Computer Graphic Design
Computer graphic design requires a combination of talent and a great education. The Computer Graphic Design diploma program at Reeves College gives students the technical skills they need to back up their artistic eye.
Students in this program learn about the fundamentals of colour theory, design and layout, typography, marketing, and more. They learn on industry-standard software including the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign and Adobe Acrobat) as well as QuarkXpress. Students also learn web skills like HTML and Dreamweaver.
Graduates of this program will have built a comprehensive portfolio of their design and layout work to showcase their skills to future clients or employers.
“The people working at Reeves College – the teachers, administrators and assistants – were very supportive, approachable and willing to go out of their way in order for me to finish my education. The education and skills I gained from Reeves College helped me build the confidence to go after a career I wanted.” – Joem W., Reeves College Graduate
This program is 43 weeks in length.
Job Opportunities
- Illustrator
- Medical and/or Scientific Illustrator
- Title Artist
- Commercial Artist
- Layout Designer
- Page Designer
- Packaging Designer
- Graphic Artist
- Advertising Designer
- Web Designer
Program Courses
The program outline below is for Alberta.
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| L1015 |
Strategies for Success |
20 |
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- Students will gain a better understanding of themselves through an exploration of their personal attributes, transferable skills and learning styles. This course will introduce techniques for time, conflict, and stressmanagement and develop interpersonal communication skills. Fundamental study and motivation skills will be covered, preparing students to excel in their program of choice. Students will also prepare a professional resume andlearn how to write effective cover letters.
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| ITMC |
Introduction to Macs |
20 |
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- The first component of this course is designed to introduce students to basic computer literacy through familiarization with the components that make up a computer. Students will also look at the Mac operating system to learn how to manage a computer on a regular basis.
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| MOTR |
Microsoft Outlook |
40 |
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- This course explores information using Microsoft Outlook. It will present the MS Outlook application interface, tools, and features. You will learn about the fundamentals of an email application, scheduling, calendars, contact lists, creating, forwarding and managing messages. This course relies heavily upon hands-on practical activities that allow you to learn the concepts by practicing them on a regular basis.
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- The main objective of the first part of this course is to introduce students to the basic commands, functions, and capabilities of Microsoft Office Word. In the second segment, this course will go further to introduce students (as experienced users) to some advanced features of Word in order to produce professional documents, manage large files, work with web documents, collaborate with others, or merge data together.
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- The main objective of the first level of this course is to introduce students to the basic commands, functions, and capabilities of Microsoft Office Excel. In the second level of this course, students will begin with a review of the basic operations and then move to more advanced topics that include working with functions, customizing formatting, using drawing tools, hyperlinks, data tools, databases, cell formatting, drawing objects and customizing charts.
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- Students are provided an introduction to marketing practices focusing on problem definition and solution. Topics will include marketing concepts, marketing strategies, and buyer behaviour. The product promotion, distribution, pricing and public relations model are emphasized.
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| T1010 |
Graphic Arts & Layout |
40 |
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- Graphic Design is not about “pretty pictures” but rather about effective communication. All Graphic Design is marketing driven, that is, companies produce print and web-based materials to maintain and enhance their positioning and profitability. Effective design successfully combines creativity, marketing principles and strategies, design principles, audience awareness, typography, illustration, photography, colour theory, words and presentation for the purpose of informing, persuading and/or instructing and audience.
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| T1020 |
Adobe Illustrator I |
60 |
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- Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard vector-based illustration program. It is an incredibly versatile program that allows designers to create maps, charts, graphs, technical illustrations, complex illustrations and web graphics and animations and has extensive typographic control and image support.
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| T1030 |
Adobe Illustrator II |
60 |
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- This module pushes the envelope of the industry-standard illustration program with a series of advanced assignments that include: a landscape illustration, a technical illustration, mapping, illustrating from photographic reference, and colourizing bitmapped images. Students will learn how to create precise, organized and professional illustrations that will meet the demands and standards of art directors and advertising agencies, as well as acquire valuable tips and tricks.
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| T1060 |
Pre Press and Adobe Acrobat |
20 |
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- This module teaches students how to prepare their files for digital and electronic publishing. It includes trapping for spot and process color printing and talking with your print professional. The course also teaches students how to electronically publish their documents using Adobe Acrobat in PDF format. Documents in PDF format preserve the exact look and content of the originals and can be distributed via email, stored on the Internet, and intranet, a file system, or on CD. Other users can view your work on Windows, Mac and Unix platforms. Manuals, catalogues, and annual reports are increasingly being published in PDF format and distributed on the Internet and intranets.
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| T1040 |
Adobe Photoshop I |
60 |
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- Adobe Photoshop delivers powerful, industry-standard image-editing tools for professional designers who want to produce sophisticated graphics for print and the Web. The combination of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Image Ready provides a comprehensive environment for designing both print and web graphics.
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| T1041 |
Adobe Photoshop II |
40 |
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- Adobe Photoshop delivers powerful, industry-standard image-editing tools for professional designers who want to produce sophisticated graphics for print and the Web. The combination of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Image Ready provides a comprehensive environment for designing both print and web graphics.
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| T1042 |
Adobe InDesign I |
40 |
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- Adobe InDesign is one of the leading industry standard page-layout programs used by most print houses, the majority of the advertising agencies and design houses around the world. The inclusion of InDesign in Adobe’s Creative Suite, and its integrated workflow with Photoshop and Illustrator, has made InDesign a major player on the page layout world. This module will cover the features of InDesign and how they are used in the page layout process.
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| T1043 |
Adobe InDesign II |
40 |
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- Adobe InDesign is one of the leading industry standard page-layout programs used by most print houses, the majority of the advertising agencies and design houses around the world. The inclusion of InDesign in Adobe’s Creative Suite, and its integrated workflow with Photoshop and Illustrator, has made InDesign a major player on the page layout world. This module will cover the features of InDesign and how they are used in the page layout process.
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| T1070 |
Advanced Design Techniques I |
40 |
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- This is the synthesis of the CGD program, where students merge their creative, marketing, technical, and design abilities to produce pieces they will showcase in their portfolio. These projects include: a stationery system; a CD package; a book cover; spine and back cover; a magazine cover; table of contents spread and sample inside spread; and a high-end menu. Design is a process and the students work closely with their instructor to improve on the overall effectiveness of their design.
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| T1080 |
Advanced Design Techniques II |
40 |
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- Students synthesize what they have learned in the previous weeks, allowing them to work at an even higher level. Once again, students merge their creative, marketing, and technical and design abilities to design and produce pieces they will showcase in their portfolio. These final projects include: a travel brochure; a concert series booklet; a condo brochure booklet; an annual report; and a poster series. Design is a process and the students work closely with their instructor to improve on the overall effectiveness of their designs.
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| T2010 |
Introduction to HTML |
20 |
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- Students are introduced to the fundamentals of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), and will obtain an understanding of how to design, create, and edit web pages.
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| T2020 |
Adobe Dreamweaver |
60 |
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- The basic building block of any web site is the individual web page. Students will learn a number of techniques for the design and implementation of an individual web page, including colour, images, text, and text formatting. By the end of this module, students will be able to upload their own web page as an online portfolio.
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- This module is for course credits but has no grade. Students will be placed in actual workplaces related to their field of study and will be expected to act as a regular employee for the five weeks in order to gain the valuable “real world” experience that so many employers seek. Students are encouraged to find their own work experience placement; however, once placed, continuation in that placement is mandatory.
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| L1040 |
Job Search / Academic Review Techniques |
20 |
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- Students will have the use of our Job Search lab which has unlimited Internet access, a job search resource library and a fax machine and phone for contacting prospective employers with your resume. Facilitators will also be made available to advise on job finding resources, interview skills, and techniques and to carry out videotaped mock interviews. Students review core program concepts and learning in order to market their skills effectively.