Foundations in Design
Foundations in Design is a one year (2 semester) certificate program that will develop your skills and your understanding of Design as a Career. Explore the diverse options open to the design professional, and grow your skills with hands on projects. This program gives you the opportunity to focus your studies in a creative environment lead by design professionals. Study fundamental design skills such as drawing, 2D and 3D design plus develop methods in the creative process essential to your success. Complete your year with a dynamic portfolio of work that will open the door to future studies in any number of design disciplines.
Who Studies Foundations in Design?
Students who excel in the FIND program are:
- curious about how things work
- often build and dismantle things to understand them
- wonder how rooms and public spaces best serve the people who use them
- like photography or drawing
- look at magazines to see how fonts, colours and shapes are used
- play with fabrics to create new looks
- dream of how the new iPhone or a new car could look
If you can relate to any or all of the above, the FIND program could be for you.
Department's website: kpu.ca/design/find
A career in design is a lifelong journey and yours can start with FIND. Designers are found in many industries creating everything from furniture to fashion, gadgets and sports equipment, branding, websites, publishing and the built environment. With the completion of the FIND certificate, graduates often seek further design education to find a design-related career.
The possibilities are many:
- Fashion design
- Graphic design
- Interior design
- Product design
- Digital technologyInterface design
- Window Display
- Environmental Design
- Design Management
- Museum Design
- Lighting Design
- Event Design
- Publication Design
...and many more.
Registration in some course sections is restricted to students in particular programs. See Timetables - kpu.ca/registration/timetables - for current section information.
Visit the BC Transfer Guide - bctransferguide.ca - for information about course transfer in B.C.
Students will develop drawing and rendering skills to communicate two- and three-dimensional objects. They will explore drawing (sketching, rapid visualization, perspective systems, and scaling and rendering techniques) in order to develop and convey ideas for design-related projects.
Level: UG
Students will examine the ways in which the past and present are connected through designed objects, particularly how designs from the past have inspired contemporary design ideas. They will analyze examples of design in the context of various world cultures, consider design influences throughout history, and investigate issues relating to cultural appropriation.
Level: UG
Students will examine design-related issues, theories and practices as a basis for expanding their knowledge of the field of design. They will participate in seminar discussions and project work to promote communication, research, team building, and critical thinking. Students will also investigate opportunities for continuing design studies and potential career options.
Level: UG
Attribute: DESN
Students will examine the relationship between design decisions, humanity and current and historical environmental issues. They will understand the way design impacts individuals, society and the environment through research, case studies and field trips. Students will also investigate such things as over-packaging, built-in obsolescence, toxic materials and sustainable development.
Level: UG
Attribute: DESN
Students will explore the historical, theoretical and contextual developments of signs and symbols (semiotics) as they relate to visual language. They will study the concepts, theories and roles text and images play in contemporary visual information and communication across a variety of design disciplines.
Level: UG
Attribute: DESN
Students will design solutions for a series of comprehensive, two-dimensional projects that emphasize the development of creative conceptualization and problem-solving skills relating to a range of design disciplines. They will create designs for a variety of contexts and will utilize diverse mediums, materials and presentation methods.
Level: UG
Prerequisite(s): FIND 1100 and FIND 1110 or IDDS 1160 and IDDS 1161
Students will apply creative conceptualization and problem-solving skills to comprehensive three-dimensional design projects. They will explore principles and processes, mediums and materials as well as three-dimensional modeling techniques and presentation methods relating to a range of design disciplines.
Level: UG
Prerequisite(s): FIND 1100 and FIND 1110 or IDDS 1160 and IDDS 1161
Attribute: DESN
Students will examine developments in architecture, graphic design, interior design, product design, fashion design, and fine arts from the Industrial Revolution to the present day, primarily in the context of the Western world. They will utilize concepts from design and fine art history, sociology, and cultural anthropology to analyze examples of design, as well as the ideologies, theories, and social factors that have influenced designers, design movements, and consumers of design.
Level: UG
Students will learn to produce drawings using computer assisted drafting software relating to a variety of design disciplines. They will create two- and three-dimensional drawings that will communicate design ideas visually through a variety of design projects.
Level: UG
Students will learn to use industry-standard, design-related software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. They will explore the creative potential of software applications and tools to articulate their design ideas and enhance problem-solving abilities. Students will originate and edit digital photography, capture and manipulate text and image, produce and present digital design solutions, and create a digital design portfolio.
Level: UG
This online version of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Calendar is the official version of the University Calendar. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, KPU reserves the right to make any corrections in the contents and provisions of this calendar without notice. In addition, the University reserves the right to cancel, add, or revise contents or change fees at any time without notice. To report errors or omissions, or send comments or suggestions, please email Calendar.Editor@kpu.ca