Graphic design is the art and practice of displaying ideas and experiences through imagery and text. The form the design takes may be physical or virtual and may range from something as small as an icon to as large as a museum installation.

Traditionally designers have worked in the publishing realm of books, magazines, and posters but with the many new opportunities digital has provided, graphic design plays a role in many different media including apps and webpages as well as games and other virtual experiences.

The Graphic Design program at SSU has placed many of its graduates in high-end design positions in the region and beyond. Students are grounded in foundational art, design, color, and type principles as well as introduced to and trained in some of the key software packages standard in the design industry. However, beyond these basics, the graphic design degree at SSU focuses on design as process and critical thinking to give form to content and enhance communication.

Students who successfully complete SSU’s Graphic Design program will:

• Develop proficiency in the tools, media, software, and technology related to visual design.
• Create work that demonstrates a strong concept, focused research, and an understanding of design principles.
• Employ a vocabulary for design critique and presentation.
• Prepared for the challenges of professional practice with an understanding of the role design can play within the community and in solving problems, large and small.