Graphic Design MFA

Explore the principles of design that define design as a discipline. By examining historical, social, and cultural influences, you'll develop essential skills in design thinking and visual creation. Refine your skills by creating thoughtful, purpose-driven design solutions that effectively meet project goals. Assignments will include traditional design methods and AI explorations, providing a comprehensive foundation for modern design challenges.

Explore the art of typography. You'll develop an in-depth understanding of letterforms, proportion, hierarchy, legibility, structure, and aesthetics, enabling you to create impactful typographic solutions to various design challenges. Assignments will include traditional approaches alongside experimental projects using AI, helping you build strong foundational skills while exploring new, innovative possibilities in typography.

Become fluent in visual language. You'll master the universal design principles, communication theory techniques, and critical skills to create meaning and understanding from the complex information that surrounds us.

Take a deeper dive into the theory and applications of typography. You'll increase your ability to communicate content and meaning of text using organization, hierarchy, layout, and grid-system skills.

Use design to put it all together and get things done. Through specific process development techniques, you'll use your design thinking and visual development abilities to create unique design solutions that accomplish their intended goals.

Building on the skills learned in Type Forms and Type Composition, you will learn to construct larger systems of typography through the development of linear narrative structures, non-linear interactive formats, and coordinated brand expressions. You will develop typographic communications and technical solutions for a wider array of mediums and platforms.

Learn to create the identity and branding systems crucial to the success of businesses, organizations, products, goods, and services. Through careful strategy, development, and implementation of brand and identity assets, you'll create the visual assets critical to survive the contemporary business world.

Declare a thesis topic for your graduate studies. To secure your place in the MFA program and the opportunity to further develop your ideas, you will identify, explore, and propose a suitable thesis topic as a midpoint proposal.

Develop proficiency in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign by engaging in comprehensive design projects. You will delve into Adobe's design suite and AI-enhanced design tools.

Design intuitive product experiences by understanding a target audience and the devices they interact with. You'll explore the user experience design process while utilizing industry standard tools and artificial intelligence.