COMPUTER GRAPHICS FOR DIGITAL DESIGNERS 1 (GRA2156) at Gulf Coast State College gives students an opportunity to learn how to use Adobe programs and look at graphic design in a new light. Commonly known as Graphic Design 1, this course teaches how to learn Photoshop, Lightroom, and InDesign through a hands-on experience. It also dives into the design process by studying typography, use of color, and effective design.
The class focuses on concepts of art & design and can help grow any student’s skill set regardless of career path. Professor Michael Covington who teaches the course says, “it just really helps you learn basic structure of ideas.” Those ideas of design such as designing a logo for your business, creating a company letterhead, and learning how to think critically are very useful for real-world application.
Being a ‘creative’ in graphic design
The great thing about Graphic Design 1 is it allows for so much creativity in the assignments. A simple prompt is given to students to work from but overall decide how they will design the final product. Creativity is the best part of the class.
“The more creative you can get the more fun you can have with it because it becomes more personal… They may never do design again but at least they did something that came from inside them.”
You can certainly only take Graphic Design 1, but there is an additional graphic design course that builds upon this course’s concepts. Digital Media student Shelby Bercegeay says she liked Graphic Design 1 because it leads to Graphic Design 2 which she has been taking this semester and has really enjoyed. Personal creative freedom comes out even more in Graphic Design 2.
The hands-on process of graphic design
The first thing to note about Graphic Design 1 is every student works at their computer to design during class. As the semester progresses, a student will make their way through Adobe programs and build upon concepts each week. Bercegeay who has prior knowledge in Photoshop says, “Learning Illustrator was tough cause when you go from Photoshop to Illustrator it’s a whole new world.” After she was able to get a better grasp on the program, she liked the class so much more.
A look at the textbook
Graphic Design 1’s textbook covers three Adobe programs in the course: Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. It is not a traditional textbook where it gives you concepts to memorize and study for a big test. Instead, it walks you step-by-step through the process of creating a design. Professor Covington says, “It gives the student a totally different way to do the project. It’s almost as if you’re going to a client… they have a logo and they just want the logo redone.”
Class Options
Graphic Design 1 offers face-to-face and online courses and in the Fall and Spring terms. The face-to-face course is more popular; overall, you will get more out of the course if taken in this format. Being in-person allows students to be more creative in their projects rather than simply following the textbook. Professor Covington says, “I like to take different projects that are in the book, specifically design say for Illustrator, but we may do one in class that’s just created by the student.”
The online portion of the class focuses just on the projects in the textbook and does not allow for as much creative freedom. Online can still teach students the fundamentals of graphic design, but not having the in-class element limits the student’s ability to learn design. The face-to-face option is what Professor Covington recommends to students. He says, “it’s very hard for someone who doesn’t have the discipline… to do that online cause you can’t ask questions. It makes that (online) a little harder.”
Overall, Graphic Design 1 (GRA2156) helps students grow their design skills and techniques to help them no matter the career path. With the course offered in both the Fall and Spring terms, it is a great elective to take for those needing flexibility with their other courses.
Choosing elective classes as a student can be quite a chore. To see a complete listing guide to all Gulf Coast State College classes, go to https://www.gulfcoast.edu/catalog/current/courses/index.html.
The GCSC’s cheap and low-cost textbook listing here: https://www.gulfcoast.edu/academics/library/aim.html.
Interested in Digital Media? Get involved! https://www.commodorewaves.com/2020/09/28/digital-media-at-gcsc/.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sophie Theiss
Student Author - Spring 2021
Sophie is a Digital Media B.A.S. student at Gulf Coast State College. She is the Student Government Internal Affairs Liaison and 21-22 President-Elect. Sophie is an active supporter of getting students involved with campus and student life.
