2026-2027 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

DES 350 Writing in Design: Research, Process, and Professional Practice

This Writing in the Disciplines (WID) course introduces students in the Graphic/Information Design program to the integrated practices of design research, critical writing, and editorial production. Guided by qualitative research methods and design scholarship, students will examine the cultural, social, and material aspects of graphic design through the development of an original research article.

Throughout the semester, students will iteratively draft and refine a 2,500–3,000-word research project, culminating in the design and layout of a professionally formatted digital and printed monograph. Using Adobe InDesign, each student will typeset their final article into a digital and saddle-stitched booklet that includes a cover, interior layout, figures, captions, and bibliography—bridging the relationship between visual form and written argument. This course prepares students to work as reflective design practitioners who can research, write, and visually articulate ideas with clarity and discipline-specific rigor.

Credits

3

Prerequisite

DES 222 and DES 225 (C- or higher).

General Education

Course meets Writing in the Disciplines Requirement

General Education

Offered

  • Fall and Spring