BS in Visual Communication Design
At a Glance
Program
Upcoming Events
We're excited to share our program events for Spring and Summer 2024. Join us this Spring for four exciting creative workshops in collage, bookbinding, printmaking, and creative coding, along with our three-day Graphic and Web Design Summer Academy tailored for high school students. Find details and registration links below.
2024 Graphic & Web Design Summer Academy
Jefferson’s Visual Communication Design Summer Academy is an immersive three-day experience that guides high school students through the design process, from concept development to production. Participants with career interests in graphic and web design will collaborate with our experienced faculty and current students to tackle a real-world design prompt. The Academy unfolds in our VCD studios on the East Falls campus, providing students with access to industry-standard software, computers and cutting-edge prototyping equipment. Each day is structured to optimize learning, featuring project discussions, critiques, presentations by industry professionals, and skills labs. The academy concludes with a reception open to family and friends, where the final projects will be showcased.
Eligibility
Open to high school students grade 10-12. We encourage anyone excited about art and design to apply.
Time + Dates
Wednesday, July 10 – Friday, July 12th, 2024
9:00am – 4:00pm, Daily
Closing Reception and Student Work Showcase:
Friday, July 12, 2024 at 5:00PM
Kanbar Performance Space
Location
Jefferson - East Falls Campus
Hayward Hall, Room 104
4201 Henry Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19144
Jefferson - East Falls Campus Map (PDF)
Registration & Fees
Enrollment in this 3-day workshop is $300 with a $50 non-refundable deposit will reserve your space in this workshop. If you require a payment plan, please contact Elizabeth Shirrell, [email protected].
All necessary art supplies will be provided.
Lunch
Lunch will be provided each day. Students are encouraged to bring a reusable water bottle, any personal snacks, or a brown-bagged lunch if they do not wish to partake in the provided lunch.
Immerse in an experiential learning environment that combines practical application, technical proficiency, critical thinking, and industry exposure for a holistic learning experience.
Gain an understanding of diverse career paths in graphic and web design.
Develop the ability to conceptualize creative ideas and design with intention and impact using research, mood boards, and sketches.
Acquire hands-on experience with industry-standard software, computers, and cutting-edge prototyping equipment.
Develop critique skills that enable designers to provide and receive valuable, constructive, and professional feedback.
Create portfolio-ready work that showcases acquired skills and accomplishments during the academy.
Design Briefs: Workshops for Creative Minds
Four different Design Brief workshops offered
This Spring, Jefferson’s Visual Communication Design program is hosting a creative workshop series. Discover, learn, and connect with us as we explore creative coding, collage, and printmaking. This workshop series aims to ignite and amplify creative exploration, facilitate continuous learning, and inspire practical application. Each workshop is guided by a faculty member, alum, or expert in our field.
Whether you're just starting your journey (a prospective or current student) or a seasoned creative (alum or creative), these workshops are crafted to inspire and engage across all skill levels.
There are no fees, materials are provided, and seats are limited.
Location:
Thomas Jefferson University, East Falls Campus
Hayward Hall, Room 104
4201 Henry Ave
Philadelphia, 19144
Campus Map | Google Maps
- Dates & Times:
11:00am–2:00pm
First Saturday of the Month
Cut & Create Workshop with Collage Philadelphia
In this workshop, @collagephiladelphia, Collage Philadelphia’s founder and Jefferson VCD alum, Jacob Dombroski will introduce us to the art of image making and storytelling through collage. You’ll learn the history, various techniques, and engage in an immersive and interactive project where you'll scavenge, cut, curate, compose, and paste imagery based on a chosen theme.
Whether you're just starting your journey (a prospective or current student) or a seasoned creative (alum or creative), these workshops are crafted to inspire and engage across all skill levels.
There are no fees, seats are limited, and all materials will be provided. However, feel free to bring collage materials for your creation.
*Lunch is not provided, feel free to bring snacks.
Book Binding: Link Stitch + Coptic Binding Techniques Workshop
In this workshop, Jefferson VCD faculty member Frank Baseman will teach you how to bind and sew your own blank book with multiple signatures. We'll cover two stitching techniques: the coptic bind and the link stitch.
Whether you're just starting your journey (a prospective or current student) or a seasoned creative (alum or creative), these workshops are crafted to inspire and engage across all skill levels.
There are no fees, seats are limited, and all materials will be provided, but feel free to bring in any graphic materials for endpapers and covers—random parts of past projects work best.
*Lunch is not provided, feel free to bring snacks.
Print Making Essentials Workshop
In this workshop, VCD faculty, Renee Walker, and Surface Imaging faculty, Nathalie Bouchard, will cover the basics of screen printing. You’ll create artwork using various experimental techniques and be guided through the entire process from screen exposure, to mixing inks and printing on various substrates, to reclaiming your screen.
Whether you're just starting your journey (a prospective or current student) or a seasoned creative (alum or creative), these workshops are crafted to inspire and engage across all skill levels.
There are no fees, seats are limited, and all materials will be provided.
*Lunch is not provided, feel free to bring snacks.
Creative Code Workshop
Generate Art + Patterns with p5.js
In this workshop, VCD faculty Renee Walker, will demonstrate how to use code as a tool to create variations in design systems. Through a variety of exercises how to generate different types of visuals — drawings, patterns, typography and photo manipulation — using code. The final outputs of the workshop will be combined into a zine, generated through code into a PDF that can be printed. The workshop is designed for Creatives of all levels. Programming experience is not necessary.
Whether you're just starting your journey (a prospective or current student) or a seasoned creative (alum or creative), these workshops are crafted to inspire and engage across all skill levels.
There are no fees, seats are limited, and all materials will be provided. You are welcome to bring your own computer, but this is not required.
*Lunch is not provided, feel free to bring snacks.