VCDP 2490: Portfolio
Effective date
January 2025
Department
Visual Comm Design Diploma
School
Trades, Technology and Design
Description
This course will prepare students to look for work in the competitive design industry. Students will select and refine past design projects and then create a professional design portfolio for both online and print formats. The course will also cover job search strategies that are important for graphic designers, including networking and self-promotion, and each student will create a personal job-search or self-promotion plan that will help them find the design work that suits them best.
Year of study
2nd Year Post-secondary
Prerequisites
Completion of 42 program credits, or department permission.
Course Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
- Create a personal brand identity that can be used across different media
- Develop a self-directed schedule for portfolio completion
- Create professional web- and print-based portfolios by selecting and refining design projects
- Write a targeted cover letter and resume
- Create a personal job-search or self-promotion plan based on personal career aspirations
- Complete a job interview thoughtfully and confidently
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
None
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
- Personal branding
- Web- and print-based portfolio design
- Developing a personal schedule for a project including all milestones
- Career planning
- Job search strategies
- Job interview preparation
- Self-promotion and networking
- Professional social media presence
- Cover letters, resumes, and biographies
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.