PRACTICAL ARTS
Visual Communication Design world; others research and interpret for a more universal
At Stevenson, one example of responding to developments message,” says George Moore, Chair and Professor of Art.
in the field is the visual communication design program’s One example comes from the first capstone in fall
Senior Capstone course, which looks at design for social 2015, in which a student chose to show the impact of
change. plastic grocery bags on the environment. “She did a
Throughout the course, students not only learn to ton of research and ended up designing a character—a
apply the skills they’ve learned throughout the programs pelican—to bring the issue to life as well as a point of
but also show that they understand a thoughtful design purchase display that suggested adopting reusable bags
process by finding solutions to problems. Working by talking about the universal problems caused by plastic
independently, they identify an issue that can be solved ones,” Moore recalls.
by design, such as a public service announcement or an “The capstone is our measure of a student’s ability to
art project, exploring what it is and how applicable is it tackle work independently, preparing them for careers.
in today’s society. Some will be production artists, creative directors, or run
“For some students, the scope of what they’re thinking
about is based on their experience and how they see the
their own business. We teach them to look at the bigger
picture and know where to start problem-solving.”
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