Welcome to Graphic Design

Thank You for Choosing the Graphic Design Program at Western.

We are excited to have you in class. Your journey through the graphics program will be educational, challenging, rewarding—and dare we say—fun.

We pride ourselves on teaching the knowledge and skills you need to begin your career in graphic design.

We pride ourselves on:

  • Small class sizes—16 students per class.
    We will know you and your name
  • 4 Full-Time instructors with real-world experience
  • 100 up-to-date iMacs in 5 Labs
  • Professional graphic design and web design software by Adobe
  • Real-life, industry-quality class projects
  • Graphic design club—offering field trips
  • Freelance and internship opportunities
  • Proven job placement

What does a graphic designer do?

Program Outcomes (what you will experience and learn)

  1. How to design cool marketing and advertising stuff
  2. Become power-users of industry-standard design software
  3. Effectively communicate with clients and industry partners
  4. Convince clients that your design work will help them

Basically, you will learn how to take a client’s message and visually deliver it to a target audience.

You will design marketing and advertising material like:

  • brand identities
  • logos
  • websites
  • animated marketing videos
  • web ads
  • brochures
  • posters
  • business presentations
  • email marketing
  • advertisements
  • book covers
  • newspapers
  • magazines
  • t-shirts

Student work

Designers use brand assets and guidelines:

Harley 1

To design marketing pieces like this:

Harley 2

Another example:

Fuel Bar 1

Jobs in graphic design

Our graduates work for some of the best companies in Wisconsin and America. Here are just a few…

Students begin their careers in the following positions

  • Graphic designer
  • Production Artist
  • Web designer

Starting wage

  • $12–$16 per hour ($14–18 in larger cities)

Our graduates also transfer to 4-year colleges

  • Viterbo University
  • UW-Stout
  • UW-La Crosse
  • Winona State University
  • Franklin University

First-year classes

First-year classes will focus on the foundations you will need to succeed as a graphic designer.

  • Design Fundamentals
  • Designing with Type
  • Publication Design I
  • Publication Design II
  • Drawing
  • Illustrator
  • Photoshop
  • Web Design I

Second-year classes

Second-year classes bring your first-year knowledge together and you start designing like a real graphic designer—on industry-quality design projects.

  • Web Design 2
  • Illustration Concepts
  • Graphic Design and Marketing
  • Graphic Design Advertising
  • Comprehensive Graphic Design
  • Graphic Design Portfolio
  • Web Design 3

Advising

Get to know your advisor! He/she will help guide you through your college years at Western. They will help you with everyday college-related questions, and help you choose the right classes so you graduate on time!

Important things to remember…

  • Follow our course sequence – (prerequisites)
  • “C” or better in all classes
  • Save/back up all your projects for your graduate portfolio
  • Get involved in your classes and get your work in on time
  • Buy your books before classes start

Learn More

Learn more about the Graphic Design program at Western on our college website:
https://www.westerntc.edu/graphic-design