JAI Courses

Start an exciting journey of creativity and innovation, where the themes of play, art, design, and technology converge to craft captivating and interactive experiences. Design is an ever-evolving, dynamic practice that transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, from everyday interactions to immersive installations. Through hands-on projects, you will gain a solid foundation in the fundamental concepts of User Experience (UX) and Interaction Design (IxD). Beyond this foundation, this course is infused with elements of play, including gamification, playful interactions, storytelling and narrative, and collaborative play. Whether you aspire to be a digital artist, a user experience designer, virtual reality world builder, or simply want to explore the fascinating intersection of art, design and technology, this course encourages you to experiment, innovate, and create new experiences.

This course is suited for those new to art and design practices, or both. It is an excellent opportunity to combine interests and skills to suit an increasingly digitally engaged world. Working in the Emily Carr University studios, your instructor will guide you and your peers through individual and groups projects, providing personalized feedback to support your creativity and exploration.

Upcoming Session:

Block 1: June 30 - July 11 (no class July 1)

Bring your imaginative ideas for the future into reality through the exciting world of design! Utilizing imagination and creativity, students will explore how design can address real-world challenges and generate innovative solutions. Through collaborative, hands-on activities, students will begin to develop a designer's mindset by applying design methods for creative problem-solving, generating ideas, and turning those ideas into tangible solutions. Throughout the course, students will have the opportunity to investigate several forms of design, including developing concepts for mobile apps, interactive games, and designing new digital products. Along the way, students will enhance their artistic abilities, learn how to work with others and present their creative ideas to the class. Under the guidance of our experienced instructors, students will dive into engaging activities that promote creativity, teamwork and reflection. This course focuses on exploration, experimentation, and the joy of bringing ideas from your mind into the world.

Upcoming Session:

Block 2: July 14 - July 25

Bring characters to life, set scenes in motion and weave narratives that captivate audiences. Discover the combined power of illustration and animation to breathe life into your creative vision. Using traditional tools and media like pen and ink, gouache, and markers, this course encourages you to channel your imagination, discover inspiration, and convey emotions and ideas through illustration. Working independently and in groups, you will create a world full of characters, environments, and stories, brought to life frame-by-frame using stop-motion animation techniques and software.

The skills acquired in illustration and animation are in high demand in today’s creative industries, and can open doors to a wide range of future careers, from animation studios and graphic design agencies to film production companies and game development studios. Whether you're an aspiring animator, a budding illustrator, or simply exploring new ways of making, this course will set your imagination free. Guided by experienced instructors in the inspiring setting of Emily Carr University studios, you and your peers will experience a creative journey filled with exciting projects, prompts, and personalized feedback to nurture your artistic talents.

Upcoming Session:

Block 2: July 14 - July 25 - Full; waitlist available

Immerse yourself in a world of creativity with Drawing and Painting. This course explores traditional, technical, and experimental drawing and painting techniques to help you develop your creative voice and work with different media. Through various exploratory in-class assignments and projects, you will learn about color theory, composition, and perspective, develop a keen eye for detail and observation, and expand your creative potential. From graphite and charcoal to acrylic and mixed media, you will learn both drawing and painting skills, experiment to combining drawing and painting techniques, discover how to bring your vision to life, and evolve your personal creative style. Whether you want time to cultivate your creativity and imagination, or are looking for a powerful outlet to visually express your thoughts and ideas, this course incorporates a range of techniques from traditional to contemporary.

This course is suited for those new to drawing and painting, as well as those interested in discovering new mediums for their drawing or painting practice. Working in the Emily Carr University studio, your instructor will guide you and your peers through various prompts and projects, providing individual and group critiques to support your evolution as an artist.

Upcoming Sessions:

Block 1: June 30 - July 11 (no class July 1) - Full; waitlist available

Block 2: July 14 - July 25 - Full; waitlist available

Start on a creative journey that blends the precision of drawing together with the narrative power of illustration. Uncovering the world of character design, concept art, and narrative imagery using various traditional mediums like pen and ink, gouache and markers, this course asks you to let your imagination to take the lead. Whether crafting vivid characters, intricate scenes, or dynamic narratives, you will learn how to come up with ideas, where to look for inspiration, and what tools can convey your ideas and emotions visually. If you have a passion for animation, comics, and character-driven narratives, drawing and illustration together can give life to your imagination through visual mediums.

This course is suited to those new to drawing or illustration, or both. The skills you will be introduced to are applicable across diverse fields, from art and design to marketing and entrepreneurship, offering aa foundation for a future in the creative industry. Working at Emily Carr University, your instructor will guide you through prompts and projects, providing personalized feedback to support your creativity and exploration.

Upcoming Session:

Block 1: June 30 - July 11 (no class July 1) - Full; waitlist available

Have a story to tell? Dive into the world of narrative and illustrative storytelling with Characters + Graphic Novel! Focusing on the fundamentals of graphic novel and character design, students will learn how to take their ideas from conceptualization and brainstorming to fully realized graphic stories with a well-developed script and cover art. Merging creative writing with visual storytelling, the course explores story structure, plot development and dialogue, and how narrative is created through complex, relatable character design and believable worlds. Through both independent and group activities, students will participate in group discussion and critique, peer feedback, and practice pitching their stories for graphic novelists, building confidence in presenting their work to others. Whether you're interested in traditional, digital or self-publishing platforms, or learning the numerous illustrative styles found in graphic novels, this course will support you in your visual storytelling pursuits!

Upcoming Session:

Block 1: June 30 - July 11 (no class July 1) - Full; waitlist available

Motion graphics are everywhere, from film and television to games and interactive media, to web design and advertising. Versatile across industries, a motion graphics artist has the creative freedom to explore new concepts, styles, and techniques in any number of creative fields. Like visual magic, they make images, words and designs come to life using movement, timing, pacing and choreography. This course combines fundamental animation principles with the visual impact of motion graphic design. You will be introduced to industry standard digital tools to design captivating title sequences, interactive graphics, or stunning visual effects, from keyframing and compositing to 3D modeling and rendering.

The skills you gain in this course can open doors to exciting career opportunities. Whether you're creating eye-catching social media campaigns, mesmerizing visual effects, or engaging user interfaces, animation and motion graphics will be your creative playground. Led by experienced instructors and hosted in the Emily Carr University labs, you and your peers will bring static elements to life with guided workshops, hands-on projects, and individual feedback to support your creative journey.

Upcoming Session:

Block 2: July 14 - July 25 - Full; waitlist available