Graphic Design, Bachelor of Science

Offered by the Department of Art
Professor Kutbay
Associate Professor Schlegel
Assistant Professor Anderson, Whitehouse (Chairperson)

Mission

The Graphic Design major at Mansfield University is a comprehensive program within a small, liberal arts university. A tremendous amount of individual attention is given to students, from professors and advisors, providing guidance for the major’s two distinct tracks in print and motion graphics. The program, which is rooted in the Mansfield Creed of character, scholarship, culture, and service, is positioned in the Art Department with ties to The Department of Communication. The Graphic Design program also incorporates the disciplines of art, marketing, journalism, and business—creating a well-rounded understanding of the field of graphic design, as it is the voice that speaks to and through these distinct disciplines. Students studying in this program will complete an internship or a community-based practicum project, as well as a senior capstone exhibition or presentation, before receiving their degree. It is a goal of the program, to have our students leave Mansfield University, not merely with training in the practice of graphic design, but with an approach to thinking, communicating, and creating that will allow them to be future problem-solvers and catalysts for successful visual communication within our society.

Vision

The Graphic Design program at Mansfield University will strive to offer a challenging, enterprising approach to the expression of visual information.  Our students will be leaders and competitors in this discipline—thinking outside of, and beyond, the box of conventional education. Through a belief that one can create a life, which embraces integrity, cherishes learning, celebrates differences, and reaches out to others, our graphic design students will use their collective creative voice as an influence for positive change.

Goals

• Lead our students in the discipline and profession of graphic design, with a philosophy that is rooted in art and crosses the terrain of communication and business.
• Educate the next generation of forward-looking graphic designers with adaptable, cross-curricular abilities and perspectives.
• Present the opportunity for students to engage in a program where they will have a competitive position to be employed in the graphic design field or be well prepared to continue on for specialized study at the graduate level.
• Foster a perspective for problem-solving methodologies and a broad approach to the role and influence design can have within society.
• Develop a work ethic of continuous learning and an ongoing utilization of current and changing technologies in the field of graphic design.
• Provide our students with an affordable opportunity to study and experience cultures where design plays a vital role, creates a positive impact, and exerts an influential voice for a conscientious society.

Student Learning Outcomes

• Elements and Principles of Design – Recognize and employ the use of the Elements and Principles within all forms of art and graphic design.
• Discipline-specific Vocabulary – Identify and interpret terminology associated with the concepts, techniques, and processes used in art and graphic design.
• Design Process – Create visual communication solutions implementing the various stages of the creative design process. 
• History and Culture – Distinguish between the historical periods and styles of graphic design, and apply period-related colors, typefaces, and imagery, as appropriate to assignments.
• Tools, Skills, and Techniques – Practice and employ the operation of equipment and procedures associated with multiple facets of graphic design. These may include: printmaking, traditional- and/or digital-photography, typography, and book binding, as well as computer hardware and software associated with art and design processes, in both Mac and Windows platforms. 
• Commercial Processes – Execute and present a working knowledge of the requirements and techniques used in commercial fabrication of graphic design pieces, in the production of either print- or motion-based work.
• Problem Solving – Evaluate and combine rational and intuitive processes and skills, together with the ability to analyze, research, and make clear deductions, to create visually cohesive and thoughtful communications using the creative, problem-solving process.
• Presentation, Review and Critique – Present, evaluate, and verbally communicate, or receive, constructive feedback in response to an objective set of criteria for any given work of art or graphic design.