FAQs

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Question: What careers will I be able to pursue after I graduate? Answer: How about... Web Page Designer, Web Master, Video Production Manager, Marketing Director, Graphic Designer, Animator, Digital Photographer. Nearly 90% of students who graduate from COTC are employed full-time within six months after graduating.

Question: What is the best computer to have as a digital designer? Answer: The majority of graphic design and multimedia firms use Macintosh computers. Though initially they may be slightly more expensive, they will save you time and money in the long run. Macs are less likely to crash and are better suited for working with graphics.

Question: What do I look for in a computer system if I want something that meets the demands of digital media, yet doesn't cost a fortune? Answer: The processor does not have to be the absolute latest and fastest version, but you do want to make sure you have plenty of memory (1 Gigabyte or higher) and a fast video card (typically a $40 or $50 upgrade over the basic card). A good monitor will also make life easier, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is best. Get a 17" screen at least, with the ability to display 1280 x 1024 resolution. Your hard drive should have at least 120 GigaBytes and run at 7500 RPM or better if you are planning on capturing digital video.

Question: Do I need to own the software that we use in class? Answer: No, although it will help to have at least Photoshop. Because most students can not afford to buy every program that we use, it may be useful to use free on-line trials of the programs. Even though the trials expire (usually after 30 days), you can use it for class work. It will also help you to determine which programs you may want to own in the future. You can find downloads from or from the Adobe and Dreamweaver websites. There are, of course, limited open lab hours in one of the digital media labs every week.

Question: Do I really need to take all of these courses to become a digital media designer? I already know how to build Web sites.
Answer: Nobody will make you take all of these courses, but you will find that, especially in a rapidly-changing field like digital media, that professional instruction is far different from learning on your own. The best books on the market can't supplant the structure of an organized course or the deep and practical information that goes along with just the "book-learning."

You may not be eagerly anticipating the quizzes and the homework, but it is the practice (and the testing) that will help embed the knowledge. In addition, until you have established a reputation as a digital media designer, it is that proof of a formal education on your resume that potential employers will pay attention to. In fact, the AIGA (the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the professional association for communication design) believes that a four-year degree with a major in graphic design is important for "full preparation for entry and later mobility within the graphic design profession."

They also state that a two-year program like COTC's Digital Media Design Technology curriculum is useful to "prepare students for technical support positions in the field of graphic design and/or...transfer to a design program in a four-year institute." If you are planning on heading to the coast or have dreams of that corner office in a large design firm, be prepared to spend at least four years studying your craft and more years gaining experience. If you even plan on cutting out on your own, you will go further and faster if you have the background and the practice.

 

Question: But I don't want to be a 3-D animator/Web designer/ Videographer. Can't I just take the courses I'm interested in?
Answer: Everything in the Digital Media Design curriculum is there to help you communicate better, and, let's face it, as a digital media designer you are expected to be a successful communicator.

Why composition classes? You will be writing for the rest of your life: proposals, project summaries, cleint-contact-e-mail, even invoices. Every word you put on the page represents the quality of your communication.

Math? Hey, it's all math! Plus, math helps you think logically, as do your science courses. As far as the rest of the design world is concerned, you are in competition with every other designer (including your fellow DMD students: look around you to see who wants to compete with you for that big assignment). The designer who has mastered the broadest range of conceptual and technological skills will be the winner.

Some of the fundamental competencies that all of those DMD courses offer you include the ability to identify design problems, to analyze and generate multiple solutions, to prototype, test, and evaluate outcomes. It doesn't sound very glamorous when you put it that way, but every class is taught as a design class, meaning you aren't there simply to learn how to rotate a 3-D object, but as an exercise in construction of design elements and composition within the frame. It's all good!