First-Year Design

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The first year of design studies, combined with each student's developing creativity, commitment and passion is a preparation for the advanced work and intense focus of second, third and fourth year. Students benefit from the diversity of talent and wide experience of the faculty.

Students in Design will approach course material from a viewpoint different from that of students in Art, but there will also be common material to assist students in exploring a broad visual range of concepts and skills. This will provide an opportunity for students to see a wide variety of solutions, encourage dialogue and awareness between the art and design streams and promote a better understanding of the creative process.

The studio curriculum for entering Design students consists of four common required courses: Colour & Two-dimensional Design (Design), Form & Structure (Design), Design Process, and Principles of Interaction Design. First-year Design students will complete their studio curriculum requirements by taking either Graphic Communication (required for students entering 2D Design) or Objects & Environments (required for students entering 3D Design) as well as two drawing courses from a menu of options.

In addition, Liberal Studies courses are an integral part of the curriculum. Introduction to Visual Culture and Culture, History & Ideas, provide an historical, critical and theoretical introduction to art and design issues. Critical Writing for Creative Thinkers develops and integrates writing and critical thinking skills into the curriculum. For those students who are interested, there is a pilot 1.5 credit Liberal Studies integrated first-year course available but spaces are limited.

Students complete 5.0 credits in the first year as follows:

• Students may begin second-year studies with 3.0 of the 3.5 studio credits and 1.0 of the 1.5 liberal studies credits required and an average of 60%. However, the first-year requirements must be successfully completed by May 31 of the following year or students will not be permitted to continue in the upper years of their programs.
  
  
• Students must achieve a minimum grade of 60% in their second semester core studio, either GDES 1B27 Graphic Communication or GDES 1B28 Objects and Environments, to advance to year two core studio.

Please note that students are eligible to graduate if they:

• Have fulfilled all graduation requirements
• Are in good academic standing with an overall average of at least 60%
• Have an average (at the end of 4th year) of at least 65% in the designated courses of their major/program (designated first-year courses marked with a ‘∆’)
• Have no outstanding accounts at the College

On behalf of faculty and staff, we welcome you to OCAD.

Lenore Richards,
Dean, Faculty of Design

Doreen Balabanoff,
Assistant Dean, Faculty of Design (First-Year)

Colleen Reid,
Assistant Dean, Faculty of Design
(Environmental Design, Industrial Design, Material Art & Design)

Paul Dallas,
Chair, Illustration
Acting Assistant Dean, Faculty of Design
(Advertising, Graphic Design, Illustration)

Jean Christian-Knaff,
Chair, First-Year Design

First-Year Design Program Guide

All Faculty of Design programs are developed as semester groupings of related courses. In order to be best prepared to meet course expectations, students are normally required to complete all core courses in one semester before carrying on to courses in the next semester.

Students must achieve a minimum grade of 60% in their core studio course each semester to advance to the following semester’s core studio. Please refer to course descriptions to identify these courses.

Note: All courses tagged with a “†” require a minimum grade of 60% to advance to the following semester’s core studio.

A minimum overall average of 65% must be achieved at the end of fourth-year in all designated courses (tagged with “∆“) of the student’s major/program.

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