ART 482 is the final course in the Professional Practice sequence. This course is a unique opportunity for students to reflect on their education: the expectations that they arrived with, the knowledge and skills gained, and how these experiences have, can and will shape their creativity throughout their career. 

This course involves an extensive, student-directed research project in graphic design. One of the objectives of this course is to have each student address a graphic design project focused on social, environmental, political, linguistic, philosophical, and cultural issues across the spectrum. Traditionally graphic design has been understood as an effective tool for managing content and form to communicate information clearly and creatively, generally in a commercial application. However, graphic design has been largely overlooked as a means of expression and inquiry through qualitative and quantitative research across other fields of study. The Senior Degree Project addresses these and other issues through the broadening of interdisciplinary study and research. 

The Senior Capstone course focuses on an independent assignment focusing on an analytical and conceptual concept, as well as visual storytelling. It is the final requirement for the BFA degree in Graphic Design and is the consummation of the methods and principles learned through the students’ three years of study. Students will synthesize their research, document and diagram their design process, and produce a final project based on their chosen subject matter. The capstone project involves a visual interpretation of the chosen subject matter and may culminate in a book, multi-media presentation, a series of posters, or other media. 

Graphic Designers are more than just makers of beautiful things. We are communicators and thinkers. We can inspire and motivate – constantly being exposed to new things and interacting with different professions. It is important that we, as designers, make relevant work. We must challenge the concept of what graphic design is and how it can be used effectively.  

The goal of this course is to help you develop, or at least consider, your voice as a designer. You will be asked to create a project that allows deep exploration and challenges your thinking, work ethic, and creative process. Your goal is to understand your creative process and be able to apply it to any design problem.