This summer there are three SVA NYC classes to recommend. [Full disclosure: I’m highly prejudiced towards them.] Two are residencies and one is online only. Design education is moving in some interesting direction and residencies and distance learning are increasingly good alternatives for professionals who cannot afford longer commitments.
1. DIGITAL PORTFOLIO DESIGN taught online by Stuart Rogers, Rogers Eckersley Design. Developing digital portfolios for presentation, online and in-person, is the focus of this course. Students will refine existing projects and/or create a variety of new projects that showcase their interests and skills. They will have the opportunity to research the industry and how to best address their career goals. Aspects of communicating and interviewing with potential employees will be discussed, and we will examine aspects of communicating across cultural boundaries. This course demands a high level of professionalism. Upon completion, students should be prepared to compete for jobs in the design industry.
2. IMPACT! DESIGN FOR SOCIAL CHANGE chaired by Mark Randall, World Studio. is a six-week summer intensive residency exploring the many roles creative professionals can play when executing socially minded work with a focus on self-generated social entrepreneurship and collaborative community projects.Design innovation is a powerful process for non-profits to discover, incubate and implement meaningful projects to serve communities; social consciousness is an effective and competitive position for all types of businesses – from start-ups to Fortune 500s. How does a creative professional emerge as a social impact designer and move project ideas forward?
3. TYPOGRAPHY AS LANGUAGE: THEORY AND PRACTICE Program Coordinator is Angela Riechers. A four-week summer residency that will hone the typographic skills of designers working in both print and digital environments, with special consideration given to typography’s role as a narrative tool within graphic design and other disciplines, including fine art, film and photography. Lettering and typeface design will be explored within their larger social and cultural context as well as in terms of typographic theory and usage, aesthetics and technology. A focus on creating expressive and individualized type will draw from history, the vernacular and each student’s individual lens on the subject.