By: Paige Scofield Campus Life Editor
Western offers a wide variety of degrees that students can major in, many of which students don’t know are offered, or know next to nothing about. This week, take a look at what receiving a Bachelor of Arts in visual communication design entails, and the kinds of work fields it can lead to.
Emma Douglas is a junior at Western who is currently in the process of working towards receiving a degree in visual communication design. Her specific focus in this major is in graphic design.
“Ideally I want to work in an animation house like Disney, Gobelines or Laika. Another passion of mine are zines and illustration. Doing either of those freelance is also a possibility” said Douglas. Douglas came to Western because, “The cost is significantly less than art colleges, and it provides the same quality of education. Campus is beautiful and that was also a big deciding factor.”
“Graphic design approaches images and type as powerful tools giving shape to ideas,” according to Western’s website, “In graphic design courses at Western, students learn to bring together message, meaning and form to create memorable communications. They gain a broad range of practical skills, applying typography and design processes to challenging creative projects guided by supportive faculty. Graphic designers must thoughtfully incorporate type and image into visual experiences fueled by the design elements and principles inherent in all art processes.”
Western’s visual communication design major has three foci which include graphic design, video and animation and interactive media. Western is, “… exponentially less than actual art colleges. We also have great studio spaces, and the nature around campus is so inspiring,” said Douglas.
When asked what her favorite class was that’s offered for her major, Douglas replied, “The A320-A322 graphic design sequence I’m in at the moment. I’ve learned so much in these past semesters about how graphic design works and my own process. It’s been really helpful in guiding my style.”
According to Western’s website, “Visual Communication Design is a broad profession that includes many specializations and covers all ends of the creative spectrum. Many of these job descriptions overlap heavily, and an education in VCD will serve useful in many fields.”
An education in visual communication design can place students in advertising and marketing, speciality design jobs, such as book or editorial design, and even public relations positions like brand or product managing.
This list of jobs doesn’t cover all of the careers that can be pursued with a visual communication design major, even more can be found on Western’s website. Visual communication design is a broad field which gives Western’s students the opportunity to explore the different fields they wish to pursue.
Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu
