The Program
About the Certificate in Design and Creative Technologies
The 19-credit Certificate in Design and Creative Technologies (DCT) is a new program to prepare undergraduate students for the innovative roles the visual arts and digital media play in shaping contemporary culture.
This certificate integrates research-driven design thinking and digital media-making with the study of technologies used in professional creative industries.
Program Goals
- Provide students with the opportunity to advance their practice through innovative uses of digital technology, whether they see themselves as “artists” and “designers” or not.
- Help students to stand out on the job market by showcasing their dedication to professional art production utilizing industry-standard technologies.
- Support future educators, designers, studio managers, technologists, and independent artists interested in technology-focused creative projects, collaborative design-based learning, and managing workspaces, such as: makerspaces, digital media and tech firms, nonprofit organizations, design studios, and media production houses.
- Provide participants with the opportunity to advance social justice through emphasizing digital accessibility, and inclusive design thinking principles.
Centering Design Thinking
At the core of this certificate is “Design Thinking” - a framework which students can adapt to their own creative work.
- Design Thinking is a cross disciplinary creative problem-solving process which combines analytical thinking, creative thinking, and practical skills (Ingalls Vanada, 2011).
- Design Thinking is a mindset and approach to learning, collaboration, and problem solving. In practice, the design process is a structured framework for identifying challenges, gathering information, generating potential solutions, refining ideas, and testing solutions.
- Design Thinking can be flexibly implemented, serving equally well as a framework for a course design or a roadmap for an activity or group project.
- Design thinking provides the basis of which to use technologies in creative and innovative ways.
It is important to stress that students in the certificate program not only learn about technology but are also able to apply a growing set of practical skills in design, tech, and media using a reflexive framework which will aid in preparing them to be professional problem solvers in the 21st Century.
Who is the Certificate for?
The intensive DCT Curriculum has been designed for individuals pursuing study in studio art and art education as well as other areas across the College of Humanities and Fine Arts and University at large.
Ideal candidates for the certificate are undergraduate students who prefer the flexibility of pairing design skill-building in digital image manipulation, visual communications, and human centered-design processes, with other academic and visual art studies.
Certificate candidates would ideally desire to position themselves as emerging artists, designers, art educators, creative technologists, and other makers who wish to incorporate design principles and digital technologies in various academic, community, and professional settings.
Why study Design and Creative Technologies?
The DCT certificate explores the relationship between the design process and use of accessible technology including but not limited to: raster and vector-based image editing, visual communications, 3D rendering, digital fabrication, motion media and animation, creative computing, and interactive media.
In a world of increasing prominence of digital design, fabrication, and audience-engaged practice, it is more essential than ever to demonstrate proficiency in a range of digital skills as artists. The certificate provides this diverse training to students so that they may become leaders in the design thinking, creative direction, and tech-centered maker movements.
Curriculum
This program is intended for students who desire a solid foundation in digital media, design thinking, and creative production.
Students begin by engaging with one of the “Foundational Courses” in visual composition, drawing, and design (2D/3D/4D) (ART 104, 105, 110, 120, 131, or 153), as a prerequisite for the “Digital Core Requirements.” Current BA-Studio Art or BFA-Studio Art students who pursue this certificate will have already completed the requisite foundation requirement in their first year.
Digital Core Requirements:
ART 275 Digital Imaging explores the creative possibilities of digital image creation and manipulation as well as fabrication using laser cutters and router-based digital fabrication. Through demonstrations, creative technical assignments, students explore the digital workflow in independent projects and get experience in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
ART 264 Digital Design engages students in a core study of how to communicate visually using digital technologies, such as Adobe Illustrator and InDesign to create integrated communications for both print and screen-based media. Classes are structured around individual and collaborative design assignments with a focus on project management, process documentation, digital composition, typography, and layout.
Studio Electives:
After the foundation and “Digital Core” courses are complete students are then able to pursue elective studio courses throughout the Department of Art that fit their interests by either getting specific in a particular area of design, art and digital media, and creative technologies, or trying different things.
Design Studio Requirements:
These intermediate and advanced design requirements encourage students to synthesize their studio explorations into an immersion into design thinking for the production of digital and hybrid media.
ART 364 Design Thinking for Social Innovation engages students in the design thinking process and making using digital tools. In collaboration with UMass Amherst Civic Engagement and Service-Learning, students and faculty work with partnering organizations to do original design research, prototyping, and testing for a real world socially engaged project.
ART 464 Design Projects and Production is an intensive course that involves bringing integrated design projects from idea to production. Students work across the Adobe Creative Cloud (and other tools) to design visual identities, determine use and functionality of a product or campaign, and finalize components for print, fabrication, and development. Projects are reviewed by industry professionals and become part of portfolios that students can use for internships and job searches.
Professional Development Requirement:
The certificate is completed with either the opportunity to pursue a credited internship in a creative field of their choice, with options to pursue on-campus, off-campus, or remote internship and practicum opportunities, or take the Art 389 Portfolio Practicum course (1-credit) geared towards developing portfolio for post-graduation job-search.
Curriculum Structure
The curriculum will be composed of “Foundation Requirements”, two “Core Digital Media requirements”, two “Studio Electives” in areas of interest, a “Design Studio Requirement”, and at least a 1-credit “Professional Development Requirement” as a capstone (19 credits minimum).
Individuals who complete all seven courses will be awarded a certificate, conferred by the University of Massachusetts Amherst at the point of graduation.