The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway. It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.
The courses have been intentionally placed and should be prioritized in
the order
in which they appear. If you are unable to take all the courses in
a semester, you
should prioritize enrolling in the courses in the order below.
Some courses have
been noted as “Appropriate for Intersession” 
. Should you need (or want) to take
classes
in the summer and/or winter intersessions,
the program recommends these courses as appropriate for the condensed
schedule of
the intersessions.
Some pathways combine a “Certificate of Achievement” and an “Associate
Degree”. If
you are pursuing only the Certificate of Achievement, you are only
required to take
the courses marked “Program Requirement” 
.
All pathways include at least one “Gateway Course” 
which introduces you to the program and/or field of study and helps you
decide if you want to continue with this Academic and Career Path.
Most Associate degrees (though not Associate Degrees for Transfer)
require satisfying the SMC Global Citizenship requirement. If the Program
Requirements do not include a “Global Citizenship course” 
, be sure to select a General Education course that also satisfies Global Citizenship.
A web designer works to shape the visual and interactive aspects of a user’s experience of a website, web application, or mobile app. They work closely with web developers and content creators. In this certificate, students will learn necessary web design skills including application of color theory, typography, layouts, images and graphics, and other elements of design systems. Students will outline user behaviors and interactions, and create portfolio-ready websites for various purposes.
Upon completion of the program, students will:
- Upon completion of the program, students will demonstrate an understanding of the Web as a medium of visual communication and the skills necessary to apply graphic design principles to the interactive Web-based media.
Icon Key
-
Gateway Course
-
Program Requirement
-
General Education -
Appropriate for
Intersession
-
Available Online -
Global Citizenship
Semester 1
9 Units
This course provides an overview of digital applications used in the field of Graphic Design for the purposes of image manipulation, vector graphics, and publication design. Also covered: Operation Systems, file management, and computer navigation basics.
Recommended to be taken in the intersession PRIOR to Fall or Spring start
This course serves as an introduction to the fundamentals of web design for students with existing command of digital design tools. Students will learn about the history and the nature of the Web as a medium for visual communication, it's underlying structures, and the foundational principles and methods of design for the Web. The course focuses on core concepts like site structure, treatment of text and images, the separation of content and presentation, as well as introduction to layout and positioning and allows students to apply these skills in creation of their own Web pages and sites.
- Skills Advisory: DESIGN 13
This design course focuses on designing mobile touchscreen interfaces, including smartphones and tablets. Mobile design requires the skill of designing for smaller, hand-held devices and has its own set of characteristics and constraints. Students will conceptualize, design, and implement low-fidelity design prototypes of apps for mobile devices. Projects will cover best practices for mobile device design and the basics of mobile app prototyping, including design process, interface design, and interaction design patterns. NOTE: This course is not a mobile app development or programming course. For such courses, please see the Computer Science course offerings.
- Skills Advisory: DESIGN 13
Semester 2
3 Units
This course builds up on the web design fundamentals covered in Design 24 and is centered around the best practices for the use of design systems in web design and the introduction to the interactivity on the Web. Students explore concepts like grids and layouts and learn to apply various CSS strategies for the design of modern cross-platform responsive websites. They learn about engaging and delighting users with interactive components, and advanced application of typography and images and practice applying common interactive design strategies to the design of complex multi-page websites for real-world clients.
- Skills Advisory: DESIGN 24
Semester 3
3 Units
This advanced project-based web design course builds on the conceptual and technical framework acquired in Web Design 2 and focuses on designing for cutting-edge web technologies. Students will learn narrative strategies in web design and experiment with interactive graphics and mixed reality on the Web. They will go through rigorous design process, prototype and publishing their work, receive feedback and integrate through their designs. Students will learn how to evaluate emerging web technologies from the designer's perspective and adapt their skillset to remain on the cutting edge of web design.
- Skills Advisory: DESIGN 34