Career Introduction

The traditional role of design has been to improve the visual appearance and function of messages and information. The publishing industry relies on designers for printed and online books, magazines, and newspapers that inform, delight, and support the interests of readers. Designers distinguish businesses from their competitors in the marketplace through innovative approaches to branding, the comprehensive design of messages, products, and services that express the character of a company and define its relationships with consumers. Advertising design promotes the marketable qualities of commercial products and services through a variety of communication media. And information designers translate complicated numerical and textual explanations into visual forms that help people see patterns in data and relationships among the components of complicated ideas. In all these practices, designers use typography, photographs, illustrations, and graphic elements to construct messages that attract attention, cause us to think about their meaning, and stay in our memories over time.

Creative professions like graphic design provide satisfying and rewarding careers for talented and strategic-minded visual artists and communicators.

Concordia graphic design majors offer a unique emphasis on the art and craft of typography and applied graphic design practice. Interwoven throughout these programs are communication and interactive studies and the practices of new and emerging digital media.

Whether engaging traditional or new media, the design principles you acquire through training and practice remain the same. Early sequential courses are structured to stress advanced craft, theory, process, and technical skills to ensure refined success in your later project work. Advanced courses and the senior project capstone experience can be customized to reflect individual interests.

As a graphic design major, you will be taught by an experienced faculty of active professionals with close ties to the vibrant Twin Cities creative community. You will have access to a state-of-the-art Macintosh computer lab with the latest software and large format digital printing, plus direct exposure to some of the most recognized graphic designers and design firms in the country.