illustrative Design Degree

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Draw Your Future Into Reality

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What is Illustrative Design? Our program in Illustrative Design requires an illustrative approach to solving design problems, whether it be logo design, motion graphics, data visualization, and more. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustrative Design provides students with a hybrid degree combining curriculum from both graphic design and illustration. Students learn core technical skills in illustration and apply those skills to projects found in graphic design. RMCAD’s Illustrative Design Program will help provide you with the technical, aesthetic, critical, and practical skills necessary for career success.

Illustrative Design Program Overview

As an Illustrative Design student, you’ll refine your skills as an illustrator and apply them in graphic design. You’ll receive hands-on training that prepares you for the real world of professional design. You will learn the technology, tools, and skills as they relate to art and design including the ability to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use technology, tools, and skills for sustainable practice. 

The Illustrative Design Program incorporates a focus on the development of cultural, communication and design competencies, professional practice, and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in the profession. At RMCAD, we aim to increase and combine intellectual, artistic and design thinking, planning, and practice to best prepare students for dynamic business environments.

Illustrative design concepts for posters
Illustrative designer drawing on a tablet, surrounded by Adobe Illustrator UI and a poster concept
Illustrative Design program overview icon

Illustrative Design Program Highlights

Solve Communication + Design Problems

Students demonstrate communication competency in their understanding of basic business practices, including the ability to organize design projects and to work productively as a member of a team.

Students demonstrate cultural competencies in the ability to describe and respond to audiences and contexts that communication and design solutions must address.

Identity Design + Design Systems

Students demonstrate design competencies in the ability to create and develop a visual form in response to communication problems.

Students demonstrate communication competency in the ability to solve communication + design problems.

Industry-Based Software

Students demonstrate design competencies and proficiency in media and digital skills, and mechanical skills such as drawing and the use of value and color.

Typography + Layout Design

Students demonstrate design competencies in understanding: symbolic representation, principles of visual organization/compositional theory and information hierarchy, and the proper use of typography and its various applications.

Media + Digital Skills

Students demonstrate design competencies in a strong use and proficiency in media and digital skills, and mechanical skills such as drawing and the use of value and color.

Portfolio Development

Students demonstrate design competencies in a strong sense of personal style.

Students demonstrate cultural competencies in recognizing the physical, cognitive, cultural, and social human factors that shape design decisions.

Students demonstrate design competencies in the ability to create and develop visual form in response to communication problems.

Liberal Arts

The Liberal Arts curriculum is an exciting part of every student’s academic and creative journey at RMCAD. These courses provide the opportunity for students to engage with complex questions and ideas to develop critical thinking skills, a global consciousness, and awareness of art historical foundations that are essential for their intellectual, creative, and personal growth.

Global Consciousness

The curious engagement with communities, perspectives, and narratives that do not match our own offers the opportunity to see one’s personal and creative role in our local, national, and global communities. 

Critical Awareness

The willingness to ask questions and resist easy answers & simplistic dualities offers the opportunity to more clearly understand the complexity and multifaceted reality of history, creativity, and human communities. 

Information Literacy

The ability to read closely, critique freely, and seek additional verifiable information offers the opportunity to more holistically discern the veracity of the information that inundates our lives.

Credits pie chart for the Illustrative Design BFA course. 30 credits in liberal arts, 27 credits in graphic design, 21 credits in foundations, 21 credits in illustration, 15 credits in art/design history, and 9 credits in illustrative design for a total of 123 credits.

Illustrative Design Degree Requirements

The BFA in Illustrative Design Program aims to increase and combine intellectual, artistic and design thinking, planning, and practice to best prepare students for dynamic business environments.

* RMCAD offers classes year-round in both on-campus and online delivery formats. At RMCAD, we believe that online learning is an important part of the overall college learning experience. To provide students multiple scheduling options, diverse learning modalities, and experience in the virtual environment, all on-campus students are required to take part in online education.

Tech + Tools

The Illustrative Design Program offers a course curriculum to enhance your specific needs.  Our courses offer small class sizes for an enhanced learning experience and personalized attention from skilled instructors.

  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe AfterEffects
stylus

Illustrative Design Careers

Are you ready to become a design problem solver? At RMCAD, we help prepare our alumni to take on the world of art and design. With an Illustrative Design Degree in hand, graduates are equipped to launch their career in a variety of design fields, including:

Potential Career Paths

Student Work + Success

Stories @ RMCAD

Illustrative Design Faculty

RMCAD’s team of Illustrative Design instructors are here to watch you grow and succeed throughout your journey in this program.

Illustrative Design Events

Stay up to date on the latest Illustration Design events. Check it out!

Ready to Combine Your Creativity and design?

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