No, I’ve never gone there. I went to SAA. So why, do you ask, am I saying it’s a waste? Because they have a commercial art program, yet they are advertising a workforce development seminar on DIY design (@SinclairWFD). Yes that’s right. They are teaching people how to design for clients in their commercial art program, and then clients how to design for themselves. Do they have no faith in their own program? Do they put them in that lowest of regard?
The class states the following:
You don’t have to be a graphic artist to create exciting collateral materials. Learn the tips, tricks, and techniques for designing simple, yet engaging, documents and more in this half-day course. Discover how to use Word to create a flyer, newsletter, or special event registrations, as well as how to use PowerPoint for signs, storyboards and certificates. Incorporate graphics, special formatting, and simple color design to wow your audience. By the end of the course you will be able to understand the design capability of each product and how they can meet your needs.
This is a down-right joke and a slap in the face to all designers (and, their art program).
If you want to look like you care about your brand and how you present yourself to others you don’t do it yourself (unless you are a real designer, of course!).
Word is not a layout program. It’s a processing program. It’s not designed to be used for press-quality printing (pray-tell, how do you apply bleed in Word?). Unless you are really good buddies with your printer, you are going to be getting a hefty bill for refitting your layout into something they can actually use. PowerPoint for signs? Really? It doesn’t even support native vector. Even if you want to go the “office printer” route, last time I checked you can’t print off a sign (or have anything that bleeds, unless you print larger and spend hours cutting).
Do they also discuss in your little seminar, the proper DPI and color models required for proper press printing? Doubtful.
You can’t learn design overnight.
Why even have any commercial art programs if they are marketing a workshop so people do it themselves (and rather poorly).
For the cost of the seminar ($125) you could hire me and it would be done right. With how much the printer would charge to fix the layout issues I might actually be cheaper!
I should also mention that @SinclairWFD also follows the Dayton Creative Syndicate. What a joke.