Web & Graphic Design Diploma
Syllabus
School of Human Services, University Transfer and Business Studies · College of New Caledonia · Prince George
Course
WEGD 211
Title
Applied Skills Lab 1
Term
Fall 2026
Credits
3 Credits
Course Hours
45 (Lecture)
Prerequisite
FINE 107, WEGD 121, WEGD 131, WEGD 141, WEGD 142, WEGD 151
Co-requisite
Web or Design stream semester 3 WEGD courses (Web: WEGD 211, WEGD 241 or Design: WEGD 221, WEGD 251)
Instructor
Heather Mitchell
Class Hours
W 2:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Room
2-319
Campus
Prince George
Monday
1:30 – 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday
1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Drop in during these times, or use Book a Meeting to reserve a slot.
By completing this course, the learner will be able to:
- 1Demonstrate a creative and strategic approach to generating and refining projects in print or web, 2D digital imagery and hand skills.
- 2Effectively communicate the creative and operational decisions made in the production of digital assets.
- 3Demonstrate digital literacy skills in the production of work by choosing and using the relevant software.
- 4Critique and evaluate the work of others in a professional and constructive manner with the aim to improve your own work through the same lens.
- 5Demonstrate the ability to participate in small and large group discussions and presentations.
This term centers on one self-directed major project, developed in four loose stages. The emphasis is Experiment → Discover → Develop → Finish — not Research → Brief → Proposal → Execute. Each deliverable below moves you closer to a finished piece you actually care about. See the Assignments page for full details.
- 1
Pick Something· Due Oct 1 · 10%
Choose one thing you actually want to make and write a sentence or two on why it excites you. No formal proposal.
- 2
Play· Due Oct 30 · 25%
Make 10 things — sketch, photograph, collage, and experiment. Bad versions welcome; keep everything.
- 3
Mid-Way Show & Tell· Due Nov 12 · 15%
Bring your work to class and answer: what am I making, what have I tried, what do I like, what's not working, what's next?
- 4
Make the Thing· Due Dec 2 · 40%
Pick a direction, develop it into a finished piece, and submit it with a process journal / board of everything that got you there.
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) | $26/month for students – 60% off retail with CNC student email |
| Canva or Procreate (optional creative software) | Web / iPad |
| Sketchbook | Dollar store or Amazon |
| Black ink pen | Dollar store or Amazon |
| Student Evaluation | Weight |
|---|---|
| Deliverable 1 — Pick Something | 10% |
| Deliverable 2 — Play (10 experiments) | 25% |
| Deliverable 3 — Mid-Way Show & Tell | 15% |
| Final Deliverable — Make the Thing (finished piece + process board) | 40% |
| Attendance and Participation | 10% |
Grade Scale
Note: Students must earn a C grade or higher for this class to count towards any WEGD credential.
Methodology
Methods will include lectures, discussion, presentations, critiques, and analogue & digital demonstrations and workshops.
| Week | Assignment | Due Date | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Deliverable 1 — Pick Something | Oct 1 | 10% |
| 5 | Deliverable 2 — Play | Oct 30 | 25% |
| 8 | Deliverable 3 — Mid-Way Show & Tell | Nov 12 | 15% |
| 12 | Final Deliverable — Make the Thing | Dec 2 | 40% |
You and your peers are working hard to learn and succeed in school. To make this a positive learning environment, it is important that we all show respect for one another by understanding and adhering to the following expectations:
- Keep all cell phones on silent or vibrate during class. Step out quietly for emergency calls.
- Participate fully and enthusiastically in all classroom activities.
- Keep language and attitude professional at all times, even in cases of disagreement.
- Arrive on time; if you arrive late, enter quietly out of respect for presenters.
- Take notes during presentations to develop questions and discussion for the presenter.
- You have two flex days you can use to submit an assignment up to two days late without penalty.
- Use them for any assignment and for any reason — just email me how many you'd like to use.
- Once flex days are used, an assignment submitted within 24 hours of the deadline is eligible for 80% of the maximum points.
- Assignments submitted more than 24 hours after the due date will not be accepted.
If you experience extenuating circumstances (e.g., hospitalization) that prohibit on-time submission, please let me know and I will evaluate these instances on a case-by-case basis.
Much of what we learn about visual art is done in the presence of others, so attendance is highly important for successful completion of this course. Presence and participation points reward active class participation and discussion.
Presence
Most students email in advance to explain an absence. Students who repeatedly arrive late are eligible for 80% of the participation grade. Please sign the attendance sheet; any false signatures result in zero participation grades for all parties involved.
Participation
During case discussions the instructor acts as moderator; thoughtful contributions matter more than “right” or “wrong” answers. If speaking up in class is uncomfortable, you may participate through written feedback in the class chat — include rationale, not just a thumbs up or heart emoji.
Students are expected to conduct themselves with academic integrity and in accordance with CNC's established standards of conduct. Penalties for misconduct, including plagiarism, cheating and personal misconduct are outlined in the Standards of Conduct: Student Responsibility and Accountability document. Reference all works of inspiration in an attached Works Referenced document for each project using MLA formatting.
Safe methods to avoid plagiarism
- Combine more than two sources of inspiration.
- Use your own sketches or photos for inspiration.
- Give credit where due.
- Research to check that your “original” idea hasn't been done by another artist.
- Save your work (Photoshop or InDesign) files to show your process.
A first offence may result in a grade of zero on the work or a failing grade in the course. On a second offence, the student may be removed from the program or receive a suspension from the college.
CNC Policies →Accessibility Support Services
Students who require academic accommodations as a result of a disability should advise both the instructor and Accessibility Services, located in room 1-753 on the main floor of the Prince George campus (past Admissions). For more info email access@cnc.bc.ca. Verifiable disabilities may include:
- Chronic/systemic health impairments
- Visual impairment
- Mobility/functional impairment
- Neurological disabilities
- Mental health disabilities
- Hearing impairment
- Learning disabilities
- ADHD
Academic Concessions
If a student is absent from a face-to-face session or a required online activity, the student must notify the instructor prior to the start of the scheduled session. For more information see the Policy and Procedures Statement for Academic Concessions.
Classroom-Based Research
If classroom-based research is conducted, the class will be instructed on appropriate ways of conducting research with human subjects based on the CNC Policy and Procedure for Ethical Research. The ethical framework for this study will be articulated by the instructor in the classroom.