Category: Course Listing

GRD-625 ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING RESEARCH

In large organizations or companies, the ongoing tracking of trends and occurrences of their internal and external environment is the element that could bring success, currently and in the future. The art of tracking trends and occurrences is called Environmental Scanning. It is about being informed and building a global context for your work, your organization, your competitive environment, and your industry. This class will provide students with the tools to examine trends and changes, and to create the key environmental indicators-internal, external, qualitative, and quantitative that will have the most important potential impact on their work.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

GRT-612 3D RENDERING & ANIMATION II

This course introduces advanced 3D digital animation techniques for animating vehicle designs and interactive interior experiences. Students will be introduced to Blender as the main animation & rendering software and will also incorporate other digital assets and software for rigging 3D models and video editing.

Credits: 1.5

Prerequisites: GRT-611

IXD-702 UX DESIGN STUDIO IV

The Graduate Studio I, II, III, and IV courses are designed to address projects of increasing complexity and progressively strengthen your problem-solving skills in UX Design. Students solve a design problem rooted in a creative industries-related context, requiring substantive research and concept development phases, refinement, and execution phases. Research methodologies, design approaches, and techniques students learned in the UX-centered courses will be applied to develop and evaluate their solutions. These courses are structured to simulate the professional studio environment with formally scheduled milestones and defined deliverables and will be reviewed by faculty and industry professionals through formal presentations.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: IXD 701

CLA-631 CIRCULAR ECONOMIES AND DESIGN

On this course, students learn about the principles of the circular economy. Students explore the economic advantages for cradle-to-cradle design, closed loop manufacturing, align of waste-streams to material flows, and industrial symbiosis. Through a design assignment, students explore the challenges of transitioning from infinite growth to circular economies.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

DGR-635 DESIGN THINKING

Students learn to use Design Thinking as a cross-disciplinary method for problem solving. Design Thinking is characterized by a non-linear, creative, playful, and collaborative approach for generating and testing ideas through rapid ideation and prototyping. Students learn to challenge assumptions, take risks, and adopt unconventional perspectives in the process of problem solving. The class teaches students to take a human-centered approach, led by user empathy to (re)define problems, generate ideas, prototype, model, and test concepts and ideas for new products, services, processes, and strategies. Students do not need any formal design training to take this course, but will be required to visualize, map, enact, and document thinking and ideas in collaborative spaces.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

GRT-519 GRADUATE FOUNDATION STUDIO I

The graduate first-year transportation design experience is divided into two semester-length studios: one interior-focused, one exterior-focused. Students taking an interior-focused studio in the fall semester will then take an exterior focused studio in the winter semester, and vice versa. In both interior and exterior studios, students will be encouraged to pursue a user-center design approach. Incoming graduate transportation design students will be introduced to rendering and modeling techniques integral to the transportation design process. Course content may be reinforced through field trips to local design studios and factories. Students prepare a comprehensive presentation at the end of semester which includes critical self-assessment and reflection of their developmental strengths and needs.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

GRT-685 SPECIAL PROJECT

The Special Project course is offered on an occasional basis, with course content specific to the area being explored.
WINTER 2024
PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT & PRESENTATION
is course is taught in two seven-week modules. The first focuses on the development of student portfolios, resumes, and digital presence in preparation for applying for internships. The second introduces advanced 3D digital animation techniques for animating vehicle designs and interactive interior experiences. Students will be introduced to Blender as the main animation & rendering software and will also incorporate other digital assets and software for rigging 3D models and video editing.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

IXD-715 METAVERSE DESIGN

In this course, students study the conceptual and related UX design approaches to metaverse creation. Metaverse is a broader term encompassing technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), and virtual 3D environments where interaction will take place. Students explore various platforms, technical aspects, and design approaches applicable in a non-physical environment. The virtual worlds today are more than just technology. They have become humans’ alternative habitat to the physical one. Such tendencies require full attention from the new generation of UX designers and a profound understanding of the media phenomena from different perspectives. This is a hands-on course where priority is given to engagement on real-industry projects and searches for design solutions that include using metaverse and 3D virtual environments for video games, virtual classrooms, augmented chat platforms, artificial intelligence-generated content, and many other emerging applications.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: IXD 621

CLA-722 ADVOCACY IN CLIMATE POLICY

In this course, students reflect on their program studies so far and make persuasive cases for policy and political change. Understanding global mapping of climate action politics, business practices, and social justice is necessary for effective advocacy for change. Students learn about geo-political, economic and trading factors that impact climate change.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites:

DGR-640 MINOR PROJECT

“On average, it takes a (design) graduate two years to get their first job, but 76% of Student Award winners walk into a job or placement within 3 months.”, The minor project is an opportunity for students to diversify their portfolios and broaden career opportunities with a project(s) taken from national and international student design competitions. By working on briefs set outside of the college, students can widen their scope for employment and evidence successful team-working on their resume and in portfolios. It enables students to assess their professional skills, redefine ideas and strategies for art, media and design and provide quickly visualized outcomes in response to creative briefs. Students are encouraged to take risks, but also work to their strengths. However, while there is a range of project briefs to choose from, students are cautioned not to venture into creative disciplines that are beyond their skillset. Students are required to work in teams of two or three, and interdisciplinary groups drawn from across programs and year groups* are strongly encouraged. *NOTE: The course is also offered as an elective.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: