At Full Sail University, students who have a passion for visual design can pursue an education in graphic design and digital arts and design. Full Sail's curriculum for these two disciplines is always being reviewed to ensure it reflects the trends and demands of the ever-evolving, diverse field of design.

According to Eric Rosenfeld, Full Sail’s Program Director for these two areas of study, the design courses are built to prepare students with a wide range of skills due to the demands of the current design landscape.

“When I first started in the industry, we were very much defined by the medium that we worked in,” Eric shares. “[Today,] it's really equalized where we all still… have the things that we love to do, but there's so much opportunity across the spectrum now. Campaigns won't just focus on one type of medium. You're going to have a print aspect, you're going to have a live event aspect, you're going to have a very large social media campaign, and all these need to tie in [together] in one way or another.”

Ensuring the curriculum remains relevant starts with the industry-connected faculty who teach the courses.

“We have art directors, those who run their own companies, and those who have freelanced for some really big brands,” Eric says. “They're continuing to build their industry experience, they're staying connected with their industries, and then they're bringing all that experience into the classroom.

”Grads who have gone on to successful careers represent another important resource. Many of these professionals are highly engaged in giving back to the Full Sail community by participating in campus-based and virtual guest lectures and workshops, allowing students to hear their success stories and ask questions about the latest happenings in their current areas of focus.

In addition, Full Sail has a group of Program Advisory Committee (PAC) members dedicated to both of these areas of study. These industry professionals meet regularly to review and offer feedback on what's being taught to ensure industry needs are being addressed.

Digital Arts & Design PAC members include:
Michael Cardwell, Founder and Creative Director at Digital Brew
Brian Fleming, Studio Art Director at Third Time, Inc.
Chris Murray, 3D Artist and Tech Evangelist at Nvidia
Gavin Morrissey, Senior Motion Designer at Critical Mass

Graphic Design PAC members include:
Ken Bowser, Founding Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Bright Rain
Willie Freeman, Director of E-Learning at Florida Atlantic University
Margaret Haag, Principal Experience Designer at Capital One
Candela Demarco, Art Director and Founding Partner at Candela Creative Group
Michael Edelnant, Vice President of Experience Design at Third Time Entertainment
Gregg Farrington, Marketing Design Manager at ION Television

Eric says each of these experienced professionals can offer unique perspectives on what Full Sail students should focus on in their courses.

“When they’re reviewing our curriculum, the discussion is more about the need to push the boundaries of creativity,” he explains. “Without creativity and a good imagination, the application of any design technology is limited. Good design and good concepts are timeless.”

One specific way in which the curriculum has been influenced by industry connections is how the software tools in both disciplines have evolved. Nearly 15 years ago, Full Sail switched from using 3D Studio Max to Cinema 4D. Just in the past year, Adobe XD was replaced by Figma for prototyping. In addition, Redshift Rendering – a GPU rendering tool – is now part of the courses.

Keeping a close eye on industry shifts and new roles is an important part of making sure the coursework is fresh as well. Since remote learning became extremely popular back in 2020, Eric says the field of instructional design is one area that has exploded with opportunities for visual designers. The demand for eye-catching social media content for brands across a wide spectrum is also highly reliant on designers.

Regardless of how design roles might change over time, Eric believes any student who is driven and has a knack for visual design should be able to sketch a successful path for themselves.

“If you have great fundamentals in design as you explore whatever trends and concepts come around, you’ll be fine,” he says.