Sequenced instruction provides rigorous training in the use of gesture, anatomy, and structural figure drafting. Drawing the human figure from the inside out fosters an understanding of complex visual relationships. Upon completion of the course, students are able to analyze the human form and to view it as a complex perceptual model for the larger realm of visual experience. 

Recommended for students planning to select Digital Media, Toy Design and Fashion Design as their major; open to students interested in any major.

A first semester Foundation course focused on studying, researching and exploring practices of creativity that bridge art/design disciplines. Through a variety of methodologies, lecture, research and discussion, Creative Practices I provides students opportunities to develop perceptual abilities in ways that incite curiosity and engagement with inquiry. Learning to ‘see’, students question their assumptions of what and how they observe complex visual relationships, locate bias, and develop awareness of context and intentionality of their own work and that of peers and exemplars. Projects are self-directed and non-discipline specific.

Recommended for students planning to select Product Design, Fine Arts, or Communication Arts: Graphic Design as their major.

This course is a sequenced investigation of various organizing principles using traditional and contemporary media. Students learn fundamentals of value manipulation as determinants of visual order. Elements of visual literacy provide a basis for the study of compositional fundamentals, including focal point(s), directional elements, and visual weight.

Students study form in both two-dimensional rendering and three-dimensional building through drawing and building objects. Skills of relational measurement, compositional organization, and the placement of form in space inform both drawing and form-building activities. Drawing techniques such as perspective and isometric projection facilitate successful form generation.

Lab fee: $30

A first semester Foundation course focused on studying, researching and exploring practices of creativity that bridge art/design disciplines. Through a variety of methodologies, lecture, research and discussion, Creative Practices I provides students opportunities to develop perceptual abilities in ways that incite curiosity and engagement with inquiry. Learning to ‘see’, students question their assumptions of what and how they observe complex visual relationships, locate bias, and develop awareness of context and intentionality of their own work and that of peers and exemplars. Projects are self-directed and non-discipline specific.

Recommended for students planning to select Product Design, Fine Arts, or Communication Arts: Graphic Design as their major.

A second-semester Foundation course focused on exploring practices of creativity that bridge art/design disciplines. Students are exposed to a diverse range of concepts, materials, and methods for working creatively. In-class activities promote the documentation of individual creative processes and the synthesis of intuitive, culturally constructed, and personal impulses into inventive visual responses.

Recommended for students planning to select Product Design, Fine Arts, or Communication Arts: Graphic Design as their major; open to students interested in any major.

Sequenced instruction provides rigorous training in the use of gesture, anatomy, and structural figure drafting. Drawing the human figure from the inside out fosters an understanding of complex visual relationships. Upon completion of the course, students are able to analyze the human form and to view it as a complex perceptual model for the larger realm of visual experience. 

Recommended for students planning to select Digital Media, Toy Design and Fashion Design as their major; open to students interested in any major.

Structural drawing and perceptual skills are expanded through study of the figure's relation to environment, life-scale, movement, and draping. Students discover individual sensibilities of mark making and aspects of personal vision, through a variety of traditional and experimental drawing media and techniques.

Prerequisite: FNDT180 Life Drawing I
Recommended for students planning to select Digital Media, Fashion Design or Toy Design as their major.

A second-semester Creative Action studio course introducing students to contextually- based problem solving using fundamentals of color and design. Students learn Munsell color theory and practical aspects of color mixing such as value, hue, and chroma. Students apply these skills in solving problems that engage the larger community, trans- disciplinary practice, research, and collaboration. Prerequisite: FNDT115 Principles of Design

Students employ acquired skills transferred from Drawing and Building Form to explore and exploit materials as well as to discover unique processes in creating novel form. The study of three-dimensional design expands to encompass meaning construction, composition and research as students engage the more complex issues of form and space.

Prerequisite: FNDT160 Drawing and Building Form
Recommended for students planning to select A/L/I, Fashion Design, Toy Design or Product Design as their major.

Students transfer and expand on observational drawing skills acquired from Drawing and Building Form with the application of color and addition of problem finding and complexity of idea. Acquisition of research skills, and the introduction of more varied drawing media, methods and materials fosters students’ realization of aspects of personal vision.

Prerequisite: FNDT 160 Drawing & Building Form

Recommended for students planning to select Digital Media as their major​​​​​

Foundation year students can pick any Foundation Elective to fulfil this requirement. See the department or the Course Catalog for more information.

Students master the elements of visual literacy and the organizational principals of design and apply them to translating ideas into form. Design intent is emphasized through the meaningful manipulation of line, plane, volume, value, texture and color in 2D and 3D projects. Students present their work in a series of critique sessions to faculty and industry professionals. 

Students develop their individual creative process through the exploration and manipulation of materials and methods to express a visual response to a theme or content. Demonstrations and hands-on projects expose students to a variety of materials and methods as means to stimulate curiosity, exploration, invention and solution finding and developing an aesthetic eye and personal vision. Students begin to organize and integrate their work into a portfolio adn webstie. 

This project-based studio develops hand-drawing skills as a core skill and primary tool in the ideation process and communication. Students develop skills in sketching and rendering with emphasis on form, perspective, dimensionality, and surface characteristics. Students explore varied media techniques to foster personal vision and style. Course projects complement the main Design Studio I/II projects.
Co-requisites: PRDS200/201 Design Studio

This course integrates 2D graphics and 3D computer-aided-design (CAD) as a means to communicate ideas and as a process for design and digital modeling. The emphasis of Digital Design I is the use of graphic design as a means to complement hand drawing skills. Students learn to integrate layout, typography, image manipulation, and storytelling, as a means to communicate and persuade. Digital Design II focuses on 3D (CAD) as a means to translate visual ideas into technical and three dimensional renderings that can be used for rapid prototyping, laser cutting and CNC equipment to produce parts for fabrication and model building. In class projects complement the main Design Studio I/II projects.
Co-requisites: PRDS200/201 Design Studio I/II

Students master the elements of visual literacy and the organizational principals of design and apply them to translating ideas into form. Design intent is emphasized through the meaningful manipulation of line, plane, volume, value, texture and color in 2D and 3D projects. Students present their work in a series of critique sessions to faculty and industry professionals. 

Students develop their individual creative process through the exploration and manipulation of materials and methods to express a visual response to a theme or content. Demonstrations and hands-on projects expose students to a variety of materials and methods as means to stimulate curiosity, exploration, invention and solution finding and developing an aesthetic eye and personal vision. Students begin to organize and intergrate their work into a portfolio and website. 

This project-based studio develops hand-drawing skills as a core skill and primary tool in the ideation process and communication. Students develop skills in sketching and rendering with emphasis on form, perspective, dimensionality, and surface characteristics. Students explore varied media techniques to foster personal vision and style. Course projects complement the main Design Studio I/II projects.
Co-requisites: PRDS200/201 Design Studio

This course integrates 2D graphics and 3D computer-aided-design (CAD) as a means to communicate ideas and as a process for design and digital modeling. The emphasis of Digital Design I is the use of graphic design as a means to complement hand drawing skills. Students learn to integrate layout, typography, image manipulation, and storytelling, as a means to communicate and persuade. Digital Design II focuses on 3D (CAD) as a means to translate visual ideas into technical and three dimensional renderings that can be used for rapid prototyping, laser cutting and CNC equipment to produce parts for fabrication and model building. In class projects complement the main Design Studio I/II projects.
Co-requisites: PRDS200/201 Design Studio I/II

This intermediate level project-based studio is divided into three areas of study; hard goods (durable products), soft goods (non-durable products) and package design and the various families of materials and processes involved in these areas of study. Students select one on the three areas of study per semester. In all three areas, a professional designer (mentor) presents a design problem to be solved for a target market or consumer group. Students learn to research the user experience, identify solutions, and develop wellconceived and well executed ideas, and present their concepts for critique to professionals. 

Focuses on the process of creativity to enhance personal vision, creative insight, problem solving and innovative thinking. Through a series of projects, students learn to think laterally and express their ideas through the integration of lifecycle research, resourcing, art and design processes, materials and methods and various technologies.

This project-based course introduces the development cycle of products after the design cycle has been completed. In the first semester, emphasis is placed on preparing products for domestic and overseas manufacturing and requirements related to safety, performance and user experience. In the second semester, student advance their product development skills and learn marketing and distribution strategies, branding, and line extensions.

An advanced computer lab intended to build upon principles introduced in Digital Design II. Students explore various 3D software applications to expand CAD design skills and the use of computer program output information for computer-aided rapid prototyping technology, fabrication methods and presentation.
Co-requisites: PRDS302/303 Design Studio III/IV 

This intermediate level project-based studio is divided into three areas of study; hard goods (durable products), soft goods (non-durable products) and package design and the various families of materials and processes involved in these areas of study. Students select one on the three areas of study per semester. In all three areas, a professional designer (mentor) presents a design problem to be solved for a target market or consumer group. Students learn to research the user experience, identify solutions, and develop wellconceived and well executed ideas, and present their concepts for critique to professionals. 

Focuses on the process of creativity to enhance personal vision, creative insight, problem solving and innovative thinking. Through a series of projects, students learn to think laterally and express their ideas through the integration of lifecycle research, resourcing, art and design processes, materials and methods and various technologies. 

This project-based course introduces the development cycle of products after the design cycle has been completed. In the first semester, emphasis is placed on preparing products for domestic and overseas manufacturing and requirements related to safety, performance and user experience. In the second semester, student advance their product development skills and learn marketing and distribution strategies, branding, and line extensions. 

An upper-division interdisciplinary studio course offering unique core content that shifts from term to term. This studio affords students the opportunity to engage with professionals from various fields and expand their notion of problem solving beyond their major in public site real world challenges.

A limited choice of CAIL300 courses will count for the Sustainability Minor.
Please see the Interdisciplinary Studies Director.

This is an advanced level project-based studio course. In the first semester, a visiting industry professional (mentor) presents a design project(s) to be solved and work with the faculty to guide and critique the student work. In the second semester students create their own capstone design project from ideation through to a prototype and work with faculty and partner with industry professionals for guidance and critique. 

This course explores emerging technologies and interaction design based upon user experience research. Students apply functional analysis techniques, task and user modeling methodologies that lead to strategic thinking and validating their designs. Emphasis is on developing a proficiency in communicating and presenting complex information in simple terms for client presentation and product development. In class projects complement the main Design Studio and capstone project.
Co-requisites: PRDS 402/403 Design Studio V/VI 

An advanced project-based studio course that focuses on new project management methodologies related the development cycle of products from design through to the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of the product. Students develop a project development plan for their own projects and present it to industry professionals. In the second semester, students work with professional mentors in applying product development methods in the fabrication of their own projects. 

The course focuses on a wide range of strategies and skills required to organize accumulated work into a market-ready professional portfolio, website, or presentation. Emphasis is on developing a proficiency in tactical presentation strategies that deliver impact with visual and rhetorical force that will persuade the audience. In-class projects complement the main Design Studio, capstone project and Senior Show projects. 

This is an advanced level project-based studio course. In the first semester, a visiting industry professional (mentor) presents a design project(s) to be solved and work with the faculty to guide and critique the student work. In the second semester students create their own capstone design project from ideation through to a prototype and work with faculty and partner with industry professionals for guidance and critique. 

This course explores emerging technologies and interaction design based upon user experience research. Students apply functional analysis techniques, task and user modeling methodologies that lead to strategic thinking and validating their designs. Emphasis is on developing a proficiency in communicating and presenting complex information in simple terms for client presentation and product development. In class projects complement the main Design Studio and capstone project.
Co-requisites: PRDS 402/403 Design Studio V/VI 

An advanced project-based studio course that focuses on new project management methodologies related the development cycle of products from design through to the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of the product. Students develop a project development plan for their own projects and present it to industry professionals. In the second semester, students work with professional mentors in applying product development methods in the fabrication of their own projects. 

The course focuses on a wide range of strategies and skills required to organize accumulated work into a market-ready professional portfolio, website, or presentation. Emphasis is on developing a proficiency in tactical presentation strategies that deliver impact with visual and rhetorical force that will persuade the audience. In-class projects complement the main Design Studio, capstone project and Senior Show projects.