VP 301 — Overview of Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
An overview of the visual presentation and exhibition design profession, this course focuses on the historical, social, artistic, commercial, and technical trends and developments over the past 100 years. Highlights include retail design, trade shows, expositions, and museum exhibition design.
VP 311 — Space and Environment for Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
Students develop concepts and designs for presentation environments for trade shows and galleries. Designing free-standing installations, as well as tailoring an installation to an existing gallery, are emphasized.
VP 312 — Product Presentation
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course is an introduction to the process of developing design concepts for products and brands in visual merchandising. Students explore techniques through a series of projects that visually motivate consumers. They assemble design combinations and learn to construct effective merchandise presentations for the consumer and marketplace.
VP 313 — Visual Presentation in In-Store Design
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course encompasses design for visual merchandising and the related area of point-of-purchase display. Store, fixture, and point-of-purchase design is applied to commercial environments.
Prerequisite(s): VP 311
Co-requisite(s): VP 332.
VP 314 — Mannequin Presentation for Retail and Exhibitions
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course traces the development of materials and production used in mannequin making. It explores the various factors influencing mannequin design, such as fashion and celebrity.
VP 321 — Visualization and Sketching for Design
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
In this course, students strengthen and develop their drawing skills for two-dimensional visualization and three-dimensional concepts, with an emphasis on hand drawing. Students draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including imagination, drawings, and photographs.
VP 331 — Three-Dimensional Construction for Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course introduces students to the workshop environment, safe practices, and techniques for design and production of three-dimensional presentation structures. The creation of scale models, props, and related components is addressed through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on practice.
VP 332 — Merchandising Lab for In-Store Design
1 credit; 2 lab hours
Through hands-on visual merchandising exercises, in this lab students execute product placement, key item initiatives, and fashion stories, and create soft and hard line product arrangements for brands.
Co-requisite(s): VP 313.
VP 341 — Graphic Strategy for Visual Presentation
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
Students study innovative graphic strategies to unify the visual presentation of merchandise in a retail environment. Focus is placed on the integration of graphics into a retail space to enhance the shopping experience. The process of concept development, as well as proposal preparation, schedules, techniques, materials, budget, production, and sources, are covered.
VP 411 — Interpretive Exhibition Design
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
Designing exhibitions for museums and interpretive and science centers, students strengthen their research skills while exploring interactive and multimedia techniques, and develop projects from concept through proposal. Topics include specialty lighting, sound, working with fabricators, and audience and visitor studies.
Prerequisite(s): DE 226
Co-requisite(s): VP 441.
VP 412 — Senior Design Project
4 credits; 1 lecture and 6 lab hours
In this capstone project, students select an area of focus from retail, museum, trade show, or showroom. Research, inquiry, and writing conducted in the seventh semester are solidified and applied to a design project. Students work with the instructor and industry mentors to create presentations, documentation, and prototypes.
Prerequisite(s): VP 411.
VP 421 — CAD for Visual Presentation III
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
Students advance their intermediate Vectorworks skills in the areas of modeling, rendering, data management, and document output. Hybrid modeling techniques, advanced rendering tools and options, data handling for schedules and reports, and the ability to produce appropriate output for clients, contractors, and associates are covered.
Prerequisite(s): DE 226.
VP 431 — Prop and Set Design
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course introduces design and fabrication techniques for creating custom props and environments used in store windows and other exhibition settings. Students build props, backdrops, and three-dimensional sets using a variety of materials to obtain realistic or fantasy effects. Special effects, LED lighting, and the use of motors are also covered.
VP 432 — Store Window Presentation
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
Students learn how to design and execute store window displays in various large-scale settings including department stores, boutiques, malls, and specialty stores. Studio skills and techniques are employed using tools for hard and soft good displays. Students practice industry standard merchandise techniques using mannequins, props, and fixtures to clearly communicate the store image, promotion, or trend.
VP 433 — Advanced Store Design
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
Guided by industry members, students deepen their understanding of in-store design. Specific retailers provide merchandising challenges for them to address. Emphasis is placed on innovation, technical skills, and analysis of research. Students generate design books, digital documentation, floor plans, elevations, and graphic materials, as well as models, to formally show their designs.
Prerequisite(s): VP 313.
VP 441 — Interpretive Exhibition Graphics
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course explores the role of graphics as an integral component of exhibition design. Graphics are developed concurrently with exhibit design concepts from VP 411. Through lectures, readings, and museum visits, students learn how graphics are used to create a comprehensive identity for the exhibition.
Prerequisite(s): VP 341
Co-requisite(s): VP 411.
VP 461 — Portfolio and Professional Presentation
2 credits; 1 lecture and 2 lab hours
This course examines the critical thinking skills required to produce a portfolio, resume, and self-promotional marketing materials. Students develop career goals, job-seeking research and professional networking skills, and interviewing techniques for the visual presentation and exhibition design field.