User experience, or UX for short, refers to how a person interacts with a company or brand. This includes interactions with websites, mobile apps, social media, as well as actual face-to-face interaction.
In DMD, we teach the key principles of designing a great user experience. We also teach about responsive web design, or designing for an equally great user experience across a wide range of devices (mobile, tablets, desktops, etc).
The Digital Media Design program teaches motion graphic design, which nicely complements many of the other skill sets taught in the program: graphic design, 3D animation, videography, photography, and web design. Below some examples of motion graphic design assignments, which tasked the students to illustrate and animate a simple fact.
Here is another student motion graphic sample. The assignment was to create a 10 second motion graphic that starts and ends with a square. What they did in the middle was up to them. Students were told to focus on using simple shapes, great design, and audio/video synergy to create a compelling motion graphic.
The core of the Digital Media Design program is rooted in design, and there are several design classes every week for the entire two years. Students also study traditional and digital illustration. Below are examples of a second year design/illustration assignment where students had to make a poster of their favourite movie, TV show, band, or video game.
Web design and development is one of the most sought after skill sets right now. In DMD, you’ll learn how to design and build a website from scratch using Photoshop and Sketch (to design) and HTML and CSS (to build). You’ll also learn how build websites using WordPress, the world’s most popular content management system. There is a shortage of people in the industry with great design skills AND great technical skills. Our goal in DMD is to teach you both.
In DMD, we teach DSLR cinematography: you’ll learn camera settings, composition, lighting and audio. Here are some samples of students integrating motion graphics into their video production. The goal here was to focus on composition, movement, natural light, colour correction, and designing motion tracked graphics. Once students have mastered basic camera and lighting, we move on to advanced digital filmmaking techniques with a focus on storytelling.
Here are two terrific demo reels from two Digital Media Design students. The first one is from a 3D major, and the second is from a Video and Motion Graphics major. Which one appeals to you?
The goal of this assignment was to learn how to create realistic lighting and materials in 3D. Students used their camera and composition skills to try to replicate prime lens photography with plenty of depth of field. This was accomplished with Maya and Mental Ray.
Here is a 3D commercial product rendering from one of the second year 3D Computer Graphics majors. The objective was to go beyond the typical turntable and show off the highly detailed modeling, texturing, and lighting through closeups, multiple camera moves, and cross fades.
DMD graduates find work building websites and mobiles interfaces, shooting and editing video, creating and animating 3D graphics for video games, designing motion graphics, creating visual effects for film, and illustrating and designing graphics for other platforms. In general, our graduates work in one of four areas: 3D computer graphics, video and motion graphics, web/mobile design and development, and graphic design.
Some examples of places that have hired DMD graduates are Tactica, Think Shift, Direct Focus, Complex Games, ZenFri, Opus VFX, Tangent Animation, Handcraft Creative, Tripwire Media, Coelement, CBC, CTV, Global, Shaw, Relish Branding, Vantage Studios, Modern Earth, and McKim Communications.