GD 3985 - Professional Practices in Graphic Design

Credits: 3

The course in Professional Practices will introduce students into freelancing and self-employment along with the business and ethical practices of the Graphic Design Profession. Students will learn what freelancing is, the benefits and drawbacks to being creatively self-employed, and plan for their futures. Students will work through projects geared toward learning real-world skills they can then use when they start freelancing including learning how much to charge, how to market their services, working with clients, and legal matters. Upon successful completion of this course, students will have developed a business plan and marketing materials geared towards self-employment.

Prerequisites: GD 3000 - Graphic Design Junior Portfolio Review, GD 3040 - Design Systems

Course Learning Outcomes:

Identify the most important parts of freelancing, and state them in a business plan.
Create and revise a working contract that students can use with clients.
Create a portfolio that showcases marketable skills and are aligned with the list of services offered.
Compare and differentiate between desirable and non-desirable clients.
Formulate an hourly/project-based pricing system for services.

GD 3985 Course Learning Outcome Rubric

Required Textbooks:
ON-CAMPUS: The War of Art: Break Through the Block and Win Your Inner Creative Battles - ISBN: 9781936891023

ONLINE: Student Freelancing 101: A Start-to-Finish Course to Becoming a Student Freelancer - ISBN: 9781481116534