Design Courses (DSGN)

DSGN M200 Design Lecture Forum 0 crs.

Design forum is a gathering of all students and faculty in design. This monthly meeting will present a guest speaker from the design community: locally, nationally, or internationally. Students are encouraged to ask questions.

DSGN M271 Design History 1   3 crs.

This introductory course will discuss design history from the beginning of written communication through the industrial revolution and WWI. Although the focus will be on the study of visual communications in their historical contexts, the course will also include architecture, industrial, and environmental design. Design discourse will be introduced through historical writings and critical analysis. Students will also participate in discussion by writing critical texts that respond to course material.

DSGN M272 Design History 2    3 crs.

This advanced course is a continuation of Design History I and will cover the history of design from WWII to the present. Although the focus will be on the study of visual communications in their historical contexts, other forms of design will be examined. Design discourse will focus on contemporary issues. Students will participate in discussions of critical texts and will be asked to write design criticism that incorporates a social and historical perspective. After completion of this course, students will have a greater understanding of how designers have shaped society.

Prerequisite: DSGN M271

DSGN M275 Print Design + Narrative     3 crs.

Students are introduced to print narrative through typography and image making. Principles of composition: scale, weight, space, texture, direction, form, color will be introduced. Other basic design foundations including color, grid, methodology, craftsmanship and tools for creating print design will be explored. This course expands the concept of narrative by examining multiple printed formats such as posters, booklets, postcards and zines.

Co-rerequisite: DSGN M278

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M276 Interactive Design + Narrative 1    3 crs.

Students are introduced to interactive narrative through design and coding. Principles of composition for the screen: scale, weight, space, texture, direction, form, color will be explored. Other basic design foundations including color, grid, methodology, craftsmanship and tools for creating interactive design will be covered. This course introduces the concept of narrative by examining multiple interactive formats like websites, apps, and e-readers.

Prerequisite: DSGN M275

Co-rerequisite: DSGN M279

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M278 Typography Lab 1    3 crs.

Students are introduced to typography through a series of Swiss-style exercises focused on spacing (kerning, leading, tracking) and grids (creating and manipulating.) Other basic elements of typography, including classifications and history will be introduced. This course requires an intense focus on typography, structure, consistency, and hierarchy. Only a limited number of time tested typefaces will be explored and no imagery will be allowed. Students will learn to make meaning visible through typographic choices and critical reading of texts.

Co-rerequisite: DSGN M275

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M279 Typography Lab 2      3 crs.

This is an advanced course in typography that will explore complex typographic problems. Building on the fundamentals of typographic form and function introduced in Typography Lab I, this course extends and applies basic vocabulary and understanding to more complex problems that address typographic hierarchy, context, sequence and form. Students explore how typography behaves across media. Increasingly complex typographic systems are implemented in three-dimensional, sequential page or time-based projects.

Co-rerequisite: DSGN M276

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M325 Interactive Design + Narrative 2          3 crs.

This is an advanced course in interactive narrative that will go beyond the web, although the class begins by building upon and refreshing existing web design skills. This course expands the concept of narrative by examining multiple interactive formats like websites, apps, and e-readers. Coding will be emphasized and designing for different platforms will be explored.

Prerequisite: DSGN M276

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M326 Motion Design + Narrative 1             3 crs. 

Students are introduced to motion narrative through storyboarding. Motion design builds on basic design principles and adds the dimensions of sound and time. Principles of composition for motion: scale, weight, space, texture, direction, form, color will be explored. Other basic design foundations including concept sketching, methodology, craftsmanship, and tools for creating motion design will be covered. This course expands the concept of narrative by examining typography in motion.

Prerequisite: DSGN M276

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M376 Motion Design + Narrative 2                             3 crs.

This is an advanced course in motion narrative that focuses on concept, moving typography, and exploration of sound. This is a service learning class which includes field trips in the city of New Orleans. Projects are real-world based however, students are asked to explore and experiment beyond commercial solutions. Students will have mastered storyboarding skills and attain proficiency with industry standard software. Also, students will engage with professional designers and clients outside the classroom.

Prerequisite: DSGN M326

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M377 Social/Political Design    3 crs.

This course addresses the designer’s role in shaping the public narrative on social issues. Students will examine contemporary cultural, political, and societal issues around the world that have an impact on our daily lives. They also learn how to design communication that increases awareness, motivates, inspires or incites action from specific or broad audiences. In this advance course, students will combine strategies from environmental, motion, interactive, and print design.

Prerequisite: DSGN M326

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M400 Design Topics         3 crs. 

This studio course offers exploration and analysis of selected topics with a specific contemporary design focus. This course may be taken 3 times for credit as long as different topics are offered.

Prerequisite: DSGN M326

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M475 Professional Design Practice                    3 crs.

This course is intended as a transition course, shifting those enrolled from the mind set of a student to that of a design professional. Students will continue to work on visual problem solving and development of creative skills. Upon completion of this course, students will be more aware and confident about the diverse aspects of working professionally. Intertwined with individual and group critiques will be discussions about the career of a designer: facing the client, pricing projects, working with printers, directing photography, collaboration, competing for jobs, design competitions, etc.

Prerequisite: DSGN M377

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M476 Ethics and Contracts           3 crs.

This course is taught by a professional designer and includes speakers from the professional community. This lecture course will cover topics from the world of professional design, from freelance to studios to agencies. Current information on job listings and pricing will be discussed. This course will also addresses legal issues such as how copyright laws affect the income and work of graphic designers and sample contracts for freelance projects. This class will inform students on the business side of design and will prepare them for the world of work. In this course students will create a portfolio website and supporting print materials for freelance work.

Prerequisite: DSGN M377

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M480 Design Capstone Course           3crs.

This final design course serves as a capstone experience for the design program. Students will author their own project where they will identify a problem and design an appropriate solution. Students are encouraged to choose projects that will propel them to the next stage after graduation. This course includes a final exhibition which is reviewed by outside design professionals. On completion of the course, each student must submit a process book for final project and documentation of work completed in the senior year.

Prerequisite: DSGN M475

This course has a lab fee associated with it for the purpose of supporting supplies specifically needed for the functioning of this particular course. Please check LORA for the amount of the lab fee.

DSGN M485 Design Internship  3crs.

This course provides students with the opportunity and responsibility to work in various companies within the design industries during their studies at Loyola University New Orleans Department of Art and Design. Internships are considered “extended classrooms” and and are essential to the understanding of how the theory of the classroom is applied to the practices in the design world. Internships may be local, national, or international. Internships are encouraged in the last two years of art and design study. Internship class meets to discuss professional documents, expected experiences, portfolios, and past experiences of internships.

Prerequisite: DSGN M276