D I G I T A L   A R T S   C O M M U N I C A T I O N

DAC 200s


DAC 201 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 011680
Designing Digital Media
This course draws on multiple theoretical perspectives to introduce students to the fundamental principles of multi-modal communication design in its social context. Students will analyze, design, and produce digital media for use in a variety of platforms.
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: GBDA 101
(Cross-listed with ENGL 203)

 
DAC 202 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 011681
Designing Digital Video
This course introduces students to the principles of designing time-based multi-modal communication in a social context. Students will analyze, design, and produce video for use in a variety of digital platforms.
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: GBDA 201, 202
(Cross-listed with ENGL 204)

 
DAC 203 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 013106
Designing Digital Sound
In this course students will be introduced to sound production and analysis. Students will learn to record, edit, and implement sound in a variety of genres and formats, with possible areas of investigation including podcasting, documentary, digital games, music, and audio art.
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: DAC 301
(Cross-listed with ENGL 304)

 
DAC 204 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015490
Introduction to Game Design
This course explores the fundamentals of game design. It focuses on the essentials shared by all games that are fundamental for a game designer working in any medium, from sports to board games to computer and video games. Although the focus of the course is on designing, prototyping, and testing non-digital games, digital games will be discussed in class to provide students with a broad theoretical and conceptual understanding of the field of game design and development along with practical exercises to train for creating a game.
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: DAC 300/ENGL 303/SPCOM 300 taken fall 2016

 
DAC 209 WSP 0.50
Course ID: 015845
Introduction to Critical Design Practices
How does design help us think? This studio course introduces students to practice-based methods for generating knowledge. Topics may include prototyping, performance as research, material thinking, multi-modal representation, and experience design. Students will test and explore how we learn differently through creative practices.
(Cross-listed with COMMST 149, THPERF 149)

 

DAC 300s


DAC 300 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 011682
Special Topics in Digital Design
In this course students will learn advanced digital design theory. They will participate in workshops with professional designers, develop specialized digital materials, and contribute signature work to their digital portfolio.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of four times.]
Prereq: At least 0.5 unit of DAC
(Cross-listed with ENGL 303, COMMST 300)

 
DAC 302 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 014124
Digital Storytelling Design
This course teaches students the principles and practices of telling stories using digital technologies to produce short narratives in audio and/or visual formats. Students will learn to develop and present story ideas, create storyboards, write short scripts, and then render their narratives using a variety of digital techniques and tools.
[Note: No programming skills are required for this course.]
Prereq: At least 0.5 unit of DAC

 
DAC 303 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015904
Advanced Topics in Designing Digital Sound
This course advances the skills developed in the foundational designing with digital sound course. Students will learn to analyze and produce sound within a particular tradition or cultural field, such as radio drama, documentary, digital games, or film.
Prereq: At least 0.5 unit of DAC

 
DAC 305 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 013325
Designing and Evaluating Digital Games
This course introduces fundamental design skills for two-dimensional interactive video games and provides the theoretical knowledge of the emotional and cognitive effects of video game play. Students will understand the importance of user experience assessment for video games as part of iterative design and development. Students will learn to theorize, design, prototype, and test digital games with a special focus on exploring the impact that video games have on human experience.
Prereq: At least 0.5 unit of DAC

 
DAC 307 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 014125
Designing Screen-Based Media
This course focuses on the creative, technical, and artistic potential of screen-based media and projection art for both public and online digital spaces. In the course students will explore the design affordances of different types of screen and projection media. Students will create projects that produce dynamic, interactive content for public audiences.
Prereq: At least 0.5 unit of DAC

 
DAC 308 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 014126
Cinematic Art and Practice
This course explores cinematic representation from an audio-visual production perspective. Students will learn different approaches to analyzing cinematic technique in a variety of contexts and genres. As a production-oriented course students will create videographic essays or other formal film project in order to analyze, interrogate, and extend forms of cinematic representation.
[Note: No prior experience of audio, film, or video production is required.]
Prereq: At least 0.5 unit of DAC

 
DAC 309 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 014521
User Experience Design
This course introduces students to the theory and practice of user experience design as it applies to the design of interactive digital media. Topics will include user-centred design, personas, iterative testing, prototyping, information gathering interviews, and contextual inquiry.
Prereq: At least .50 unit in DAC.
Antireq: GBDA 210

 
DAC 329 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 012415
Designing Digital Presentations
In this course students will be introduced to design and production of digital presentations. They will develop specialized digital materials and contribute work to their digital portfolio.
Prereq: At least 1.0 unit in DAC
(Cross-listed with COMMST 329)

 

DAC 400s


DAC 400 PRJ 0.50
Course ID: 011683
Digital Design Research Project
Students work in small groups under the supervision of a faculty researcher on an ongoing, large-scale, digital design project.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of four times.]
Prereq: At least 0.5 unit of DAC
(Cross-listed with ENGL 403)

 
DAC 401 PRJ 0.50
Course ID: 015614
The Digital Design Profession
This course teaches students to prepare for one of their most pressing challenges upon graduation: to choose and then enter the digital design profession that fits best with their goals. Design thinking strategies and tools provide the framework for this exploration, which may cover creativity, project conceptualization, the role of the artist, grant proposals and pitches, among other topics. Throughout the course students will create a variety of career preparatory materials as they engage in workshops, group discussions, interviews, and professional reflections.
Prereq: At least .50 unit in DAC.
Antireq: DAC 400/ENGL 403 taken winter 2017

 
DAC 403 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 012584
Special Topics in Communication Studies and Technology
In this course students will learn advanced digital design theory as it applies to communication studies. They will develop specialized digital materials and contribute work to their digital portfolio.
Prereq: At least 0.5 unit of DAC