USC SVAD GD+I Program Info + FAQs

Graphic Design + Illustration

BFA Concentration

University of South Carolina

School of Visual Art + Design

FAQ’s about GD+I

The Graphic Design + Illustration Program at USC SVAD

BFA Concentration in Graphic Design + Illustration

How is the GD+I BFA Concentration different?

TYPOGRAPHY + HISTORY

• Typographic Exploration + Technology

» Expressive Typography

» Applied Long form Typography

» Poetic Typography

» Persuasive Typography

» Variable Fonts

• Letterform + Typeface Design

• Type Pairings

• Typographic Classifications

• Typographic Rules + Grid Structures

ILLUSTRATION + VISUAL STORYTELLING

• Digital Media

• Traditional Media

• Children’s Books

• Experimental Storytelling

NEW MEDIA + AR

• Bridging Physical + Digital Experiences

• Augmented Reality

• AI Training Models

• Innovative Design Thinking

SYSTEMS THINKING + INTERACTIVE + WEB DESIGN

• User Experience Design (UX)

• User Interface Design (UI)

• User Flows + User Journeys

• Service Design

• Human-Centered Design

• Mixing Formal Design with Code

• Website Design

• Responsive + Dynamic Layouts

• CSS + HTML

• Lean + Agile Design Flows

IMAGE MAKING + STUDIO ART

• Photography

• Drawing

• Painting

• 3D Art

• Printmaking

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

• Experimental Illustration

• Experimental Digital Art

• Self-Driven Content

PRINT + BOOK DESIGN + ZINES + BROCHURES

• Multi-page Book + Print Layout Design

• Interactive Book Design

• Typographic Systems + Grids

• Information Visualization

• Narrative Building

• Process Writing

BRANDING SYSTEMS + LOGOS

• Icon Design

• Logo Design

• Design Systems for Dynamic Identities

• Brand Identity Design

• Personal Branding

• Brand Writing + Archetypes

• Brand Design + Syntax + Semantics

• Narrative + Design-Based Brand Strategies

PACKAGE DESIGN + 3D DESIGN

• Paper Engineering

• Dieline Layout Processes

• Sustainability

• Packaging Systems

• Print-to-Digital Experiences

• Point of Sale

• Consumer-Driven Solutions

• Design Research

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

• Design Ethics

• Experiential Learning Working with Real World Clients

• Studies in Best Practices + Client Interaction

• Processional Documents

• Business Cards, Resume Design, Invoices, Onboarding + Debriefing Documents

• Building Professional Presentation Decks

• Portfolio Development + Analysis

MOTION + ANIMATION

• Typographic Motion Design

• Storyboarding

• Animated GIFs

• Stop Motion Animation

• Storytelling + Narrative Building

Fall: Semester One (15-16 credit hours)

!ARTS 102 Design Technology + Concepts

!ARTS 103, or 104, 107 or 111

†English 101

†(GHS) History 111 or History 108

†(GFL) Foreign Language1*

Spring: Semester Two (16 credit hours)

!ARTS 145 Portfolio Review

!ARTS 103, or 104, 107 or 111

†English 102

†(GHS) History 108 or History 111

†(CMS) Public Speaking

†(GFL) Foreign Language 2

Fall: Semester Three (17 credit hours)

!ARTS 245 Typographic Design I

!ARTS 265 Illustration I

!ARTS 103, or 104, 107 or 111

†(GFL) Foreign Language 3 (if needed)*

†(ARP) Analytical Reasoning & Problem Solving

Spring: Semester Four (17 credit hours)

!ARTS 246 Typographic Design II

!ARTS 266 Illustration II

!ARTS 103, or 104, 107 or 111

†(ARP) Analytical Reasoning & Problem Solving

†(GSS) Social Science

Fall: Semester Five (15 credit hours)

!ARTS 345 Visual + Verbal Interaction

!ARTS 347/547 Interaction Design

◊SVAD 550/750 The Design Studio

†(SCI) Scientific Literacy

†(CC-AIU) ARTH 106

Spring: Semester Six (16 credit hours)

!ARTS 346/546 Process + Systems

!ARTS 465 Advanced Illustration I

!SVAD 499 Internship

†(SCI) Scientific Literacy

Fall: Semester Seven (14 credit hours)

!ARTS 466 Advanced Illustration II

ARTS 445 Time + Sequence (or ARTS 200+)

†(CAS-AIU) Humanities & Fine Arts (ARTH 100-500 Elective)

†(CAS-AIU) Humanities & Fine Arts (ARTH 300 level - Modern)

Spring: Semester Eight (14 credit hours)

!ARTS 448 Portfolio Studio

ARTS446 Structures (or ARTS 200+)

†(GSS) Social Science

†(CAS-AIU) Humanities & Fine Arts (ARTH 500 Level)

~124 TOTAL CREDIT HOURS 120 minimum total hours

Q:

IS THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ART + DESIGN (SVAD) ACCREDITED AND WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

A: Yes, the SVAD is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art + Design (NASAD). NASAD is a rigorous accreditation that only the top schools of art and design in the country may acquire.

Q:

DO I NEED A PORTFOLIO?

A: All accredited design programs require portfolio reviews at the start and end of a student’s journey. Graphic Designers and Illustrators must be professional and strong communicators with conceptual and creative problem-solving skill sets. Our students learn critical and formal methods that make them sophisticated designers and effective communicators who can speak about their processes and solutions.

Q: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS DEGREE AND A BA OR OTHER COMMUNICATIONS DEGREE?

A: Our degree is a BFA, which is widely recognized as the professional degree in design. A BFA means more time is spent honing skills to become a successful designer and practitioner. Our degree focuses on professional practice and the importance of rigorous studies in Graphic Design + Illustration through smaller class sizes, one-on-one learning, and a cohort community building a strong network working alongside each other for all four years. This also means strong relationships with faculty, which aids in job placement and recommendations for other opportunities.

Q: CAN I GET A JOB?

A: Yes. Our faculty have a high job placement rate for their students and in many cases we remain in touch long after graduation serving as mentors as you begin your career. Design is a burgeoning field and GD+I graduates start careers in the professional design and communications industries. Our students make award-winning work that helps them compete when applying for jobs. We know the key to getting a job is a competitive portfolio and our faculty work with students to develop cutting-edge, unique portfolios every year.

Q: IS SOFTWARE ALL I NEED TO LEARN TO BE A DESIGNER?

A: No. Designers are sophisticated visual professionals who approach solutions with conceptual thinking through the rigors of the Design Process. We study much more than software and we learn methods of design for software that hasn’t been invented yet. We embrace Design Thinking, Design Writing, Conceptual Devices, and many other methods of communication and problem-solving.

Q: WHAT DOES A JOB IN DESIGN PAY?

A: Compensation will always vary based on geography and type of design, but recent design graduates who are 1-3 years out of school and live regionally report making an average of $40,000 per year with some primarily digital designers making $55,000+ per year in UX/ UI and Interaction fields of design in their first 1-3 years. For more detailed information, see the AIGA Design Census (aiga.org) and the Robert Half Salary Guide (roberthalf.com).

Q: IF I CONCENTRATE ON A GRAPHIC DESIGN + ILLUSTRATION BFA, AM I LIMITED TO A CAREER IN GRAPHIC DESIGN + ILLUSTRATION?

A: No, designers and illustrators are trained with skills that are valued by several industries and can be translated to many other areas for positions depending on your individual strengths.

Q: HOW DO I KNOW WHAT GRAPHIC DESIGN SCHOOL TO CHOOSE?

A: We recommend looking for NASAD Accredited programs. A good indication of quality can be reviewed by looking at student work. Ultimately, a competitive portfolio is what helps get emerging designers started in their careers.

Q: CAN I DEVELOP MY INDIVIDUAL IDEAS AND PASSIONS WITH A BFA DEGREE CONCENTRATED ON GRAPHIC DESIGN + ILLUSTRATION?

A: Oh yes. We structure our GD+I curriculum to embrace your own interests. Projects are assigned to encourage and support the exploration of your ideas and we look forward to seeing what you can do.

Q: I WANT TO EXPLORE OTHER AREAS DURING MY STUDIES. HOW DOES EXPLORATION FIT INTO THIS DEGREE?

A: We have students who are double-majoring, minoring, and any other combination you can think of. The BFA requires a minimum of 120 Total Hours, with 63 of those Hours as Minimum Major Requirements Hours. This means you have choices on how to build your degree with your interests in mind. There are categories with requirements, but within those categories, there is room for exploration. This exploration helps you be a more rounded student with essential skills and knowledge that are reinforced within your design concentration courses.

sc.edu at bit.ly/uofsc_design Instagram at @uofsc_design

BFA Concentration in Graphic Design + Illustration

NASAD BFA Accreditation

STUDY IN A SCHOOL WITH THE NASAD ACCREDITED DEGREES.

We are accredited by NASAD, the National Association of Schools of Art + Design. NASAD Requires a rigorous accreditation process, which is sought after by design employers. The best schools in the country have achieved NASAD Accreditation.

PROFESSIONAL DEGREE

Earn your BFA concentrating in Graphic Design + Illustration and graduate with a competitive portfolio, ready for hire.

EXPERIENCED BASED

NASAD Accredited studio-based courses with award-winning, knowledgeable design professionals as your faculty and practical, experience-based assignments.

FULL-TIME AND SALARY CAREER POSITIONS

You can enter the field of Design with a full-time job upon graduation with the BFA degree.

BALANCED FOR COMPETITIVE GRAPHIC DESIGN PORTFOLIOS

A focus on effective solutions through form, creativity, and concept-based outcomes, just as in the industry.

YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

Internationally known and award-winning team of professional design faculty who have a combined 50+ years of experience in the field.

EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITIES

Trips across the country and abroad for experiential learning and a wide range of networking opportunities with the industry’s design leaders with the mentorship of award winning and internationally recognized faculty.

Our GD+I Faculty

MEENA KHALILI [MM318] mkhalili@mailbox.sc.edu meenakhalili.com

STEPHANIE NACE [MM326] nace@mailbox.sc.edu froglegstudio.com

MARIUS VALDES [MM319] valdesm@mailbox.sc.edu zoovaldes.com

BRENT DEDAS [MM327] mdedas@mailbox.sc.edu brentdedas.com

CATHERINE CHI [MM223] chicy@mailbox.sc.edu cycchi.com

What Do GD+I Students Learn?

SOFTWARE + CREATIVITY

Intensive study in the master of software skills, learning how to communicate with software and use programs as creative tools. During this process students create multiple comps per project, learn how to use to Adobe Creative Cloud, and create key design assets.

» Illustrator

» Photoshop

» InDesign

» After Effects

» Xd, Figma, Sketch

» HTML + CSS

» Dimension

» Acrobat and more…

ROLES + POSITIONS

Our designers are trained for many roles within the field throughout the degree with focus on professionalism, competencies, and ethics. Designers play different roles within different fields. With Design now playing key roles in Executive, C-Level positions, we want our designers to have multiple seats at the table.

» Professional » Commuicator

» Problem Solver

» Entrpreneur

» Maker

» Artist

» Storyteller

DESIGN THINKING + RESEARCH

Learners gain skills to keep them on the cutting edge of the design profession, branching into new and upcoming fields within greater design practice.

» Prototyping

» Participatory Design Practices

» User-Centered Approaches

» Ethical Design Practices

» Studio maintenance

» Production + Printing

FORMAL INVESTIGATIONS + INQUIRIES

Formal investigations explore elements and principles of design that are key references in design history and are core characteristics that progressional designers possess.

» Elements of Design

» Principles of Design

» Design Thinking

» Problem Solving

» Design Research

» Design Writing

» Design in Context

» Conceptual Design

» Exploring Media as Message

» Historic Perspectives

CONCEPTUAL + CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Students need skills in critique and analysis to have a competitive edge in presenting work, articulating processes, and explaining work to clients. Every class is immersed in critique and analysis of concept and content-driven formal solutions.

» Conceptual Inquiry + Practice

» Aesthetic Building + Inquiry

» Aesthetic Analysis

» Critique + Critical Analysis

» Syntactic + Semantic Analysis

» Universal + Personal Analysis

CHECK IT OUT Our YouTube channel features a number of virtual design talks from visitors to our classrooms and studios.

BFA Concentration in Graphic Design + Illustration

Careers At-A-Glance

Junior Designer to Chief Design Officer and everything in between.

» Ad Director

» Advertising Associate

» Advertising Designer

» Animation Designer

» AP Designer

» Art Director

» Associate Creative Director

» Book Cover Designer

» Brand Consulting Designer

» Brand Designer

» Chief Design Officer (CDO)

» Climate Designer

» Communication Coordinator

» Communication Designer

» Content Designer

» Copy Editor

» Creative Consultant

» Creative Director

» Design Consultant

» Design Studio Director

» Digital Artist

» Digital Designer

» Digital Product Designer

» Editorial Designer

» Editorial Illustrator

» Environmental Designer

» Executive Creative Director

» Experiential Designer

» Game Graphics Illustrator

» Graphic Design Associate

» Graphic Designer

» Healthcare Designer

» Human Centered Designer

» Illustrative Designer

» Illustrator

» In-House Designer

» Information Architect

» Information Designer

» Interaction Designer

» Junior Designer

» Language Director

» Layout Designer

» Marketing Specialist

» Media Designer

» Media Director

» Medical Illustrator

» Motion Graphics Designer

» Package Designer

» Point of Purchase Designer

» Poster Designer

» Presentation Designer

» Print Designer

» Production Designer

» Project Manager

» Senior Creative Developer

» Senior Designer

» Senior Digital Designer

» Service Designer

» Social Media Designer

» Surface Designer

» Sustainability Designer

» Trade Show Designer

» UX/UI Designer

» Visual Designer

» Wayfinding Designer

» Web Designer