Communication Design Major
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About the Major
A major in communication design teaches students to identify and solve design problems and master the principles and practices used in the design of communication messages. These messages involve design for print publications, advertising, websites and mobile media.
Jobs in Communication Design
- Graphic designer
- UI/UX designer
- Website designer
- Brand manager
- Creative director
Past Elon Communication Design Internships
- 3:5 Creative[s]
- Drone Home Media
- Havas Group
- Mount Vernon
- University Hospitals
Related Majors
Senior earned international honor with home-brewed design project
As Catherine Nester recalls, the idea for her award-winning design project began over a fresh batch of kombucha.
Nester’s roommates had just started brewing the popular fermented drink, and they spent a day naming each flavor and brainstorming labels. The communication design major realized the undertaking was perfect for her last project in Associate Professor Ben Hannam’s Design of Visual Images class.
“So, I decided to run with the idea and build a whole kombucha brand based around authenticity, adventure and community,” said Nester, who graduated Elon in 2022 and now works as a graphic design and communications specialist for The Walt Disney Company.
This program let me combine my passions for strategy and effective storytelling with my love for visual art and creativity. Being a communication design major has not only sharpened my design skills, but my thinking and problem-solving skills as well.
That is the origin story of Top Bunk Bucha, the kombucha brand line that Nester conceptualized and designed. And the results not only tasted good — they were award-winning.
Top Bunk Bucha’s design earned an honorable mention in the 2022 Graphis New Talent Annual, one of the world’s most prestigious annuals with award-winning work from international students in design, advertising, art/illustration and photography. The competition is steep, with more than 1,000 submissions from international art schools.
Nester said collaborating with her roommates on Top Bunk Bucha made the design process especially satisfying.
“It’s really special to be recognized for something you’ve worked so hard on, especially something that came out of just having fun with friends,” she said. “It’s easy to get tunnel vision with your own work because you’re staring at the same thing all day, so the external validation is definitely reassuring. I’m most proud of the scope of this piece — there’s careful design of every element, from the logo itself to the color scheme to the bottles and labels.”
Nester said her communication design professors gave her endless support during her time at Elon.
“All of my professors at Elon have been so supportive, and a lot of my success is because they believe in me,” she said.
That support validated Nester’s decision to enroll at Elon, which she said offered the best curriculum to fit her interests and career plans.
“Communication design is what brought me to Elon,” she said. “When I toured other schools, it seemed like my two options were to study writing or journalism in the communications school, or study graphic design in the art school. This program let me combine my passions for strategy and effective storytelling with my love for visual art and creativity. Being a communication design major has not only sharpened my design skills, but my thinking and problem-solving skills as well.”
Did You Know?
- The program is built on hands-on learning, with students using the most recent technology to create static, kinetic and interactive graphics while learning how to deliver their messaging to diverse audiences through visual language, the principles of design, and other methods, theories and practices.
- To promote academic depth, all students must complete a minor, a double major outside of the School of Communications or a semester abroad in an Elon-approved program.
- Outside of class, there are countless ways for students to practice their skills, including the student news organization, Elon News Network; the strategic communications student agency, Live Oak Communications; and various professional organizations, including Elon’s American Institute of Graphic Arts chapter.