Graphic Design

If you’re not sure if you want to take on an art class with paint and clay, consider taking Graphic Design. With a technological spin on art, you’ll get to explore a variety of software that professionals use daily, preparing you with real-world skills. 

Art teacher Ms. Regina Iannello describes her class as a creative art course on a computer, which allows students to not only learn a lot about technology but also learn to be capable in a medium readily available in the modern age. 

“It’s a good opportunity to try something creative with a material that is always going to be in use. It’s great for 21st-century skills, you learn a lot of the Mac platforms, so you learn a lot of technology but there’s a huge amount of creative freedom to it,” Iannello said.

The curriculum of Graphic Design revolves around teaching students how to maneuver various Adobe products to create works of art, prints, advertisements, and even GIF animations. 

“[Students] basically learn industry-standard computer software for a graphic design profession, so they’re learning Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, and we do a little tiny bit of Adobe InDesign, which is a program for designing publications,” Iannello said.

Sometimes the class can be intimidating and difficult, as the medium is nothing like most students have ever experienced. Getting used to the programs can be a hurdle, but junior Gabby Verona believes the process of creating art in Graphic Design is worth the challenge.

“I just like the artwork that I get to do every day, it’s a little hard but I still enjoy it. It’s just very relaxing,” Verona said.

Graphic Design also appeals to students who maybe aren’t confident in their drawing skills, as it doesn’t include charcoal, colored pencils, acrylics, and other traditional materials. Many students, like sophomore Andrew Mennig, leave Graphics surprised by how much they learned and how artistic they really are.

“For some people, such as myself, if you’re not the best at hand-drawing things, you get an opportunity to do it on the computer, which I’m much better at. I just really enjoy that aspect,” Mennig said.

This class offers freedom and independence in what you want to create by supplying you with the software and supportive guidance. Students get to make whatever they want with what they are taught, giving them a break in the day in between academically rigorous courses. 

“I have a lot of work to do at school, and this gives me the time to just relax and to create some artwork,” Verona said.