Program Overview

The four-year Bachelor in Fine Arts in Graphic Design, BFA degree program consists of an integrated, inter-disciplinary sequence that is designed to strengthen communication skills, promote teamwork and individuality, stimulate creativity, and provide both traditional and technological skills for the career-oriented student.

Graphic Design students learn techniques and processes to build their portfolios with works prepared for both traditional print and new media including typography, branding and identity, promotional campaigns, publications, motion, and interactive. Typefaces, logos, and websites, drawing, painting, and video: all part of the SASD Graphic Design Program. The program emphasizes process, real-world community projects, and skill-building toward a final self-directed project in the senior year. SASD is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), the governing body of undergraduate and graduate art and design schools.

Graphic Design Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate ability to identify, analyze, and solve graphic design problems. Assessment: Portfolio projects appropriately respond to project briefs, and are clear, focused, expressive, and communicative solutions to the stated problems.
• Demonstrate mastery of design tools, techniques, and concepts in graphic design. Assessment: Projects and portfolios that evidence craftsmanship, adherence to project parameters, and appropriate selection of typefaces, images, composition, and implementation.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the aesthetics of form development and of the history and current state of design.
• Demonstrate proficiency in selection and use of relevant technologies in design. Abilities to use available technical and industrial processes to produce a design product, and to design and implement such a process. Assessment: Project and portfolio materials are made with the appropriate technology or software for the final application. Projects are planned to be feasibly reproducible by industrial/commercial means rather than by one-off or by hand.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the cultural and societal connections linking graphic design trends and processes as well as a knowledge of business practices and of the market place. Assessment: Projects and portfolio solutions that are culturally- and audience-appropriate for the problem as posed by the brief for the project
• Demonstrate proficiency in presenting their own work as well as discussing and constructively critiquing the work of others. Assessment: Active participation in class critiques; clear, thoughtful presentation of students’ own projects, ability to give, accept, and incorporate feedback.