Program Coordinator: Erick Rohn, 847.376.7248, erohn@oakton.edu
The goal of the Associate in Applied Science degree in Graphic Design is to provide students with skills in a variety of animated graphic design areas, and for students to build a portfolio of work for admission to either a baccalaureate-granting institution or art school, to acquire skills for employment, and to earn a certificate in Animation and Multimedia, Digital Audio or Video Content Creation, Web Design, or Photography. Experience and training is presented in areas including, but not limited to, Web site creation, studio photographer, video broadcast and sound production, World Wide Web, CD and game production, photojournalism and portraiture, 3-D cutscene artist, project manager.
For specific career areas and certificate information, contact the program coordinator.
Graphic Design Courses
Note: Graphic Design courses include two disciplines: Art (ART) and Graphic Design (GRD).
ART 1053 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Fundamentals of Two-Dimensional Art I
Course explores basic flat art design fundamentals and media, image, technique, concept, and vocabulary of design. Content includes pencil, pen and ink, brush and ink, charcoal, pastel and designers’ colors or acrylics, relationships of visual imagery through depth in plastic illusion, elements of design (line, value, texture, color, contrast, balance) and composition. Studio work outside regular class time required.
IAI Major: ART 907
Instruction Type: Online
Fee: $30
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 1313 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Drawing I
Course examines basics of drawing. Focus is on development of fundamental skills in proportion, value (shading) and perspective, use of form for personal expression. Content includes work from still life, live models and outside subject matter, media use of pencil, charcoal, conte, ink and pastels. Studio work outside of regular class time required.
IAI Major: ART 904
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $25
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
ART 2163 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Introduction to Digital Imaging
Course surveys production, manipulation and output of photographic images electronically. Students will use photographs to be digitized and put into a computer for manipulation, to create output of images to paper prints. Content includes aesthetics of photographic image manipulation in context of student work and historical perspective. Implication of photographic electronic imaging to legal, moral and social issues discussed and related to commercial and fine arts applications. Adobe Photoshop used as the main software.
Recommended: ART 115.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
ART 2173 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced Digital Imaging
Course uses advanced computer methods to cover highly developed techniques of photographic electronic imagery used by graphic designers and photographers to enhance images, including airbrush and shadow making, contour shading and texture additions, retouching, montaging and coloring. Additional content includes examining traditional tasks of line drawing, pattern and texture creation that the computer can produce in exacting detail. Students will use photographs for digitization and computer manipulation. Photoshop used as the main software.
Prerequisite: ART 216 or consent of instructor.
Instruction Type:
Fee: $75
ART 2243 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Introduction to Graphic Design
Course explores fundamental concepts of visual design. Content includes range of functional aspects of design, such as communication and the production process, to visual aspects of design. Vector drawing used as medium for design process examination. Adobe Illustrator used as the main software.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2253 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Graphic Design Layout and Typography
Course examines common graphic tools available in layout design, typography, and underlying design principles. Content includes typography and type design, ways of using illustrations and photographs in layouts, basic tools of graphic design for specific desktop publishing projects, properties of letter forms and converting letter forms into legible work. Student project to create type, modify it, and add it to existing fonts. Course project oriented and uses software for manipulation of layouts and typography for purpose of making final output. Adobe InDesign used as the main software.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall
ART 2513 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced Computer Art
Course explores different media in making electronic images using many techniques which draw upon common skills and procedures. Content includes application processes using various computer software related to specific images, relationships to other techniques, customizing brushes, applying textures, creating dramatic borders, making mosaics, applying paint and sketches, transforming photographs, and animation. Production of finished output major goal of course. Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter used as the main software.
Prerequisite: ART 250 or consent of instructor.
Instruction Type:
Fee: $75
ART 2563 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced Graphic Design
Course covers advanced techniques of vector drawing. Content includes a broader and deeper exploration of artistic communication and design, as well as the production process of vector drawing.
Prerequisite: ART 224.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Fee: $75
ART 2593 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Introduction to Web Design
Course covers the creation and use of graphics in web page design and production. Content includes fundamentals of graphic production, basic layout design principles, and HTML/CSS development for the web.
IAI Major: MC 923
Instruction Type: Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2603 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Introduction to 3D Animation and Multimedia
Course explores design and production of animation and multimedia applications. Content includes three-dimensional rendering; its relationship to traditional two-dimensional graphic production, computer animation, and multimedia concepts and production procedures. Different media of computer sound, text, and imaging, and combinations of multimedia productions also covered.
Instruction Type: Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2613 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced 3D Animation and Multimedia
Course presents working knowledge of 3D animation production. Topics include modeling, texturing, animation, lighting and rendering. Students create complex animation sequences including mechanical and character animations. Autodesk Maya used as the main software.
Prerequisite: ART 260 or instructor’s consent.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online | Hybrid
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2623 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Introduction to Sound Design
Course explores the various techniques of sound design in the creation of multimedia; film, animation, podcasting, etc. Musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) devices and synthesizers will be used as musical instruments and as an input device for the computer. Creative possibilities of sound design will be explored through the creation of music, recording Foley sound effects, and recording dialog for use in podcasting, voice over narration, and/or dialog in film and animation.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Spring
ART 2633 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Introduction to Motion Graphics
Course explores methods used in professional video and film production and post-production. Content includes storyboard, structure, and production of short video piece. Integration of computer-generated material, such as 2D and 3D graphics, typography and animation will be edited together with photography and video. Focus is on software manipulation, including special effect techniques such as compositing and rotoscoping. Practical considerations of graphic format, resolution, color and saturation limitation are explored. Key peripherals explained in context of real world production situations. Adobe AfterEffects used as the main software.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Spring
ART 2643 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Multimedia Authoring
Course covers the use of authoring tools and issues affecting multimedia production projects from design phase through completion. Projects completed in software package. Content includes basic programming techniques, animation control, software engineering principles for multimedia environment, use of color images and sound, incorporation of movies, CD-ROM production, testing and mastering.
Prerequisite: ART 260.
Instruction Type:
Fee: $75
ART 2673 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Web Design Layout and Typography
Course covers applications of common graphic tools available in web layout design and typography. Content includes artistic principles and techniques of web page design and layout, and examination of graphic design process from concept to production.
Prerequisite: ART 259 or consent of instructor.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Spring
ART 2683 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Digital 2D Animation and Multimedia
Course introduces students to digital animation techniques and principles. Students apply the principles of animation by creating object/shape-based keyframe animations and hand-drawn frame by frame animations. Several Adobe applications used to create animations for the course, including Photoshop, Animate and/or After Effects.
Prerequisite: ART 216 or consent of the instructor
Instruction Type: Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2703 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
3D Illustration
Course covers fundamentals of creating imagery with 3D software. Content includes traditional use of media and compositional skills combined with technical material necessary to produce computer-generated illustrative art. Final output involves large size printing. Autodesk 3ds Max used as the main software.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Spring
ART 2713 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced Multimedia Authoring
Course covers in-depth understanding of interactive presentations, for students with basic knowledge of Macromedia Director as a tool for multimedia design and production. Content includes how media such as sound, video, Flash, QTVR, fonts, text and graphics are controlled by Lingo to create interactive presentations, with final output to CD-ROM and the web (via Shockwave); practical and aesthetic considerations of projects such as games, instructional or promotional pieces, or other artistic expressions through multimedia. Integration with Internet is stressed.
Prerequisite: ART 264 or consent of instructor.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Fee: $75
ART 2733 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Animation for the Web
Course examines animation techniques for the web by combining graphic animation tools and techniques with accepted principles of web design, layout and typography. Content includes interaction design and animation to create web sites with enhanced interactivity and multimedia integration.
Prerequisite: ART 259
Instruction Type:
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall
ART 2743 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Game Modeling and Character Development
Course explores character design and development, 3D modeling and texturing specific to games and post-production. Content includes character animation involving looping, character interaction and timing, modeling and texturing in different resolutions, and vertex coloring. Autodesk Maya used as the main software.
Instruction Type: Online | Hybrid
Fee: $75
ART 2753 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Game Systems and Design
Course covers practical aspects of game design. Content includes interface design, game documentation, working with game tests, experimental and conceptual topics of play mechanics, experience design, design of gaming spaces, and game balancing.
Prerequisite: ART 260 or consent of instructor.
Instruction Type:
Fee: $75
ART 2901-4 credit hours (lecture: 0-4 | lab: 0-8)
Topics in Art
Course offers specialized instruction in current topics in art, photography and/or graphic design. Topics will be identified for each section of the course. Course may be taken for credit up to four times on different topics. Fee Varies. Prerequisite may vary by topic.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
GRD 1013 credit hours (lecture: 2 | lab: 2)
Introduction to Visual Communication
Course covers the fundamental principles of design and how these relate to effective communication. It explores the media and tools that create imaging and how these tools are integrated into the image-making process. Topics include conceptual design, critical thinking in the creation of practical design, how design relates to industry, human perception and the visual process, and the history of visual communication, from the symbols of the cave man to modern-day advertising.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online | Hybrid
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
GRD 2253 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Introduction to Digital Content Creation and Streaming Media
Course introduces hands-on techniques used to plan and produce audio and video content for digital streaming media. Focus is on the development, artistry, and business of digital content as well as aesthetics, theory, and technique used in production. Content includes studio practice; procedures and demonstrations as related to podcast production and audiovisual content creation as well as live-streaming applications. Hands-on production experience reinforces theoretical material.
Instruction Type:
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall
GRD 2503 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Introduction to Video Production
Course introduces hands-on techniques used to plan and produce narrative video and related media. Content includes scriptwriting and pre-production design, production in studio environments, recording on location and using non-linear video editing systems.
IAI Major: MC 916
Instruction Type: Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall
GRD 2513 credit hours (lecture: 3 | lab: 15)
Graphic Design Practicum
Workplace experience in the graphic design field acquired by working for a company that does graphic design. The student’s job will be appropriate to his or her skills. Student meets with instructor to provide detailed reports of the work experience.
Prerequisite: Completion of 24 credits in required courses and 6 credits in specified electives in A.A.S. Graphic Design degree, all with minimum grades of C, and consent of department chair. Student must secure placement at a business approved by department chair in order to register for the course.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
GRD 2523 credit hours (lecture: 3 | lab: 15)
Animation and Multimedia Practicum
Workplace experience in the animation and multimedia field acquired by working for a company that does animation and multimedia. The student’s job will be appropriate to his or her skills. Student meets with instructor to provide detailed reports of the work experience.
Prerequisite: Completion of 21 credits in required courses and 6 credits in specified electives in Animation and Multimedia certificate, all with minimum grades of C, and consent of department chair. Student must secure placement at a business approved by department chair in order to register for the course.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
GRD 2533 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 15)
Web Design Practicum
Workplace experience in web design field acquired by working for a company that does web design. The student’s job will be appropriate to his or her skills. Student meets with instructor to provide detailed reports of the work experience.
Prerequisite: Completion of 27 credits in required courses and 6 credits in specified electives in Web Design certificate, all with minimum grades of C, and consent of department chair. Student must secure placement at a business approved by department chair in order to register for the course.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
Photography Courses
Note: Photography courses include two disciplines: Art (ART) and Graphic Design (GRD).
ART 1153 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Beginning Photography
Course explains basic photography. Student, using their own cameras, explore basics of film exposure, development and printing. Focus is on realizing camera’s ability to record fine delineation of tone and detail using black and white materials. Content includes use of studio cameras, studio lighting, brief history and basic aesthetics of photography. Studio work outside of regular class time required.
Note: Students are expected to buy their own film and paper. Total cost of these items is approximately $150-200 in addition to the regular lab fee. The student who does not own a camera, tripod or light meter may borrow these items from the College by paying a refundable deposit fee. Deposits will be retained when equipment is damaged or not returned on the specific due date.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $50
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
ART 1163 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Alternative Photographic Processes
Course utilizes basic photographic principles and tools and deals with development of manipulative and experimental nature of medium. Focus is on student’s work. Studio work outside of regular class time is required.
Note: Students are expected to buy their own film and paper. Total cost of these items is approximately $150-200 in addition to the regular lab fee. The student who does not own a camera, tripod or light meter may borrow these items from the College by paying a refundable deposit fee. Deposits will be retained when equipment is damaged or not returned on the specific due date.
Instruction Type: Online
Fee: $50
Term Typically Offered: Spring
ART 1173 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Digital Photography
Course introduces potentials and realities of digital photography. Digital darkroom is constructed and necessary software explored. Content includes fundamentals of photography and their relation to digital imaging, basic electronic imaging principles, and scanning techniques.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2153 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Color Photography
Course explores aesthetics, techniques and theory of color photography. Content includes color theory, nature of light and its relationship to the additive and subtractive system of color theory, and color balance in relationship to light source and color corrected photographs. Focus is on student camera work to shoot and develop color positive and negative film, with the goal of making color photographs, applying history of photography and function of color aesthetics to photography, and to individual work.
Note: Students are expected to buy their own film and paper. Total cost of these items is approximately $150-200 in addition to the regular lab fee. The student who does not own a camera, tripod or light meter may borrow these items from the College by paying a refundable deposit fee. Deposits will be retained when equipment is damaged or not returned on the specific due date.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $50
Term Typically Offered: Fall
ART 2183 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced Black and White Photography
Course refines darkroom technique of ART 115. Content includes issues of film exposure and development in order to produce “perfect” negatives, various films, developers, chemicals, papers and toners, and advanced studio lighting; medium and large format photography introduced. Focus is on student assignments and personal projects.
Prerequisite: ART 115 or consent of instructor.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online | Hybrid
Fee: $50
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2193 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Photographic Lighting
Course presents techniques of photographic lighting. Content includes using light as a creative tool, exploring tungsten light and electronic flash in studio situations. Studio and fieldwork outside of regular class time is required.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $50
Term Typically Offered: Fall
ART 2203 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced Digital Photography
Course expands basic principles and tools of digital photography used in ART 117 and deals with the manipulative and experimental nature of the medium. Focus is on creation of original work utilizing the digital camera, study of development of manipulative photography. Studio work outside of regular class time required.
Prerequisite: ART 117 or equivalent.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Fee: $75
ART 2223 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
View Camera
Course deals with large format photography, at advanced level. Students use College-provided equipment. Content includes techniques used in large format film exposure, development and printing. Focus is on discovering benefits associated with view camera in various aspects of the photographic field. Lab and studio work outside of regular class time required.
Prerequisite: ART 115.
Instruction Type:
Fee: $50
ART 2233 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Landscape Photography Field Study
Course covers aesthetic and historical developments of landscape photography. Content includes impact on artistic, cultural, social, economic and political issues, survey of historical photographers and modern practitioners of the medium. Week-long field study provides chance to employ techniques and ideas learned in class.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $50
ART 2273 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Medium Format Photography
Course introduces Medium Format camera system and its format advantages for photographer. Content includes numerous Medium Format systems used in field of professional photography, use of specialized equipment to reveal form and function of variety of subjects, enhancement of experience in basic photography with refinement of film exposure and development, technical operation of the Medium Format camera, and selection of appropriate equipment and materials. Focus is on practical, problem-solving applications.
Prerequisite: ART 115 or consent of instructor.
Note: Students are expected to buy their own film and paper. Total cost of these items is approximately $150-200 in addition to the regular lab fee. The student who does not own a camera, tripod or light meter may borrow these items from the College by paying a refundable deposit fee. Deposits will be retained when equipment is damaged or not returned on the specific due date.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Fee: $50
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
ART 2293 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced Studio Lighting
Course presents advanced study of studio lighting practices required in field of professional photography. Content includes further exploration of techniques specific to using electronic flash in unique photographic assignments, and fields of fashion, wedding, product, location/event-specific portraiture and layout-specific photography. Studio and fieldwork outside of regular class time required.
Prerequisite: ART 219.
Note: Students are expected to buy their own film and paper. Total cost of these items is approximately $150-200 in addition to the regular lab fee. The student who does not own a camera, tripod or light meter may borrow these items from the College by paying a refundable deposit fee. Deposits will be retained when equipment is damaged or not returned on the specific due date.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Fee: $50
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2303 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Architectural Photography
Course covers esthetic and historical development of architectural photography. Content includes impact on artistic, cultural, social, economic, legal, and political issues; historical survey of architectural photographers, including modern practitioners of the medium. Students will produce a portfolio of work employing techniques and ideas learned in class. Course may be taken for credit up to four times.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Fee: $50
ART 2373 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Documentary Photography
Course covers esthetic and historical development of documentary photography. Content includes impact on artistic, cultural, social, economic, legal, and political issues; historical survey of documentary photographers, including modern practitioners of the medium. Students will produce a portfolio of work employing techniques and ideas learned in class. Course may be taken for credit up to four times.
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Fee: $50
Term Typically Offered: Summer
ART 2573 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Advanced Masking and Compositing
Course presents techniques used in creating complex selections and masks with Adobe Photoshop to produce creative composite images—from realistic to abstract. Techniques include the creation, manipulation and output of images via inkjet printer to a variety of art papers using photographs, other original art and found objects that will be scanned into the computer. Topics include the aesthetics of image manipulation, both in the context of the student’s development of style and from an historical perspective, and the legal, moral and social issues of commercial and fine arts applications of photographic electronic imaging.
Prerequisite: ART 216 or consent of instructor.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2773 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
Color Management
Course focuses on the use of Color Management to get consistent color from input through editing through output and color correction techniques. Topics include creation and use of ICC color profiles for scanners, digital cameras, monitors, and inkjet printers; choosing hardware, types of ink, using art papers, proofing, and related techniques.
Prerequisite: ART 216.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2783 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 6)
The Digital Darkroom
Course provides students of digital photography with an integrated approach to the digital darkroom. Students will learn to organize digital images for effective workflow. Content includes color management techniques, such as monitor calibration, image editing capabilities of Adobe Bridge/Camera RAW and Lightroom, Photoshop techniques for professional digital photographers, fine tonal and color adjustments, noise reduction, sharpening techniques, use of ICC color profiles in their printing procedures and a variety of fine art inkjet papers.
Prerequisite: ART 216.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring
ART 2901-4 credit hours (lecture: 0-4 | lab: 0-8)
Topics in Art
Course offers specialized instruction in current topics in art, photography and/or graphic design. Topics will be identified for each section of the course. Course may be taken for credit up to four times on different topics. Fee Varies. Prerequisite may vary by topic.
Instruction Type: In-Person
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer
GRD 2543 credit hours (lecture: 0 | lab: 15)
Photography Practicum
Workplace experience in the photography field acquired by working for a company that does work in photography. The student’s job will be appropriate to his or her skills. Student meets with instructor to provide detailed reports of the work experience.
Prerequisite: Completion of 24 credits in required courses and 6 credits in specified electives in Photography certificate, all with minimum grades of C, and consent of department chair. Student must secure placement at a business approved by department chair in order to register for the course.
Instruction Type: In-Person | Online
Fee: $75
Term Typically Offered: Fall | Spring | Summer