VCDP 1115: Digital Design Tools
Effective date
January 2023
Department
Visual Comm Design Diploma
School
Trades, Technology and Design
Description
In this course, students will learn the tools involved in designing for digital and interactive media. Students will focus on technical skills from the design of professional graphics for digital uses to the creation of high-fidelity clickable prototypes for mobile and web applications. Beyond these technical skills, students will also learn the basic stages and tasks involved in digital or interaction design projects and will practice using cloud-based tools to collaborate and manage projects digitally. The course will finish with a comprehensive project where students use their technical skills to communicate not only design aesthetics but also motion, interaction, and user flow.
Year of study
1st Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
VCDP 1111 taken prior or concurrently.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Describe the basic stages and tasks involved in digital or interaction design projects
- Use digital tools to collaborate with a team on design projects
- Describe the importance of low-fidelity sketching and wireframing in digital design projects
- Create low-fidelity and high-fidelity clickable prototypes for mobile or web application designs
- Effectively communicate motion, interaction, or user flows in a design
- Create professional graphics for digital uses
- Identify and avoid common issues in working with developers on web and interaction design projects
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
1. Interview with department to discuss previous experience
2. A portfolio assessment of previously completed related work OR
3. The demonstration of skills via the successful completion of 1-4 related projects/assignments similar to those completed in the course, chosen at the discretion of the department
Hours
Lecture, Online, Seminar, Tutorial: 42
Practicum, Self-Paced, Individual Learning: 12
Total Hours: 54
Instructional Strategies
A combination of lecture, demonstration, production simulations, problem solving, practical labs and reflective discussion will be used throughout this course.
Grading System
Letter Grade (A-F)
Evaluation Plan
Type
|
Percentage
|
Assessment activity
|
Project
|
30
|
Final project
|
Assignments
|
30
|
Assignments
|
Lab Work
|
30
|
May include in-class exercises, assignments, quizzes/tests, and work-in-progress
|
Participation
|
10
|
Participation and professionalism
|
Course topics
- Digital graphics
- Masking
- Basic animation
- Sketching and wireframing
- Mockups
- Low-fidelity and high-fidelity prototypes
- Cloud-based collaboration
- Digital and interaction design project stages
- Communication skills for team design projects
- Getting stakeholder or user feedback on designs
Notes:
- Course contents and descriptions, offerings and schedules are subject to change without notice.
- Students are required to follow all College policies including ones that govern their educational experience at VCC. Policies are available on the VCC website at:
https://www.vcc.ca/about/governance--policies/policies/.
- To find out if there are existing transfer agreements for this course, visit the BC Transfer Guide at https://www.bctransferguide.ca.