A gallery of student work is available in Longwith.
By Asia Andrews
aandrews36@student.alamo.edu
For people who are interested in visual design, communication design is a good creative outlet for expression, Coordinator Joel Knocke said Nov. 8.
Students taking communication design create portfolios of graphics and illustrations for brands and organizations.
“We need to get students to enroll as soon as possible,” he said. “Classes fill up quickly.”
The Berne Smith Gallery on the second floor of Longwith displays communication design students’ best portfolio artwork. Rogelio Escamilla
He referred to students taking classes under the ARTC rubric for the spring semester. The last day to register for classes is 1 p.m. Jan. 12. Classes start Jan. 21.
This college is the only one in the district to offer communication design classes.
“We get a pretty good enrollment each semester of students who are willing to work hard,” Knocke said.
The classes for communication design range from ARTC 1405, Basic Graphic Design, to ARTC 1494, Special Topics in Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphic and Special Effects.
Design students utilize software programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, AfterEffects, XD and Acrobat.
“Our first semester entry-level classes, ARTC 1405, Basic Graphic Design, and ARTC 1420, Digital Imaging, have the most enrollments per semester,” he said.
About 200 students enroll in ARTC courses each semester, he said.
“This is a competitive professional field,” Knocke said. “Students have to be serious to be successful.”
Students can graduate with a one-year certificate or a two-year Associate of Applied Science in Graphic Design degree and pursue careers as graphic designers, web developers, multimedia artists, art directors, technicians and desktop publishers, he said.
“Many of our students are working for local and regional design firms,” he said.
“Graduates with our two-year associate of applied science degree create a professional graphic design portfolio that allows them to apply for entry-level jobs or transfer to four-year colleges,” Knocke said. “The most popular transfer college is Texas State University in San Marcos.”
The Berne Smith Gallery, an exhibition of the best student portfolio artwork, is displayed on the second floor of Longwith Radio, Television and Film Building.
More examples of student work are available on the communication design facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/San-Antonio-College-Communication-Design-118417529442/.
For more information about the communication design program, contact Knocke at 210-486-1037 or jknocke@alamo.edu.
