LSU BFA Graphic Design

LSU SCHOOL OF ART seeing a bigger picture

Graphic Design Undergraduate BFA

New tools, in the hands of creative and well-informed conceptual thinkers, have changed the world and are transforming the way we think and feel.

Cindy Nguyen (Senior)

Ashley Trowel (Junior)

Brandon Coffee (Sophomore)

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LSU SCHOOL OF ART seeing a bigger picture

Undergraduate BFA Graphic Design The past twenty years have brought a massive expansion in the scope of opportunities for creative practice by visual artists. Wherever words and images are used to present information or attract attention—in print, on websites, at a retail store or a business office as well as in multimedia and multi-disciplinary projects—today’s graphic designers are challenged to be masters of a complex cluster of aesthetic, conceptual, technological, social, strategic and presentation skills.

The graphic design curriculum prepares students to meet this challenge through a broad range of experiences in the development of work in typography, print and editorial design, information design, digital imaging, packaging, and environmental design, identity design and branding.

Whether they choose to pursue independent professional practice or become members of a creative team in design, advertising, corporate communications, education, publishing or the non-profit sectors, our students are equipped to be creatively inspired and thoughtfully analytical in addressing issues of value and meaning in their work and their lives.

We prepare our students to become visual communicators, critical thinkers and creative problem solvers.

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Undergraduate Admissions The LSU School of Art seeks motivated, enthusiastic students regardless of previous background in the visual arts. However, admission into the BFA in studio art program is a selective two-part process that begins when a student who has been accepted by LSU’s admissions office indicates a preference for studio art.

Foundation Year The first part of the admissions process occurs when a student who is accepted by LSU indicates a preference for studio art as their major. The primary tool for identifying candidates to enter the studio art Foundations Program is a review of their high school academic GPA and ACT or SAT scores. Students who feel they would be better represented by a personal interview to present their portfolio should contact the School of Art office to schedule an on-campus meeting. Students who have been accepted for admission into the Foundations Program will be notified in writing. Students who are not accepted into one of the major concentrations may complete the minor in fine arts.

Three Year Concentration & Selective Admissions The second phase of the admissions process for the BFA in studio art takes place upon completion of the first-year Foundations Program. Students submit a portfolio of work created in their first-year foundation courses (Graphic Design Selective Admissions). Students who successfully pass this review may pursue a three-year concentration in Graphic Design and any studio art minor concentration listed in the LSU General Catalog.

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LSU SCHOOL OF ART seeing a bigger picture

Graphic Design Selective Admissions Display

Transfer students Transfer students from other LSU programs and from other universities will be considered according to the same selective admissions standards. Individuals not admitted to the professional program through the selective admissions process may continue with other BFA requirements but will not have access to courses in the graphic design concentration. Transfer credits will be accepted for degree credit if the completed coursework is equivalent to degree work in the LSU School of Art, as determined by portfolio evaluation by the graphic design faculty and the school director. The deadline for transfer applications is February 15th for the fall semester and September 15th for the spring semester each year. Prospective students should contact the graphic design area coordinator well in advance of the transfer deadline.

Personal Computer Requirement Students accepted into the Graphic Design curriculum are required to have their own wireless internet access laptop computer prior to entering the second year of study. Information regarding the type, specifications, and software is available on the School of Art website.

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Other Aspects of the Curriculum Art history The goal of the art history curriculum is to make artistic traditions relevant and to celebrate the masters of both past and the present in a way that enables students to develop an understanding of the history and criticism surrounding the studio area(s) in which they practice. The coursework enables students to understand their own place in the continuum of culture and to use their knowledge of past periods and styles to inform their analysis of present and future projects, problems and practices.

A total of five courses (15 credits) comprise the art history requirement of the digital art curriculum.

Liberal arts and sciences In the 39-hour general education curriculum, students learn to think for themselves in new ways about the age-old questions of existence that touch upon each of our lives and find their way into every work of our creative expression. Students become more inquisitive, inventive and productive artists in the process.

The general education requirement represents a conviction on the part of the faculty that all students need to reason logically, communicate effectively and relate to the world around them. While courses completed in studio art develop specific knowledge and skills in a chosen profession, general education courses not only enhance awareness of the world and the people in it, but also foster an appreciation of the arts and humanities and provide a basic understanding of mathematical and scientific principles.

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LSU SCHOOL OF ART seeing a bigger picture

Art history and general education courses are designed to produce students who have developed:

»» an effective command of written and spoken English, »» an informed appreciation of the roles of the arts and the humanities, »» a familiarity with the nature and function of the social sciences, »» an appreciation of the methods of critical inquiry, »» an ability to deal with moral and ethical issues, »» a reasoned basis for selecting a career path, »» an understanding of other cultures and other times, »» and a comprehension of how knowledge is acquired and applied.

Christina Chang, Spencer Bagert and Ashley Trowel receive 2012 Student ADDY Awards

Senior graphic design student Andrea Rivera receives the 2012 ADDY Student Best in Show Award

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Learning outcomes for all students in the School of Art Students graduating with the BFA in Studio Art demonstrate that they have developed:

»» a portfolio of original work suitable for either the pursuit of graduate study or professional practice in their area of concentration;

»» an ability to conduct research and to synthesize solutions to artistic, technical and conceptual problems within their area of concentration;

»» an understanding of art and design principles and skill in artistic, technical and conceptual decision making;

»» the experience to evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional language;

»» an eye for significant historical and contemporary cultural trends and styles that affect their work;

»» the skills to communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using relevant visual, oral and written presentations;

»» the professional and social behaviors necessary to cooperate and compete successfully.

Senior Ashley Trowel posting work for critique.

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LSU SCHOOL OF ART seeing a bigger picture

Program Milestones Junior Portfolio Review At the junior level there is a mandatory portfolio review at the end of the fall semester. This is a digital portfolio requirement that includes a selection of work completed in the first year and a half of the program. It is reviewed by the Graphic Design faculty and feedback is provided at the start of the second semester of junior year to help improve the overall portfolio.

Senior Exhibition At the senior level there is an exhibition requirement that takes place at the end of the spring semester that features select pieces from the senior portfolio or capstone class. This exhibition is open to the public and is an opportunity for parents, family, friends, and professionals to view the students’ accomplishments.

2014 Senior Graphic Design Exhibition: “y=x”

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Facilities Graphic Design occupies offices, classrooms and studio spaces in the Art Building (ca. 1920) which reflects the historical character of the campus and houses the administrative offices of the School of Art. Next door is the modern (1983) Design Building which features a large 3-story indoor atrium where students can meet for coffee and view informational exhibitions. Adjacent to these buildings are landscaped outdoor study areas and the spacious, tree-shaded Sculpture Park, which features rotating displays of outdoor sculpture by faculty and regional artists.

Computer labs The Art Building houses two 24-seat labs equipped with state-of-the-art hardware

and

professional

quality software for still and motion graphics, photography, digital imaging, Web and interactive design, 3D modeling and animation. A high-speed wireless network, servers for file and Web hosting as well as numerous input and output devices complement the resources of our students’ laptops to provide a comprehensive design and production studio environment.

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LSU SCHOOL OF ART seeing a bigger picture

Student Organizations GDSA The Graphic Design Student Association is a student group that offers its members many design-related activities throughout the year, such as field trips to local design firms, fundraising activities, student competitions, and participation in professional design club activities with the American Advertising Federation of Baton Rouge and AIGA New Orleans. Students may become elected officers in the GDSA, where they learn valuable leadership skills.

GDSO The Graphic Design Student Office is a student-led design office that provides professional design services for local community organizations and university departments, giving students the opportunity to gain valuable real world experience. GDSO students learn communication skills by interacting with fellow designers, clients, printers and professionals. GDSO projects have won awards from the American Advertising Federation, the International Design Awards, the American Graphic Design Awards (GD USA Magazine), and have been featured in the Print Regional Design Annual.

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Activities Internships The graphic design program has a thriving internship program. We have had a longlasting relationship with local and regional graphic design firms, and the internship coordinator strives to place each student in an environment where they will learn and thrive. The internship course, ART 4574, is offered in Spring, Summer and Fall.

Many students have used the Summer internship course as an opportunity to intern in cities such as Dallas, New York and Atlanta.

Field trips The graphic design area regularly participates in annual field trips. We travel to Houston to participate in the Houston Advertising Federation Student Competition & Conference, where graphic design students work in groups with marketing and advertising students to create a national advertising campaign. We also travel to Dallas for the National Student Show & Conference, hosted by the Dallas Society of Visual Communicators.

Study abroad There are occassional opportunities for art students to gain course credit through the LSU Study Abroad Program. In spring 2014 graphic design students will travel to London. The excursion will focus on the history of graphic design in London with particular emphasis on the contribution and influence of graphic design work by British born artists.

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LSU SCHOOL OF ART seeing a bigger picture

Visiting artist DJ Stout (Pentagram Austin) speaking with students in the graduate studio

Graphic design students visiting a design firm in London

Visiting artist April Greiman critiquing with junior graphic design students

Students and faculty attending the annual AAF-Houston Student Conference

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About the Faculty Lynne Baggett creates work inspired by the incised letterforms found on stone grave markers in the British Isles c.1600-1800 AD. She has lectured on this subject for the Association Typographique International (ATypI), St Bride Printing Library Lynne Baggett

Professor

in London UK, and the Association for Gravestone Studies. She has received grants and fellowships for her research including a Mississippi artist’s fellowship and an LSU summer stipend research grant. Her graphic design work has received recognition from AIGA and the American Advertising Federation.

Courtney Barr is a graphic designer and letterpress artist who uses visual explanations to reveal new understandings and perspectives. Originally from Roanoke, Virginia, she received an MFA in Art from East Carolina University in 2008. Her design and letterpress work has received recognition from AIGA and

Courtney Barr

Associate Professor

the American Advertising Federation, and has been published nationally in the Print Regional Design Annual and Graphic Design USA Magazine.

Gerald Bower is a past president of the local American Advertising Federation. He is the recipient of the Pete Goldsby Award, the Baton Rouge advertising industry’s highest award. He has been recognized for his work as an educator in the field of graph-

Gerald Bower

Professor

ic design at the regional level. He was the recipient of the Don Hileman “Teacher of the Year” award in 1990 by the 7th District of American Advertising Federation and the Bolton-McVicar award in 2007. His teaching has concentrated mainly in publication design.

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LSU SCHOOL OF ART seeing a bigger picture

Paul Dean teaches typography, color theory, and graphic design history. Paul studied at the University of North Carolina, graduating in 1980, with a bachelors degree in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures. He received an MPD (Master of Paul Dean

Associate Professor

Product Design) degree from the North Carolina State University’s College of Design in 1986. Dean’s art work is thrift minded, collage-based, pop-ish, and surreal.

Richard Doubleday is an international educator, having taught workshops and lectures on design history in the US, China, He instituted a summer graphic design program and taught a course ‘Graphic Design in London’ at Boston University London

Richard Doubleday

Assistant Professor

Academic Centre for over 8 years. Doubleday has exhibited at many international events and competitions including the International Poster Triennial in Toyama, Japan, the Lahti International Poster Biennial, Lebanese American University in Beirut, and the Contemporary International Poster Retrospective in Beijing, China.

Rod Parker studied Typography and Bookbinding at the London College of Printing. Postgraduate work in scholarly publishing in the USA led him first to magazine and book design then to identity design and branding for UK and European companies. In 1985 he founded a Baton Rouge based design firm and

Rod Parker

Director of LSU School of Art

joined the faculty of the School of Art in 1995. He established the GDSO, our student run design unit, and was a founding member of AVATAR —Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies. He has served as Director of the School of Art since 2008.

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LSU SCHOOL OF ART art.lsu.edu 123 Art Building Baton Rouge, LA 70803 t: 225-578-5411 f: 225-578-5424