Welcome to the Graphic Design webpage!

Note: Currently applications are not being accepted into the Graphic Design program but several independent courses in Graphic Design are offered each semester. For further information, contact vicki.bolan@ufv.ca or paula.funk@ufv.ca

The information age has submerged us in a highly competitive visual environment. Graphic Design is the applied art of arranging image and text to communicate a specialized message. To be successful, graphic messages must be distinct and memorable in order to be seen and read. Designers in this highly specialized field of creative work learn contemporary applications in a wide range of media, such as print, digital media, motion pictures, animation, product decoration, packaging, and signage. Using these technical tools, skilled designers achieve intelligent and imaginative solutions that articulate the values and beliefs of any given culture. 

Graphic and Digital Design Diploma

The new 60-credit Graphic Design Diploma will have a fine arts foundation, and includes a mix of print, web and animation/3D modeling components. The general introductory diploma will equip students with a design sensibility from which they go on to learn about digital design for print and web. The fine arts focus of this diploma is distinctive from other local institutions offering programs that are either print-focused or market-driven.

Graduates will have a starting point to ensure the necessary skills for small business or self-employment. Critical and innovative thinkers will be able to transfer their learning to their own professional practice, to the design industry or to further academic programs of study. At UFV the GD Diploma students can continue into the BGA or the BFA degree. Students may also transfer credits to other programs of study elsewhere, such as three year diplomas or four year degrees in Graphic or Communication Design.

To enable students to work toward the Graphic and Digital Design diploma as soon as possible, we recommend taking the following courses that will be transferable into the diploma when it is launched:

• VA 113 Introduction to Drawing
• VA 115 Introduction to Studio I - Material Practices
• VA 180 Digital Photography
• GD 157 Primary Digital Graphics (Adobe Illustrator)
• GD 161 Principles of Graphic Design
• GD 258 Graphic Design for the Web
• English 105 or higher or Communications 155

If you would like to receive updates on this program, or if you are interested in the individual courses, please contact the Visual Arts department at 604-854-4543.

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