Graphic & Communications Design

Integrated Seminar/Studio
Students explore a range of visual and analytic skills while working on collaborative and multidisciplinary projects. How do we make sense of our ideas, the information we gather, our hunches and theories? And what can this investigation tell us about why we make certain decisions as creative thinkers? Students work independently and in teams to learn about the research and construction of prototypes, and to understand the creative process. Classes incorporate knowledge gained in other first-year courses, and several times during the semester two classes will share concepts and assignments on various projects.

Drawing – Image
How are meaning and communication constructed through visual images? Students use traditional drawing and methods of digital-image projection to explore the conceptual, esthetic, and formal qualities that inform the way ideas and impressions are expressed in two dimensions. Students explore visual organization, figurative and abstract forms, and engagement through drawing from observation, photography, creation of digital images, and integration of a variety of mediums of communication. The tools and methods students can acquire in this course provide an introductory platform that they can utilize in the higher-level courses in their chosen discipline. Sections of this class may explore the following topics in relation to the construction of identity, form, function, and meaning: language, objects, places, and people.

Art Seminar
This course presents students with some major moments in world history and the study of objects considered expressions of a particular place or time. Interrelationships will be constructed between societies and types of objects over time. The course structure is approximately chronological, beginning in prehistory and continuing until the dawn of industrialization. The focus will be on objects, works, and ordinary instruments of everyday life, as well as on extraordinary monuments of artistic skill and design. This exploration will deal with how and why the objects were made, by and for whom, how they were used, what they meant for the people who used them, and what social structures are embodied in them. The course serves as an introduction to artistic styles and visual analysis. Classes are developed through discussion, assignments, research, and projects.

Space And Materials
Students explore concepts such as malleability, weight, texture, color, durability, smell, sound, taste, life cycle, and ecological impact through a wide variety of projects. Other topics concern the formation of spaces, environmental psychology, and an exploration of the object to discover the meaning of its form, materials, and uses. Discussion, critique, and written answers create a community in the class and the idea of sharing, while helping students to understand their work in historical and cultural contexts.

Time
This course is an introduction to the cultural constructions and perceptions of time and their relationship. Learning to work with time implies more than simply editing video and sound in linear sequence. It implies consideration of time as a design idea that can function as a tool. How can this tool affect the way objects work, how environments are perceived, or how experiences are shared? Studio projects, readings, writing, and examples of the work of many artists are used to examine the evolution of such ideas as framework, duration, and speed, so as to shape our understanding of time. A variety of methods and mediums of communication—digital video, drawing, and performance—are used to explore and represent different concepts of time in the fields of art, design, science, and industry.

Web Design
Starting with an introduction to UI/UX design and front-end development, students put into practice basic concepts using HTML and CSS. This course teaches students how to construct the visual and interactive components of a web page and introduces the principles of programing using jQuery, a JavaScript library. The class covers the use of new open-source tools such as Twitter and Bootstrap as well as CSS preprocessors for the rapid development of web applications. Students will have the opportunity to create the structural base of a website using these new tools, and to construct their own designs and ideas, creating for mobile and desktop platforms.

Communication Seminar
This seminar offers an appreciation of the visual tools and communication principles that apply to exploration and a personal methodology, through encouraging research, interpretation, and the development of concepts. Effective visual communication imbues the viewer with motives through clever concepts. General design techniques are then employed in assignments with specific requirements whose main objective is the development of projects that are believable and innovative, two of the qualities that enable a designer to achieve effective visual communication.

Typography Seminar
Typography is language made visible, and as a first step these courses introduce students in this area to by means of history, technique, and, of course, practice. They can learn to see, understand, and manipulate the visual aspect of language as one of the most powerful tools of communication. Through technique and practice they can come to understand the properties of the different types of letters, their context, and how typography helps in communication processes, as well as to understand and navigate through the typographic medium. Classes are based on knowledge of the typographic form, systems, terminology, the history of type and printing, principles of spacing, use of typographic contrast, composition, legibility, and hierarchy as a tool of expression and communication.

Editorial Design
A study of esthetic forms for organizing graphic elements based on established schemes, as a means of expressing editorial messages in magazines, newspapers, and other publications. Through theory and practice, students will have the opportunity to acquire a visual culture that enables them to make esthetic judgments, allowing them to develop communication projects in print and digital mediums. They can also acquire an understanding of the function of design as a vehicle of communication and information in different types of publications. The ultimate goal is a full understanding of the function of design, as the exercises to be completed during the semester focus on solving real problems, with real texts and images and actual requirements, so that students may find solutions corresponding to the realities of the profession, from idea to revisions to completion and production.

Art Direction
This course is an appreciation from the viewpoint of the professional art director who works in the communication field in various types of companies, but with the common denominator of establishing esthetic and conceptual parameters that help transmit a message to specified audiences based on pre-established concepts. The ultimate aim of the class is the acquisition of a technical and practical understanding of factors related to the art direction of design and communication projects, starting with basic concepts, brainstorming, use of references, and analysis of trends, elements, or sources of inspiration that establish the bases for the development of projects in different media.

Advertising/Creativity
This course is an introduction to the design of words and images to sell ideas, and to the competitive world of advertising and the creative process for developing advertising projects. Knowledge of the organizing structure of advertising agencies will afford an understanding of the importance of the creative process in the production of effective messages according to the requirements and needs of the companies involved. In addition, an understanding of the creative process in advertising campaigns and production will determine the role of the designer in production processes and will clarify the different responsibilities of the various team members involved in advertising campaigns or projects.

Electives
The selected courses have as their aim to complement and consolidate the focuses of the area of fine arts and at the same time to offer new theoretical and practical tools that students may find useful in their professional development.

Admissions

Admission to CHAVÓN requires high school graduation with a satisfactory grade-point average, the presentation of a portfolio,*  and an interview. For detailed information about admissions procedures, click here.

*Applicants to the program in Fashion Marketing and Communications are not required to present a portfolio but must complete the CHAVÓN Challenge.

Information for International Students

International students are a welcomed to the CHAVÓN community and significantly add to its rich, artistically and intellectually diverse dialogue and culture. If you live outside the Dominican Republic, we encourage you to apply or to contact us, as we will always be available to assist you in the application process and to answer questions regarding such things as dormitories or other living accommodations, travel arrangements, visas, or any other questions you may have.