Design

Design is an essential human behavior—a basic practice which shapes our daily lives and influences our decisions. Design creates environments, objects, events, and culture. It allows us to interact intentionally with the world. It is an art as well as a primary and vital form of communication. Designers help us understand complex information and use visual systems, signs, symbols, words, sounds, and images to convey ideas, produce artifacts, affect behaviors, and stimulate the imagination. Today, your work as a designer can have wide-ranging—even global—effects. 

At AIB, you will learn about design by thinking and responding as a designer, working and interacting with the world using creative communication media and techniques. You'll build skills of analysis, problem solving, and innovation; learn and practice basic design principles and processes; and use new technology to form projects for print, web, motion, and interaction design. You will also practice traditional skills of art, craft, and typography while utilizing photography, illustration, and printing technologies to serve the goals of your projects—providing creative solutions to challenging problems. To be successful, today's graphic designers must be flexible, willing and able to collaborate, and most importantly, be ready to provide creative solutions on demand. AIB will prepare you for that.

AIB connects you with the world of design right away. Your teachers bring decades of high-caliber experience, thoughtfully honed skills, and alert sensibilities to AIB classrooms and studios. Many of our faculty members come to class directly from their own offices—bringing practical and contemporary insights with them.  Our required internship program takes you into the real world of Boston design and marketing firms, advertising and media agencies, publishing companies, advocacy organizations and business corporations. There, you will experience first-hand the challenges and rewards of the actual working day. Our semester abroad exchange programs enhance your education with a new world view and provide enriching experiences and global connections.

You'll have the added benefit of a fascinating array of mind-expanding elective courses in other AIB and Lesley University disciplines and subjects. We believe that your work as a designer is informed by interdisciplinary study and by participating in the wide range of creative and intellectual activities that AIB, Lesley University, and Boston have to offer. It's not unusual for a design major to even minor in or receive a double BFA degree with another discipline.

And finally, even as a new student, you'll enjoy becoming a member of the design department student community—connected with second, third and fourth year students through student forums, student organized projects, events and clubs.

Design is interaction!

Alumni

Jacob Bannon BFA 1998

David Richard BFA 1998

Robb Ogle BFA 2003

Saunak Shah BFA 2004

Matt Wade BFA 2004

Ferris Caldwell BFA 2006

Michael Armenta BFA 2008

Brian Durk + Matt White BFA 2008

additional alumni

Design BFA
123 credits

First Semester
Visual Thinking (also known as Visual Principles)
Drawing Intensive
Conceptual Development I
Foundation Seminar Lecture I
English Composition
Art of the Western World I

Second Semester
Conceptual Development II
Foundation Seminar Lecture II
Choice of Foundation Drawing Elective
Language of Form
Choice of 3D Media or Digital Elective
Writing & the Literary Arts
Art of the Western World II

Third Semester
Visual Research
Typography I
History Elective
Intro to Photography
Advanced Drawing Elective

Fourth Semester
Visual Communication
Typography II
History of Modern Design
Liberal Arts Elective
General Elective

Fifth Semester
Design Systems
Typography III
Design Major Elective
Math Requirement
Art History Elective

Sixth Semester
Design Specification
Design Major Elective
Studio Elective
Liberal Arts Elective 
General Elective

Seventh Semester
Advanced Design Major Elective
Studio Elective
Advanced Art History Elective
Science Requirement 
General Elective

Eighth Semester
Portfolio
Professional Practices in Design
Internship
Social Science Elective
Liberal Arts Elective

Additional program:
Design APC
Advanced Professional Certificate
60 Credits | learn more...

Current students may search course listings within the LOIS WebAdvisor system and visit Academic Advising to download program requirement worksheets, including those for the Bachelor of Fine Arts five-year double major in Design/Fine Arts or Design/Illustration.

Image Credits
Student work from top: Satomi Orita, 2009 BFA Design; Michael Armenta, 2008 BFA Design; Mende Williams, 2008 BFA Design

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