens, Ohio 

Multimedia 

When I am able to expand 

my knowledge of new 

media and technology to 

solve a design problem 

Projects 

When there is a portfolioworthy 

project at the end 

of the term 

48


CHALLENGE 

DISCOURSE 

FREEDOM 

PROJECTS 

LEARNING 

PROJECTS 

DISCOURSE 

CHALLENGE 

CONTEXT 

FREEDOM 

CONTEXT 

LEARNING CURVE 

MULTIMEDIA 

GPA 

MULTIMEDIA 

GPA 

Most Important 

Least Important 

49

70 


believe courses 

should focus 

less on polished 

portfolios and 

more on the 

development of 

core skill sets. 

Existing curricular concepts can be examined in various forms, but most reek of 

industry jargon and provide no connection by description of their pedagogical objectives 

to the expectations of today’s practice. Elaborate booklets and promotional brochures 

about each school are distributed to entice and inform potential students, yet are often 

presented as a glamorized hyper-reality of the college experience. The award-winning 

catalog Proof, a School of Visual Arts’ publication for prospective students, is an ideal 

example. While the school is indisputably amongst the most successful, the majority of 

this oversized catalog serves to excite the creative spirit and showcase individual student 

work. Very few of the visuals are dedicated to deciphering core curricular concepts in 

respect to professional expectations. Upon visiting numerous web sites of collegiate design 

programs, it is the norm to see a lengthy list of course numbers provided within a cryptic 

matrix of credit hours required. Rarely do they discuss how their educational tenets align 

with what leading industry professionals expect from new graduates of the future. With 

industry expectations left undefined in information issued to prospective students, how 

exactly are they expected to conclusively visualize what they will need upon graduation? 

How are they expected to differentiate among design schools under review, when 

professional expectations of the twenty-first century workplace are not published? 


Proof, a SVA publication 

to prospective students 

50


Unless students have prior recommendation from a guidance counselor or 

attend the local design school close to their residence, many students turn to outside 

sources for answers. The streamlined us News and World Report is known for 

publishing an annual “Best Design Schools” ranking, as is Business Week’s “Top 

Design Schools” list, or industry resources such as aiga’s link to nasad accredited 

institutions. These sources seem to cater more so to popularity and status and fail to 

discern a comparative outlook on how the ‘top schools’ align with expectations of 

twenty-first century professionals. In an effort to bridge this gap, Changing Graphic 

Design Pedagogy serves as a visual research manual that marries expectations from 

top design professionals with corresponding information about the top design schools 

per industry standards. Initially, leading professionals were asked from which design 

schools their most successful new employees graduated. Many of their responses 

align with the ‘top schools’ ranking, but they also drew attention to a variety of 

astute programs students may never consider should they only rely upon the allure 

of undergraduate catalogs, kitschy web sites, or ‘top school’ publicity. Each school’s 

curriculum deemed noteworthy by the surveyed professionals was closely evaluated 

and compared. Several factors were considered with a goal of distinguishing what 

each had in common to qualify them as a ‘top design school’ per leading practitioner 

standards. The region, accreditation, admission policy, term structure, ratio of 

liberal arts credits, review requirements, professional practice policies, and senior 

project mandates were all evaluated. 

Students should have a plan 

when they begin as to what 

kind of portfolio they will 

need when they graduate, 

otherwise how can they 

decide on a curriculum? 

Cary Staples, Professor 

University of Tennessee 

Knoxville, Tennessee 

Yale University School of Art 

web site with course listing 

51

Where did your most successful designers attend undergraduate school? 

Arizona State University Tempe, AZ 

Art Center College of Design Pasadena, CA 

Art Institute of Atlanta Atlanta, GA 

Auburn University Auburn, AL 

Boston University Boston, MA 

California Institute of the Arts Valencia, CA 

Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA 

Clemson University Clemson, SC 

College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI 

Cornish College of the Arts Seattle, WA 

Creative Circus Atlanta, GA 

Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 

Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI 

Herron School of Art & Design Indianapolis, IN 

Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD 

North Carolina State University Raleigh, NC 

Ohio State University Columbus, OH 

Ohio University Athens, OH 

Parsons the New School for Design NY, NY 

Penn State University Altoona, PA 

Portfolio Center Atlanta, GA 

Pratt Institute Brooklyn, NY 

Rutgers State University Newark, NJ 

Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI 

Savannah College of Art & Design Atlanta, GA 

School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL 

School of Visual Arts New York, NY 

University of the Arts Philadelphia, PA 

University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH 

University of Illinois Champaign, IL 

University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN 

University of Washington Seattle, WA 

Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA 

Yale University New Haven, CT 

52


In visualizing the pedagogical change of graphic design, the biggest issue is the time 

limitation in comparison with the “encyclopedic amounts of information” to learn (as 

Paul Rand would say). During the onset of this research, several educators and students 

expressed concern as to how a graphic design curriculum could possibly incorporate any 

additional components. Professors seemed already overwhelmed with back-to-back studios, 

full to capacity. They are pressed for time; 55% of educators would rather have the longer 

semester term system over the collegiate ten-week quarter structure to administer the new 

and necessary coursework. Students frowned at the proposition of tagging on an additional 

year of coursework, when four years already seemed like an eternity. Given the necessity of 

including new professional expectations into the curriculum, it is fair to say that four years 

has become unrealistic to complete a comprehensive undergraduate education where the 

student is truly prepared for today’s increasingly demanding workplace. 50% of educators 

surveyed agreed. Graphic Design Department Chair, Santiago Piedrafita of North Carolina 

State University is part of the other 50% who believe as the need for additional coursework 

arises, it means certain existing coursework has become outdated. 

The problem in thinking four 

years isn’t enough to prepare 

undergraduates for entry 

level positions is the fault of 

design faculty who refuse to 

reconsider or let go of sacred 

cows in the curriculum. 

Santiago Piedrafita, Department Chair 


Raleigh, North Carolina 

53

Frequent debates occur over which curricular 

components are ‘sacred cows,’ but the solution is 

tangibly resolved only in a handful of programs like 

Rhode Island School of Design (risd) and University 

of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, 

Art, and Planning (daap). risd’s Bachelor of Fine 

Arts (bfa) degree is a typical four-year program 

offering the expected course requirements, such as 

foundations, liberal arts, electives, and various design 

studios. Above and beyond the bfa curriculum, risd 

also offers an optional fifth year of coursework, 

which results in a Bachelor of Graphic Design (bgd) 

degree. This additional year enables students to 

acquire 6 credit hours of professional internships 

(as opposed to zero required for the bfa). It also 

incorporates 12 more graphic design studio credit 

hours, 9 additional art and design elective credit 

hours, and 3 more liberal arts credit hours. risd’s 

solution is a win-win for both educators and students. 

RISD 2009–2010 Undergraduate 

Graphic Design Curriculum comparing 

BFA & BGD credit hour distribution 

The need for additional time beyond the fourth 

year is addressed, along with the preservation of 

established coursework to compensate for the lack of 

time. By giving students this option, it allows them to 

gauge their competency level versus their career goals 

during their senior year of the design program and 

decide if the additional year is warranted. 

In contrast, daap in Cincinnati, Ohio also offers 

a five-year program, yet it is treated as a standard 

requirement to obtain a Bachelor of Science in 

Graphic Design, not a supplemental add-on. As a 

result, graphic design majors graduate from daap 

with a year and a half of professional practice 

experience, and are therefore better prepared to enter 

into the full-time workplace over other students with 

little to no experience. 

Another curricular concept that is rarely 

visualized within design school publications is their 

evaluation process of student work. Due to the 

increase in complexity of today’s design programs, 

portfolio reviews for admissions is more necessary 

than ever. 70% of professors polled are against open 

admission policies and believe that portfolios should 

be required for acceptance into reputable graphic 

design programs. This process favorably catches 

students who may need preliminary instruction 

prior to delving into the rigorous graphic design 

studio courses, yet it also creates an adverse aura 

of exclusivity surrounding the program itself. 

54


Noteworthy schools, like Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, or Maryland Institute College 

of Art in Baltimore, Maryland require 10–20 portfolio pieces up front from applying high school seniors to 

assess advanced student potential. This type of evaluation often becomes circumstantial, deterring promising 

students who have yet to be exposed to creative studies in high school, or who do not have the means to 

produce a collection of portfolio pieces. Other collegiate design programs more logically accept students 

without a portfolio evaluation into their foundation program for fundamental ‘pre-graphic design’ studies. It 

is more practical for schools to assess student talent after requiring a first year of intense coursework. Only at 

this point should student work be pragmatically reviewed to grant or deny their continuation into the official 

graphic design program. 

When comparing the success of certain curricular concepts, another point of contention amongst 

professors and students is the necessity of interim and exit reviews. 67% of students polled were not required 

to go through any sort of provisional or final review to gauge their progress. With open admission design 

school policies at the beginning of a student’s educational career, and the aforementioned lack of professional 

certification upon graduation, it is imperative for collegiate programs to implement reviews as academic 

checkpoints. They act as an essential barometer to ensure the release of fully competent graduates into the 

professional workplace. When surveyed, educators overwhelmingly agreed. 89% advocate for mandated 

interim and exit reviews prior to graduation and 96% believe that undergraduates should be required to 

complete a comprehensive senior capstone project or thesis to summate their studies in graphic design. 

Lastly, a design school’s accreditation is also a vital component to evaluate when comparing curricular 

concepts. 73% of educators agree that a design school’s accrediting association is an important indicator of 

their viability, yet several design schools remain only regionally (as opposed to nationally) accredited. For 

higher education as a whole, it is largely disputed which type of accrediting association, regional or national, 

possesses more quality control over curricular components. But for graphic design specifically, the National 

Association of Schools of Art and Design (nasad) is the most logical choice due to the collaboration with 

aiga (the professional association for design). nasad showcases substantial strides to homogenize successful 

curricular requirements for graphic design education; for this reason, design schools are remiss should they 

choose not to align themselves with such initiatives. 

55

70 

73 


say portfolios 

should be 

required for 

admission into 


programs 


say a school’s 

accrediting 

association is 

an important 

barometer of 

their viability 


89 

96 


say interim or exit 

reviews should 

be mandatory 

to better gauge 

student progress 

and levels of 

proficiency 


say undergrads 

should be 

required to 

complete a 

senior project 

or thesis prior 

to graduation 

56


Portfolio Review 

for Admissions in 

to Graphic Design 

Nationally 

Accredited 

(NASAD) 

Interim or 

Exit Reviews 

Required 

Senior Project 

or Thesis 

Required 

Arizona State University 

Art Center College of Design 

Art Institute of Atlanta 


Boston University 

California Institute of the Arts [cal arts] 

Carnegie Mellon University 

Clemson University 

College for Creative Studies 

Cornish College of the Arts 

Creative Circus* 

Georgia State University 

Grand Valley State University 

Herron School of Art & Design 

Maryland Institute College of Art 


Ohio State University 


Parsons the New School for Design 

Penn State University 

Portfolio Center* 

Pratt Institute 

Rhode Island School of Design [risd]** 

Rutgers State University 


School of the Art Institute of Chicago 

School of Visual Arts [sva] 

University of the Arts 

University of Cincinnati [daap]** 


University of Tennessee at Knoxville 

University of Washington 

Virginia Commonwealth University 

Yale University 

Two-year program* 

Five-year program** 

57

58 

50 


say multiple 

professional 

practice terms 

should be 

mandatory prior 

to graduation 

% of students 

say they do not 

have enough 

opportunities 

for adequate 

professional 

practice 


58 

50 


believe a two 

semester school 

year is more 

favorable than 

the four quarter 

system per year 


think four years 

is becoming 

insufficient for a 

comprehensive 


education in the 

21st century 

58


More than 2-Terms 

Professional Practice 

2-Semester 

School Year 

4-Quarter 

School Year 

More than 4-Year 

Program Length 





































59

55–70% 

Liberal Arts 

30–35% 

Liberal Arts 

15–25% 

Liberal Arts 

0% 

Liberal Arts 



































Note: Percentages are an average approximation calculated per total credit hours required; student electives and individual exemptions may apply. 



60


Dexterity with 

Digital Media 

Design 

Discourse 

Multi-Disciplinary 

Approach 

Innovative 

Business 

Strategies 

Social 

Responsibility 



































Note: Selections are based upon published curricular descriptions and requirements; syllabi per professor and elective choices per student will vary. 



61

conclusion 

37 MarshallMcLuhan.com, http://www. 

marshallmcluhan.com/poster.html 

38 Heller, Education of an E-designer, 

105. 

The field of graphic design has constantly and consistently changed upon its 

inception and will continue to reinvent itself as technology advances. Pedagogy should 

not be defined by or limited to industry expectations, but should be greatly informed 

and influenced by them. Graphic design education must not rest on serving the public’s 

current definition of it or reacting to change only after it surfaces within the industry. The 

best curricula anticipate future change and produce design professionals that embody the 

same philosophy. The essence of this proactive vision in education can be traced back to 

the Marshall McLuhan caveat, “If we look at the present through a rearview mirror, we 

march backwards into the future.” 37 Armed with the knowledge of what today’s leading 

professionals expect from new graduates of the future, visualizing certain pedagogical 

change seems all the more tangible. Research shows that in order for design student to be 

fully prepared to enter the today’s professional graphic design workplace, they must be 

proficient in fundamental skills of (1) creativity, (2) craft and technique, and (3) design 

discourse; new modalities and methods of (4) digital media and (5) multi-disciplinary 

approaches; and knowledge of business with (6) innovative strategy, and a sense of (7) 

social responsibility. Realistically, even with the best schools and the top professors, a 

design curriculum cannot carry the entire responsibility of a graphic designer’s success or 

failure post-graduation. As Steven Heller says, “The content of education is more than 

62

the college curriculum.” 38 Even after mastering the core set of professional expectations, 

a design student’s body of knowledge can never be looked upon in completion; it 

remains ongoing and continuous. The best remain curious, thirst for knowledge, and 

39 Heller, Education of an E-designer, 105. 

surround themselves with forward-thinkers who embrace the same notion of change. 

Graphic design education must continue striving to stay ahead of the industry’s learning 

curve and to bridge the dichotomy between pedagogy and professional practice. More 

strides need to be made to develop professional certification for graphic designers, more 

portfolio reviews need to occur within academia, and more design programs need to 

consistently seek national recognition through nasad. Currently, without the universal 

acceptance of these tenants, the sole criterion for measuring a design program’s success 

lies within the competency of their students in the professional workplace upon 

graduation. Impending change and growth is the one unrivaled consistency schools 

embrace globally, as graphic design pedagogy continues to be translated into diverse 

configurations across the nation. On this account, the seven distinct professional 

expectations identified are in stride with the twenty-first century workplace today, but 

also come with the guarantee to evolve through time and technological advancement. 

This is the cyclical nature of the cultural force that is graphic design, its “education has 

no beginning or ending.” 39 

Education itself might be looked upon 

as the assimilation of experience – the 

content of education is more than the 

college curriculum. Education has no 

beginning or ending. 

Steven Heller 

63

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I think what I feel fortunate 

about is that things still 

amaze me. The possibility 

for learning never disappears. 

MILTON GLASER 

66

about the 

author 

Nicole Roberts is a recent Master of Fine Arts degree recipient 

and is currently completing coursework for a Master of Arts 

in Interior Design as well. Changing Graphic Design Pedagogy 

is the visual component of her thesis submitted to the graphic 

design faculty of Savannah College of Art and Design in 

Atlanta, Georgia. Along with a Bachelor of Science in Design 

degree from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, 

Architecture, Art and Planning – Nicole has 9½ years of 

professional experience with a specialization in environmental 

graphic design. Equipped with the her teaching assistant 

internships and the enlightening thesis research enclosed, 

Nicole hopes to expand her career into education as an 

advocate for the continual advancement of design pedagogy. 

Book Designer 

Nicole R. Roberts 

paper 

Red River Premium Matte 

32# Text, 60# Cover 

TypefaceS 

Sabon, designed by Jan Tschichold, 1967 

Futura, designed by Paul Renner, 1927 

67

about 

the survey 

participants 

The research included within this book 

would not have been possible without 

the survey participants who contributed 

their time, opinions, and perspectives 

on today’s graphic design pedagogy 

and how they envision future change. 

Statistical information is based upon 

design professionals, educators, and 

students. Survey participants are diverse 

in geographic location, type of institution 

or business, and background experience. 

There is no design without 

discipline. There is no 

discipline without intelligence. 

Massimo Vignelli 

68

about survey participants 

professionals 

Aggie Toppins 

Aggie is a senior designer at Simple Truth in Chicago, Illinois, 

a leader in the branding industry. Aggie holds a bs in Graphic 

Design from the University of Cincinnati. 

Angelo Carusi 

Angelo is a principal at Cooper Carry, a premier architecture 

firm headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. He has led the firm’s 

retail studio since 1989 and has since acquired numerous 

awards. Angelo holds a Bachelor of Architecture from the 

University of Tennessee. 

Bart Caylor 

Bart is the principal of Brainstorm, a premier marketing 

agency in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bart is responsible for many 

of Brainstorm’s higher education accounts, leading several 

large-scale web initiatives which garnered acclaim in The 

Chronicle of Higher Education and us News and World 

Report. Bart graduated magna cum laude from Anderson 

University and is a member of the Council for Advancement 

and Support of Education. 

Ben Graham 

Ben is a principal and creative director at Turnstyle in 

Seattle, Washington. Turnstyle, founded in 2004, is an 

innovative studio focused on print, packaging, web, and 

retail design. They recently won an award in the 365 aiga 

Annual Design Competition and were also featured in the 

January 2010 CommArts magazine. Ben holds a bfa in visual 

communications from University of Washington. 

Connie Birdsall 

Connie leads the design practice at Lippincott and is a member 

of the firm’s executive committee. Her experience encompasses 

20 years of directing and designing global corporate and brand 

identity, marketing communications, and information design. 

Connie has held positions on the national board of aiga. Her 

bfa was received from Kansas City Art Institute with an mfa 

from Cranbrook Academy of Art. 

Dominique Hirsiger 

Dominique is a project designer at asd/Sky Design in Atlanta, 

Georgia. She received her bfa in Interior Design from 

Savannah College of Art and Design. 

Jan Lorenc 

Jan was born in Poland and currently residing in Roswell, 

Georgia. He is co-owner of Lorenc+Yoo Design, a studio 

formed in 1998. They include specialists in industrial design, 

exhibition design, architectural design, furniture design, 

interior design, and environmental graphics. Jan is a graduate 

of the Illinois Institute of Technology with a bs and ms in 

Industrial Design and Visual Communication respectively, as 

well as a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with 

a ms in Architecture. 

Jay Rogers 

Jay is an art director at Cartoon Network in Atlanta, Georgia 

where he focuses on everything from print, packaging, and 

identity, to interactive design. He is a recent Southeastern 

Excellence in Design awards winner. 

Jon Garcia 

Jon is vice president of design at Fuzebox, Inc., a technology 

consulting firm in Atlanta, Georgia where he practices digital, 

virtual, and interactive design. He has nearly 10 years of 

creative design experience and holds a bfa from Art Institute 

of Atlanta. 

Liz Teston 

Liz is currently working as a project design at asd/Sky Design 

in Atlanta, Georgia. She holds a bfa from the Savannah 

college of Art and Design. 

Mark Drye 

Mark is the owner of Caruso–Drye, a graphics, signage, 

and wayfinding design consulting firm in Marietta, Georgia. 

He holds a Bachelor of Education in graphic design and 

architecture from North Carolina State University. 

Mike Sloan 

Mike is a partner at Lippincott New York, an international 

brand identity consultant where he concentrates on 

retail design. He has close to 20 years’ experience in the 

design, development and implementation of international 

environmental branding programs. Mike holds a Bachelor of 

Architecture degree from Syracuse University. 

Sara Cormier 

Sara is co-owner of Miller–Cormier, a freelancing design 

partnership in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also been the 

advertising design manager at Cincinnati Magazine for over 

5 years. Sara received her bs in Graphic Design from the 

University of Cincinnati. 

Sarah Miller 

Sarah is co-owner of Miller–Cormier, a freelancing design 

partnership in Cincinnati, Ohio. She specializes in interactive 

design and has taught as an adjunct professor at the University 

of Cincinnati, where she acquired her bs in Graphic Design. 

Steve Carlin 

Steve is a Senior Graphic Designer at Cooper Carry, Inc. in 

Atlanta, Georgia, specializing in environmental graphic design. 

Steve holds a bs in Technical Graphics from Purdue University 

in Indiana. 

Tracy Pohl 

Tracy is currently working as a senior interior designer at 

Champlin Architecture in Cincinnati, Ohio with 10 years 

of experience in the field. She holds a bs in Design from the 

University of Cincinnati. 

Yolonda Baker 

Yolonda is a senior graphic designer at Deloitte, an 

international accounting and consulting firm based in Atlanta, 

Georgia. She focuses on print design, marketing materials, 

identity, and environmental graphics. Yolonda studied design 

at Creative Circus in Atlanta. 

69

educators 

Alysia Kaplan 

Alysia currently teaches foundation studies, design aesthetics, and 

photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (saic). 

She previously held a professorship position at the Museum 

School of Boston. Alysia graduated with a bfa from Rochester 

Institute of Technology in New York with her mfa from saic. 

Barry Roseman 

Barry is currently a professor at Savannah College of Art and 

Design (scad) in Atlanta, Georgia. He has taught previously 

at Atlanta College of Art and University of Tennessee at 

Chattanooga. With 17 years of experience, Barry has taught 

everything from typography, to brand/identity, packaging, 

publication, and information design. He attended both Yale 

University School of Art in Connecticut and Basel School of 

Design in Switzerland. 

Bill Newkirk 

Bill is currently a professor and department head of graphic 

design at Rhode Island School of Design (risd). He studied 

architecture and graphic design at risd, receiving a bfa in 

Graphic Design in 1968. With his 34 years of teaching experience, 

Bill has taught various coursework in foundation studies and 

graphic design. 

Carl Marxer 

Carl currently teaches motion media design at scad–Atlanta. 

He has previous taught at the Art Institute of Atlanta, Portfolio 

Center, and American InterContinental University. Carl received 

his bs in Design from the University of Tennessee with an mfa 

from scad. He also founded a design practice of his own in 1982 

entitled Video Production Services. 

Cary Staples 

Cary currently teaches at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. 

With 25 years of teaching experience, she has also held positions 

at the University of Connecticut and the University of New 

Orleans. Cary received her bfa from Kent State University and 

her mfa from Michigan State University, with additional study at 

Yale School of Art and Basel School of Design. Cary also practices 

professionally at f-one Design and Lightcone Interactive. 

Chitra Gopalakrishnan 

Chitra currently teaches graphic design at Grand Valley State 

University. His undergraduate degree was acquired from esag 

Penninghen in Paris, France with a mfa from Cranbrook 

Academy of Art in Michigan. Chitra practices design 

professionally with Illum Design Project pvt ltd, a 

brand strategy firm based in India. 

Daniel Morgenthaler 

Daniel has 25 years of experience teaching foundation studies, 

print design , and typography. He currently provides instruction 

within the visual communication department at SAIC with 

previous experience at DePaul University. Daniel attended the 

Basel School of Design in Switzerland for 6 years. He maintains 

his professional practice as owner of Studio29 in Chicago, Illinois. 

David Asari 

David currently teaches graphic design at California College of 

the Arts (cca) in San Francisco. He worked as a senior designer 

at Pentagram for 11 years. David acquired his bfa from the 

University of California, Berkeley and continued his graduate 

studies at cca. 

Dawn Barrett 

Dawn is the dean of architecture and design and a professor of 

graphic design at risd in Providence. Previously she held the 

position of head of design at the Jan van Eyck Akademie in the 

Netherlands. Dawn studied Fine Art at Smith College and unc, 

Chapel Hill and received a bachelors degree in art history from 

the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a masters degree 

in product design from the School of Design, nc State University, 

Raleigh. Since 2008 Dawn is also a member of nasad's Commission 

on Accreditation. 

Deborah Brooks 

Deborah currently teaches at Savannah College of Art and Design. 

With 35 years’ experience, she previously held professorship 

positions at Texas Tech, the University of Kentucky, Arizona State, 

Washington State, and Texas Christian University. Deborah is an 

University of North Carolina – Greensboro graduate. 

Denise Gonzales Crisp 

With her 20 years of teaching experience, Denise currently leads 

typography coursework at North Carolina State University, with 

previous positions at Art Center College of Design, California 

Institute of the Arts, and Otis Art Institute. Denise received her 

undergraduate degree from Art Center in illustration and graphic 

design with graduate studies at California Institute of the Arts. 

Don Adleta 

Don is a professor of design and the chair of the graphic design 

program at Ohio University. With his 30 years of experience, he 

has also taught at risd and Western Michigan University. Don 

attended the University of Cincinnati and Ohio University during 

his undergraduate studies with additional graduate study at Basel 

School of Design. 

Eric Heiman 

With 10 years of experience, Eric currently teaches graphic design 

at the California College of the Arts (cca) in San Francisco. He 

received a bachelor degree in architecture at Carnegie Mellon 

University with a bfa in graphic design from cca. Eric currently 

practices design professionally at a firm he co-founded entitled 

Volume Inc. 

Eric Benson 

Eric currently teaches full time at the University of Illinois Urbana- 

Champaign. His research areas of expertise include sustainable and 

greener graphic design practices and socially responsible design. Eric 

holds a bfa in Graphic and Industrial Design from the University of 

Michigan and a mfa in Design from the University of Texas. 

Henry Kim 

Henry is currently a professor and associate chair of the graphic 

design department at scad-Atlanta. With his 8 years of experience, 

Henry has also taught at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago, 

Robert Morris College, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. 

He received a bachelor of science in agriculture degree from Kyung 

Hee University in South Korea, a bfa from University of Illinois at 

Chicago, and a mfa from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Holly Quarzo 

Holly currently teaching interactive and web design studios at 

scad-Atlanta. She has a ba from the University of Rochester 

and a mfa from Indiana State University. Holly also practices 

professionally working with the Human Center Design Team 

at at&t Mobility. 

70


educators 

John Sharp 

John currently teaches interactive design and game development 

at scad-Atlanta. With his 10 years of experience, he has also 

held a teaching position at Parsons The New School for Design. 

John received his ba from the University of Georgia, and a ma 

and a ph.d from Indiana University. 

Kelly Bryant 

Kelly and her 22 years of experience currently teach 

publication, book, identity and logo design at Auburn 

University in Alabama. She previously taught at Samford 

University in Birmingham. In addition she works as a freelance 

illustrator and painter in the mediums of watercolor and acrylic. 

Kelly has a ma in Illustration from Syracuse University and a 

bfa in Graphic Design from Auburn University. 

Kermit Bailey 

Kermit has 20 years of experience, currently teaching interactive 

media, information design and typography at North Carolina 

State University. He received his ba in visual communication 

from North Carolina Central University and a master of 

product design in visual design from nc State University. 

Laura Chessin 

Laura is a current professor at Virginia Commonwealth 

University. With her 14 years of teaching experience, she 

has also instructed coursework at risd and the University of 

Massachusetts. Laura holds an mfa in graphic design from risd 

and a bfa in photography from Cornell University. Prior to 

her position at vcu, she maintained her own studio focused 

on publication and print-media design based in Amherst, ma. 

Leslie Becker 

Leslie is a professor with 31 years of experience. She currently 

teaches at the California College of the Arts, and previously 

at Cooper Union. Leslie has a ma in Design and a ph.d in 

Architectural Theory and Methods from uc Berkeley. She will 

lecture on design pedagogy to design professors in Beijing 

(Summer 2010) and she is an aiga fellow. 

Martha Scotford 

Martha currently teaches at North Carolina State University. 

With her 29 years of experience, she teaches everything from 

typography, to brand/identity, design aesthetics, design history, 

design methodology, foundation studies, packaging, portfolio, 

and publication design. Martha has a bfa and a mfa in Graphic 

Design from Yale University School of Art with post-graduate 

study at Bath Academy of Art in the uk. Martha also received 

a ba in Art History from Oberlin College. Her research focuses 

on women in art history and feminist theory. 

Mary McLaughlin 

Mary currently teaches typography, design methodology, 

and environmental graphic design coursework at Virginia 

Commonwealth University. She has a total of 23 years teaching 

experience with former positions at nc State and Boston 

University. Mary attended undergraduate school at 

the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. 

Merrick Henry 

Merrick currently teaches graphic design at scad. With 8 years 

of experience, he has also taught at Kansas State University. His 

attended undergraduate school at Kansas Wesleyan University, 

graduate school at Kansas State University, with additional 

study at Taft College in California. Merrick specializes 

teaching coursework in brand/identity design, print design, 

and typography. 

Mookesh Patel 

Mookesh currently teaches at Arizona State University School 

of Design Innovation. With his 32 years of experience, he has 

also taught at risd and the National Institute of Design (nid) 

in India. Mookesh received a ba in visual communication from 

nid in India, a bs from Ahmedabad Science College, Gujarat 

University in India, and a mfa in graphic design from risd. He 

is a practicing information/experience designer, principal and 

partner at InfoDesign Management Inc. in Scottsdale. 

Nancy Skolos 

With 20 years of experience, Nancy currently teaches graphic 

design at risd. She originally studied at the University of 

Cincinnati in industrial design. After two years of study, she 

was accepted as one of a few undergraduate students at 

Cranbrook Academy of Art where she completed her bfa in 

interdisciplinary design, and then went directly to Yale and 

received an mfa in graphic design. She currently practices design 

professionally with her husband to form the firm specializing in 

innovative poster design – Skolos-Wedell. 

Renee Seward 

Renee currently teaches digital design, brand/identity, design 

aesthetics, design methodology, and environmental graphic 

design at the University of Cincinnati (uc). She received her bs in 

Graphic design from uc and her mfa from North Carolina State 

University. 

Richard Shanks 

With his 14 years of teaching experience, Richard currently 

teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He received 

his bfa from the University of Michigan and his mfa from the 

California Institute of the Arts. Richard currently practices design 

professionally as president of UpShift Creative Group in Chicago. 

Samantha Lawrie 

Samantha currently teaches graphic design at Auburn 

University with 11 years of experience. She has a bfa and a 

Master of Education from Auburn, with a mfa from Louisiana 

Tech University. 

Santiago Piedrafita 

Santiago is currently an associate professor and chair of the 

department of graphic design and industrial design at North 

Carolina State University. Previously, Santiago chaired the Design 

Department at Minneapolis College of Art and Design (mcad). 

He holds a bfa from the College of Industrial Design in Brazil, 

and a ms from Pratt Institute in New York. Recently Santiago 

was named to the prestigious id Forty, The International Design 

Magazine’s annual list of 40 top designers, architects and visual 

professionals from around the globe. 

Sherry Blankenship 

With her 13 years of experience, Sherry currently teaches graphic 

design at Ohio University. She has previously taught in New 

Zealand, Lebanon and Qatar where she was also the graphic 

designer for Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. She 

has also taught courses in India, Turkey and Zimbabwe. She has 

a degree in education from Paterson State College in New Jersey 

and a mfa in visual communication design from North Carolina 

State University. 

71

students 

Amberlee Isabella 

University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky 

Bachelor of Art in Interior Design, Class of 2007 

Amy McNeil 

University of Cincinnati, College of Design, 

Architecture, Art and Planning in Cincinnati, Ohio 

Bachelors of Science in Graphic Design, Class of 2006 

Ariana Parenti 

Yale University School of Art in New Haven, 

Connecticut bfa in Design Candidate, Class of 2011 

Bess Weyandt 

Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, Georgia, 

Class of 2009. Smith College in Northampton, 

Massachusetts Class of 2004 

Brandon Roberts 

University of Cincinnati College of Applied Science, 

Cincinnati, Ohio, Class of 2008 

Chris Baareman 

Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia, 

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design, Class of 2006 

David Short 

scad-Atlanta mfa in Graphic Design Candidate. 

Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa Bachelor of 

Fine Arts in Graphic Design 

Jillian Paul 

scad-Atlanta mfa in Interior Design. 

University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida 

bfa in English, Film and Media Studies 

Johanna Barger 

scad-Atlanta mfa in Interior Design. 

Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, 

bfa in Art History, Class of 2006 

Julia Ruzich 


Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida 

Bachelor of Science in Studio Art 

Kaley Henning 

scad-Atlanta bfa in Graphic Design 

and Painting Candidate, Class of 2010 

Marisa Carter 

scad-Atlanta mfa in Interior Design Candidate. 

Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia 

ba in English, Class of 2005 

Meg McClelland 


Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California 

bfa in Studio Arts, Class of 2007 

Meghan Crosser 

scad-Atlanta bfa in Graphic Design Candidate. 

Young Harris College in Young Harris, Georgia 

Associate of Science, Class of 2006 

Michael Gluzman 

Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia 

Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design 

Nandhini Mehra 

Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta, Georgia, 

bfa in Graphic Design Candidate, Class of 2010 

Ryan Vihlen 

Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, ga, 

mfa in Graphic Design Candidate. 

Savannah College of Art and Design in 

Savannah, Georgia, bfa in Furniture Design 

Sean Gladden 


Atlanta, Georgia, bfa in Graphic Design Candidate. 

Silvina Guerreiro 


Atlanta, Georgia bfa in Advertising Candidate. 

Therese Mushock 

Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, ga, 

mfa in Graphic Design, Class of 2009. 

University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia 

ba in Journalism and Political Science, Class of 2004 

72


I think what I feel fortunate 

about is that things still amaze 

me... the possibility for learning 

never disappears. 

Milton Glaser 

73

I am still 

learning. 

Michelangelo 

74

Nicole Roberts MFA Thesis Visual Component Artwork - Savannah ...

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