Design can be understood to be artistic communication using the language and techniques of the information age. Design output is made for a broad audience. Deliberate, purposeful planning is a key component in design. Collaboration is the standard mode of operation. Designers develop their own ideas, then expand them into projects that are aesthetic and imaginative. They are informed by critical theory, especially semiotics and visual culture.

Lectures center on visual communication for a broad audience. Specific instruction will cover topics such as image-text integration, single- and multiple-page organization, typography, sequential flow (both linear and non-linear), continuity, emphasis in a moving field, etc. Color theory and composition will be examined at a higher level. Assignments will imitate areas where graphics and fine arts overlap, such as public service announcements, advocacy graphics, and art-related publications, and will focus on hard-copy output and Web designs. Almost all projects will be collaborative, requiring the cooperative efforts of at least two students. Project planning will be part of the instruction. The audience for every design project must be specified.

An important component of the course will be the critical investigation of mass media, looking in particular at its strategies, imagery, and delivery. Readings on visual culture and semiotics will be assigned. Students will investigate the relationship between fine art and design.