Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media

The Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media responds to the changing needs in the world around us, on a variety of scales, and focuses on the development of comprehensive messaging, experiences, and the social context. Our award-winning students take leadership in areas such as sustainable design, medical and health issues, regional products, recreational products, systems design, information design, typography, visual communications, commercial, experimental and 3D animation, visual story-telling, and interactivity.  Upon graduation, these emerging designers and artists continue their leadership in creative industries and innovation around the globe.

This Faculty houses the Bachelor of Design and the Bachelor of Media Arts degrees. We are proud to have Bill Moggeridge, one of the founders of IDEO and now the Director of the Cooper-Hewitt , National Design Museum in New York as an Honorary Professor of Design.

 

Contacts

Bonne Zabolotney, Dean

Jonathan Aitken, Assistant Dean, Design

Communication Design
Industrial Design
Interaction Design

Leslie Bishko, Assistant Dean, Dynamic Media

Animation
Interactive + Social Media Arts

 

Current Design + Dynamic Media Faculty

 

NOTICE TO STUDENTS ENTERING COMD, INDD, INTD, AND ISMA PROGRAMS

Digital Resource Requirement | Policy | September 2011

1. This requirement is effective for Fall 2011, and is specifically for students entering the following Majors at the Second Year Level: Communication Design (COMD), Industrial Design (INDD), Interaction Design (INTD), and Interactive and Social Media (ISMA).

2. The University recommends the purchase of the latest available MacBook Pro. A PC equivalent is acceptable and it is not mandatory for students to purchase a new laptop. All laptops need to meet the following specifications in order to operate the most current version of the Adobe Master Collection and to keep up with expectations of the curriculum.

Ram: 4GB or better
Hard drive: 500GB or better
Intel processor such as: 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.3 GHz Intel Core i5, or 2.0 GHz Intel Core i7
Wireless: Wi-Fi 802.11g or 802.11N
Graphics Memory: 256MB

You can consult with a computer vendor or retailer to ensure your laptop is able to meet, or be upgraded to meet, all technical requirements.

3. Emily Carr has arranged with Adobe for students to license both the Master Collection & Education Font Essential at a significant discount not available elsewhere. The yearly license fee for the Master Collection is payable in September by all students in the digital resource requirement program. Upon leaving the University, students keep the software and are eligible for further upgrades at retail pricing through Adobe. Adobe Font Essentials is only required for COMD and INTD and its one-time fee is also payable in September.

4. Room 330 (South Building Mac Lab) will be dismantled in order to provide studio classroom space for COMD/DESN usage. 3rd or 4th year courses requiring computer lab space will be moved to the North Building labs. The teaching of Third year courses in labs will be phased out in 2012/13; Fourth-year courses in 2013/14.  These courses will be taught via laptops in smart rooms. Only the Mac Lab in Room 330 will be phased out, other existing Mac and PC labs will remain for student use.

5. The University will maintain a small number of Mac laptops and Mac laptop batteries for circulation to students and faculty. This equipment is not meant to be used on an ongoing basis by any individual student, but is an emergency resource to all students who are required to own laptops.

6. IT Services will provide limited technical support for student laptops. This support is limited to helping with access to University wireless network and curriculum printing resources. The University does not generally help students with hardware, operating system, application software, and virus issues.

 

FAQs

What are the financial costs for students?
The costs attached to the digital resource requirement include hardware and software costs, as follows:

  • Students will have access to Adobe Master Collection for approximately $160 per year, and the Educational Essential Fonts for $125 (one-time fee). This is a significant reduction in costs for a software license that currently costs $2600 retail, or $1000 for the non-upgradable “student & faculty” version. All students in the previously mentioned programs will be required to purchase this software package.
  • $20 DVD sets. Payable for your first and any subsequent versions of software (ie, CS5 to CS6)
  • Laptops can be purchased at educational pricing through the Emily Carr Apple Campus online store (to be up and running in the summer of 2011), UBC Bookstore, or directly from Apple. Various private retailers, such as Simply Computing, may also offer competitive pricing.
  • Some local Computer Retailers, such as Simply Computing, offer financing (http://simply.ca/personal_financing.php) with 3-, 6-, and 12-month payment plans.

Are laptops covered by Student Loans?
The purchase of capital equipment for a student’s program (such as computers, cameras, etc) is not supported in the funding framework of the Canada Student Loans program.  The only expenditure allowable is for books and supplies to a maximum of $1,500 per 4 month semester which can include up to $300 in computer-related supplies such as ink, toner, internet connections.*  All Emily Carr students applying for student loans have this maximum allowance considered in their overall need assessment. While some aspects of student loan eligibility calculation are appealable due to extenuating circumstances, the purchase of a laptop (whether the school makes it mandatory or not) is not an appealable issue.

*It is important to note that the book and supply expenditures for student loans is not policed.  Students are not required to provide receipts demonstrating how they spend their book/supply allowance.

What are other considerations for students who may require financial assistance in purchasing a laptop by September, 2011?

  • Approximately 6 to 8 laptops will be available through A/V for lending to students for limited booking
  • Many desktop computers from Computer Lab SB330 will be distributed throughout the South Building smart rooms (approximately 2 to 3 desktops to each room), so that students taking classes in those rooms are able to work on a desktop
  • For Fall 2011 only, Emily Carr University’s Faculty of Design and Dynamic Media will establish a one-time bursary for students who may require financial assistance in meeting the laptop requirement. If you are a student entering these 2nd year programs and anticipate financial need in purchasing a laptop, please respond to this email address: deansoffice@ecuad.ca by May 15, 2011

Are Industrial Design students expected to run PC-based 3D software on their laptops?
No. PC-based 3D software will continue to be taught in the school’s PC labs. Students will have access to these labs to do their work. If you choose to run such software on your laptop, it is up to you to decide whether to run it on a PC laptop, or a Mac laptop with Windows or other necessary software.