To prepare you for today's multi-disciplinary creative industry, UFV's Graphic and Digital Design diploma program (GDD) provides you with a solid foundation in four fields of professional practice: brand identity, graphic/communication design, dynamic media, and interactive design.

As a student, you are immersed in project-based learning in state-of-the-art Mac labs and well-equipped photography and drawing studios. You’ll build a strong foundation in design process, resourcefulness, and conceptual development, as well as skills in critical thinking, typography, image making, content creation, and industry standard Adobe software.

The Graphic and Digital Design diploma (GDD) is a full-time 60-credit cohort program offered on the Mission campus (fall intake), and the Abbotsford campus (winter intake).

As a GDD diploma student, you’ll be part of a cohort that moves together through the entire two-year program. You must register for five courses in each semester and each individual graphic design course is only offered once per academic year. Expect at least four hours of homework each week for each course. GDD is both demanding and rewarding, requiring that you put in the time and commitment to build a strong professional practice portfolio.

CAREER EXPECTATIONS

With the emergence of digital and social media platforms, the need for skilled visual strategists is higher than ever. Potential fields of practice include:

• Advertising
• Marketing
• Branding
• Information design
• Graphic design
• Communication design
• Exhibit design
• Environmental design
• Signage
• Way finding
• Retail promotion
• Packaging
• Publishing
• Editorial design
• Fine art Illustration
• Concept art
• Motion graphics
• Animation
• Video
• Experience design
• Social media
• Interactive design
• Web design
• Mobile design
• Ecommerce
• Public relations
• Investor relations
• Corporate communications
• Event promotion
• Activism
• Social impact
• Philanthropy
• Sustainability
• Government Public service

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of the two-year Graphic and Digital Design program, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate a working knowledge of the creative industry;
• Understand and utilize processes, tools and technology used in graphic design practice;
• Engage in critical thinking and problem-solving;
• Demonstrate functional competence with principles of visual organization, visual language, typography and theory as applied to visual communication problems;
• Develop strategies for planning, producing, and disseminating visual communications;
• Produce communication/graphic design, information design, brand identity, interactive design, illustration, and motion graphics projects; and
• Apply business practices, ethics, and self-promotional strategies for professional development.

The GDD diploma ladders into the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Graphic and Digital Design Major.