Visual Systems + Publication Design

Catalog description

Grids are your foundation. Visual systems are your language. In this course, you'll learn to organize complex information across pages, screens, and environments using layout principles that prioritize how people use products, services, and systems. You'll design multipage publications where consistency meets pacing—considering whether readers will skim or study closely. But publications are just the beginning. You'll create visual language systems: pictograms that work at a glance, icons that guide wayfinding under stress, signage that makes unfamiliar environments navigable. Through sequential campaigns spanning print, digital, and environmental contexts, you'll maintain cohesive design standards while adapting to different use scenarios and user needs. By examining influential designers and how their systems shaped culture, you'll understand that effective layout serves real people completing real tasks—making information accessible, usable, and enjoyable. Prerequisites: ART 251 or permission of instructor.