Electronic Media Design
Christine Rondeau, Instructor
The Electronic Media Design (EMD) Program is a one-year, full-time program that strives to teach and facilitate the growth of creative and inspired individuals. To do this, there are three key learnings addressed throughout the program: visual and communication strategy; creative and strategic process; and visual execution. Visual communication design strategy and the creative process ensure students understand how to research client needs and develop solid, effective communication between the client and their target audience. Visual execution is developed through the understanding and application of typography, colour theory, layout composition, and user interface design issues. Good ideas come after a tremendous amount of thought where a problem is explored from many different perspectives, and in many different manners, to ensure the most effective solution is reached for the client. This means a careful and concise process must be used for building ideas and presenting them to clients, from the creative brief through to final production.
Other in-depth areas of study in the program are production and business challenges. The business aspects of the applied arts industry are covered in-depth on a number of levels. The Electronic Media Design Program offers courses such as Project Management that deal with the logistics of design projects and provides an in-depth look at the business materials needed to get up and running on any project. These courses deal with how to critically research clients as a freelance designer or employee of a design firm or agency. All aspects of self-promotion and target marketing for designers are covered as well as other business issues such as pricing, legalities, copyright, contract laws, etc.
EMD is the primary entry point for many students entering the Applied Arts Division in Continuing Studies. While this program is an end in itself, many EMD students have, immediately upon graduation, gone on to work at some of the top design firms and ad agencies in Vancouver and abroad. Alternately, many other students then pursue further studies in order to expand their skill set into print design, advertising, art directing and commercial photography.
