The Communication Design concentration is housed is the Administration Building, suite 250, on the west side of Auraria Campus. The facility boasts approximately 3500 square feet of state of the art digital technology, studio and lecture spaces, printing and production facilities, as well as four faculty offices. This design hub has been structured in such a way as to embrace the functionality of a professional design studio; students are free to work in any number of spaces based on their needs, interests, or coursework requirements and thus are encouraged to build a spirit of collaboration among students in the discipline. The studio features a design library for student reference, which saves on the walk to the library when pressed for time. Twenty iMac computers outfit the space, newly updated in January 2008. Two data projectors are strategically positioned in two teaching spaces to allow for project demonstration and critique of work. When faced with producing design solutions, the Communication Design student has at his/her disposal color and black and white laser printers, a tabloid format ink jet printer, and a large format poster sized archival printer. These in-house options make it easy for students to make their design solutions a reality very quickly. Additional resources in the studio include a copy stand for photographing artwork as well as digital equipment available for check-out including video cameras, digital cameras, microphones, tripods, and headphones.
Beyond the Communication Design studio, the program also manages a small letterpress printing facility located in the Arts Building, room 173C. This space houses a historic piece of equipment—an 1895 Columbia and Mitchell tabletop platen-press. It is capable of printing up to 8x10” and provides a wonderful counterpoint to the digital technology so emphasized today in design education. Students are able to work with faculty and/or trained studio assistants producing a variety of printed ephemera. The historical significance of printing with movable type connects students with their studies in design history and typography among other subjects. Students have the ability to produce printed works as a part of coursework or in self-directed efforts. |
