Digital Multimedia Design Minor

This course introduces students to current computing trends and technology. Office applications are taught. Students will build their own websites using a popular content management system (CMS) such as WordPress. Students will complete this course with a solid understanding of computing trends, how to use computers, and how to effectively access information on the World Wide Web. This course is not a required course or approved elective for a Computer Science or MIS degree. Prerequisite: None.

Discover the building blocks of visual communication.
This course introduces you to the building blocks of two-dimensional visual communication. Through hands-on projects and guided exercises, you’ll learn how to use line, shape, color, and space to create dynamic, eye-catching designs. Exploring how balance, contrast, and alignment will make your design projects stronger and communicate clearly. In reviews and group critiques you’ll also learn the language of visual design. You’ll also get a taste of what it’s like to work in the real world—meeting deadlines, solving creative problems, and sharing your ideas with others. Along the way, you’ll start using Adobe Illustrator, a powerful design tool used by professionals everywhere.

Design that connects brands to audiences
In this course, students are introduced to user-centered design thinking by building client profile and developing visual concepts to support the company and engage their target audiences. From that starting point, students design a logo and supporting identity elements and apply the brand across a coordinated set of communications such as stationery. Incorporating images to support the narrative, students design a variety of single-page promotions, including posters, ads, billboards, digital displays and social media posts. Projects will be built in Illustrator and InDesign, using AI tools to enhance the design workflow. Emphasis is placed on creating engaging communications that meet professional standards. Through role-playing, collaboration and reviews, students learn about the expectations of professional design practice, including articulating their ideas, meeting deadlines and deliverables, and presenting their work for critique. 

Design communications with clarity and impact.
In this course, you’ll build on what you learned in Foundations 1 and dive deeper into how design connects people with messages. You’ll explore how to plan layouts, choose the right fonts, and arrange words and images so they’re clear, engaging, and easy to understand. You’ll work on creative projects that start with real-world challenges—like helping a brand or organization communicate with a specific audience. You’ll sketch, design, and get feedback from your classmates as you bring your ideas to life across different formats, from posters to websites. You’ll also learn how to design text and use type creatively and effectively—how to pick fonts, design headlines, and make sure your message stands out.

Design publications with architecture and style
In this course, you'll learn how to plan and design multi-page publications like booklets, newsletters, and zines. Using Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, you’ll build layouts that stay visually consistent from cover to cover. You’ll work with grids, master pages, and styles to create a polished, professional look. You’ll also explore how to choose the right images and type to support a message—and keep your audience engaged.

Craft compelling visuals that tell powerful stories
This course introduces students to the fundamentals of digital imaging as a core design skill. Students learn how to source and modify images—both vector and raster—and to create original visual content to communicate ideas clearly and creatively. Using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, they explore how to crop, color, combine, and layer images while incorporating text and layout techniques. Projects include event posters, web banners, and social media content such as Instagram posts—formats that demand strong visual impact and clear messaging. AI tools are introduced to support tasks like image cleanup, enhancement, and layout experimentation. The course emphasizes both visual storytelling and professional production standards used across digital platforms. Students gain fluency in creative workflows and image preparation for multi-platform design projects.

Level up your skills with advanced tools and AI support.
This course takes your image editing to the next level. You'll combine and modify vector and raster images for maximum impact in branding, social media, packaging, and more. Learn how to manage complex projects and create eye-catching visuals that work across platforms.  AI tools will help you work faster and experiment with creative effects. This course ends with a campaign using your custom visual assets.

Design complex, professional layouts from cover to cover.
In this advanced course, you’ll create large multi-page publications like catalogs or newspapers. You’ll learn how to manage large numbers of images and pages while keeping your layout organized and consistent. Topics include creating templates, linking and embedding images and fonts, preparing files for print, setting up bleeds and crop marks, and making sure everything looks great on press. You’ll also sharpen your skills in image selection, typography, and critique as you explain your design ideas and solve real-world challenges.

This course requires students to complete an internship in a digital multimedia design or web-related field. Weekly logs and design work are required for internships and are reviewed by members of the Digital Multimedia Design Department faculty at the completion of the internship. The purpose of the internship is to provide students with practical experience to complement their coursework.

This course introduces students to problem solving techniques used in programming. In order to reinforce these concepts in a concrete manner, students will develop numerous programs using a popular programming language. They will implement programs using objects, input, output and variables and utilize programming control structures such as loops, selection structures, methods, and classes. Corequisite: MCON 104.

Survey course of historical periods of Western art from ancient to contemporary. The course will explore major examples of painting, sculpture, and architecture as they reflect social and political influences. The fundamentals of art aesthetics are taught, including the art elements and design principles which create the development of form.

A lecture course that considers the architectural and urban design theories of some of the most significant architects, designers and planners in the Western tradition, covering theories from antiquity to the present. Ideas discussed include: the role of the architect in society, the nature of architectural beauty, the urban and rural context of architecture, functionalism, artistic creativity, the nature of materials and the relevance of the Western tradition of architecture. Prerequisite: COAN 101.

This course presents a survey of modern art and architecture from the mid- to late 18th century to the 20th century. Additionally, the class will learn how to “look” at art and architecture by examining the aesthetic nature of art. Methods of criticism and aesthetics will be considered as well as their historical and contemporary sources.

Survey of the visual arts including painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and film, from the Ancient World through the present. The interconnection between American and world culture is explored.

This course presents an historical overview of the development of graphic design as a discipline, using industry publications, reference materials, audio visual media, as well as field trips to museums, design studios, professional organizations and other places pertinent to the course content. Using a lecture/discussion format, the course provides a thorough visual and conceptual background for understanding how designers communicate. Research projects are also assigned.

Explore digital photography for creative expression and design.
This course introduces students to digital photography as a medium for artistic, editorial, and design applications. Students learn camera operations, image composition, and digital workflow techniques using DSLR or mirrorless cameras and smartphone photography when appropriate. Assignments explore both traditional and experimental approaches to image-making, with a focus on visual storytelling and creative intent. Students enhance and manipulate their images using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, incorporating AI-assisted tools to streamline editing, retouching, and compositing. Students are expected to supply their own cameras and basic equipment.

Course exploring color through the basic concepts of visual art; line, shape, value, texture, space and composition. Pastel, ink wash and mixed media.

Create expressive, powerful illustrations with digital tools
Students explore digital illustration as a tool for conceptual thinking and creative communication. Working in both vector and raster environments—Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop—students learn the strengths and limitations of each format and how to move fluidly between them. Assignments emphasize developing illustrations for editorial, advertising, packaging, and informational contexts. Students experiment with image-making techniques, layer-based compositing, and AI-assisted tools such as Adobe Firefly for sketch generation, colorization, or layout ideation. The course encourages a personal visual style, thoughtful tool selection, and synthesis of techniques across media. Students build a professional portfolio that reflects both innovation and technical depth.