Design Foundations DFN
Workload Level
- 6 courses in the first semester
- 1 hour of study/assignments required for each hour in class
- 20 hours of class (40 hour/week commitment)
- It is expected that you will participate in out-of-class activities.
Holland Code: A (Artistic)
What academic skills do I need to be successful in the program?
This list does not replace the admission requirements you must have for admission to the program. Please see website for details.
Arts & Literacy Writing skills required for critiques and reports, drawing skills are an asset. High school courses in Visual Arts, Housing and Home Design, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing would be beneficial preparation for this program.
Math and Science Basic math skills needed for measurements and planning.
Technology Basic computer skills required (Microsoft Office, e-mail, internet, checking student portal daily).
What personal qualities should someone interested in this career have?
- Good spatial perception and the ability to visualize three dimensions from two-dimensional drawings
- Creativity and drawing ability to communicate design ideas
- Sales ability
- Patience and flexibility
- The ability to deal with criticism
- A keen interest in learning more about fashion, home décor, graphic design, landscape, urban planning, or stage design.
- Enjoy working with your hands
- The ability to translate their ideas into finished products and critique their own work
- Motivation, self-discipline and determination
Useful background experience for this program would be:
Students should have a keen interest in art and design and enjoy hands-on learning.
What kind of work could I do when I graduate?
Design Foundation certificate is a preparation program to help students find their fit and choose a specialty. Graduates may find employment in retail sales of paint, apparel or art supplies stores.
Typical working conditions for this kind of work:
- May work in offices, studios or retail stores
- Work at drawing boards or computers, and as a result may stand for portions of work day
- Long, irregular hours, to complete projects to meet dead lines
Tasks a graduate may do in the workplace
- Designers work with photographs, digital media, CAD, Creative Suite and other materials to create prototypes.
- Designers create ideas through drawings, paintings and other artwork using oils, pastels, watercolours, charcoal, ink and other media.
- Designers research and brainstorm ideas to solve design problems.
Helpful links for further research into this Fanshawe College program and career opportunity
- Design Exchange http://www.dx.org/
- Ontario Arts Council (OAC)
- Society of Graphic Designers of Canada
- Canadian Decorators’ Association (CDECA)
- Retail Council of Canada
- Canadian Apparel Federation - http://www.apparel.ca/
- Landscape Ontario
- Canadian Institute of Theatre Technology (CITT)
Fanshawe’s library has prepared a subject guide for current students in this program. You may find the links and information provided very useful in learning more about this career.
Opportunities for further development or education
- Graduates have opportunities to transfer 3 credits towards a diploma at Fanshawe College in:
- Interior Decorating
- Fashion Design
- Fashion Merchandising
- Graphic Design
- GIS and Urban Planning
- Landscape Design
- Horticulture Technician
- Theatre Arts-Technical Production
The National Occupation Classification (NOC) system is used by the Canadian government to provide detailed information on careers. Click on the links below to learn more about careers associated with this Fanshawe College program. Please note: These codes are listed here for information purposes only. Fanshawe College does not guarantee graduates careers in these fields.
NOC Code 5242 Interior designers and interior decorators
NOC Code 5241 Graphic designers and illustrators
NOC Code 5243 Theatre, fashion, exhibit and other creative designers
NOC Code 5244 Artisans and craftspersons
NOC Code 5136 Painters, sculptors and other visual artists
NOC Code 2225 Landscape and horticulture technicians and specialists
NOC Code 2153 Urban and land use planners
The Working in Canada website is an excellent resource for labour market information (wages, jobs available). Go to the website, type in the NOC code from this program and your postal code to get detailed information.
Last Modified: January 11, 2024