We are a visual culture. As a Communication Arts student, you can draw and paint, make websites, apps and videos, develop identity systems and branding, design books and magazines –– whatever best expresses your idea.
You’ll choose from one of two areas of emphasis: Illustration or Graphic Design. You can also minor in Advertising Design. Our cross-disciplinary program challenges you to create captivating visual communications across a wide range of media.
Graphic design students research and conceive projects that combine images and typography to convey specific ideas. Illustration students develop strong personal style and image-making skills in a variety of media.
We emphasize collaboration between disciplines and media fluency, helping you sharpen your skills and voice through critiques, reviews, and workshops as well as experiential learning through visiting artists, conventions, field trips, and student exhibitions.
You’ll graduate with the ability to deliver dynamic visual communications for a variety of applications.
Communication Arts offers a broad, cross-disciplinary learning experience for students interested in pursuing Advertising Design, Graphic Design, and Illustration - all disciplines that focus on effective and arresting visual communication.
Graphic Design
Graphic Design challenges students to research, develop, and refine projects that combine meaning with image-making and typographic form.
Illustration
Illustrators develop a strong personal style in their images and use their image-making skills to support the communication needs of a variety of clients in multiple contexts.
Minors
Students in select departments the opportunity to extend and complement their work by pursuing a minor. View all minors
Communication Arts offers a minor in Advertising Design. See Advertising Design Minor for more details.
Meet the People
Kali Nikitas, Chair (Bio)
Tanya Rubbak, Interim Assistant Chair (Bio)
John White, Coordinator - Advertising Design (Bio)
Tucker Neel, Coordinator - Illustration (Bio)
Ana Lorente, Coordinator - Graphic Design (Bio)
Barbara Edison – Department Manager
Contact the Department
Phone: (310) 665-6843
Graphic Design
Graphic Design challenges students to research, develop, and refine projects that combine meaning with image-making and typographic form.
Illustration
Illustrators develop a strong personal style in their images and use their image-making skills to support the communication needs of a variety of clients in multiple contexts.
Student Work
Click here for the department's tumblr page or check out the Graphic Design and Illustration pages to see emphasis-specific work.
Visiting Artists and Designers
We invite celebrated artists in the fields of graphic design and illustration to share their experience and projects with our students, like alumnus Davis Ngarupe of Actual Source pictured here.
Faculty
Communication Arts faculty are leaders in their chosen field, find out more about their work here.
Contact
Have a question about the program? Contact us.
