Introducing Art And Visual Design Concepts To Computer Systems Technology Students

Computer systems technology students attending Kansas State University at Salina are typically focused on technology and have minimal exposure to art and graphic design concepts. In the “Fundamentals of Web Design” course, we attempt to broaden student knowledge and experience by introducing art and design concepts that are not available elsewhere in the Engineering Technology curriculum. Although many students embrace this shift in emphasis, some are very resistant because the ideas presented appear foreign and irrelevant to a computer technology curriculum. The challenge has been to discover ways of connecting art and design concepts to the needs and interests of computer technology students. For example, most computer students understand the theory of mixing red, green and blue pixels on a computer display to create any color, but few are familiar with the technique of optical color mixing used in Pointillism. Throughout the course, students are introduced to design concepts and theory that can be used to develop visually pleasing websites and other graphic oriented content. Along the way, wellknown artists are introduced to illustrate various design fundamentals that are applicable in both art and web design. On several occasions, projects that reinforce key concepts are assigned; some computer based and some that involve traditional paper and pencil. One of the most pleasing aspects of this course is when students begin to discover hidden artistic talents they did not realize they possessed. This paper will highlight some methods of connecting visual design to computer systems technology. It will also discuss some of the successes and failures experienced thus far in teaching a Fundamentals of Web Design on a campus oriented more towards technology than towards design.