Graphic Design
Graphic Design at RISD pushes on the boundaries of the discipline. Here you learn how to communicate ideas visually, play with the tools of the field, frame points of view and messages, build community and embrace a fluid, networked culture. Faculty support you and encourage ambitious ideas along with a mastery of traditional practices.
Degree programs
The communications principles and problem-solving strategies you acquire in the Graphic Design BFA provide you the foundation to build an informed, versatile and impactful design practice.
By encouraging you to respond nimbly and creatively to a wide range of communications challenges, the Graphic Design MFA program prepares you to thrive in a constantly changing field.
In the studio
In the studio students learn the fundamental value of typography, imagery, grids, systems and more in the course of creating everything from traditional books, posters, logos and websites to apps, interactive texts and other digital media.
Student work
Nick Felton first sparked an explosion of interest in infographics in 2005 through his Personal Annual Reports, which weave mundane events in his own life into a complex data trove of charts, maps and statistics. In addition to being a lead designer of Facebook's timeline, Felton cofounded daytum.com and developed Reporter, an iPhone app that helps users record and visualize subtle aspects of their lives. His work is included in the permanent collection at MoMA.
Michael Rock is a founding partner and creative director at the design consultancy 2x4, where he leads projects for clients such as Barneys, Prada, Nike, Kanye West, Harvard and CCTV. He also teaches in the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation and writes design-focused articles for many publications. A RISD trustee, in 2000 Rock received the Rome Prize in Design from the American Academy in Rome.
After graduation Jessica Walsh worked at Pentagram and Print magazine, while freelancing for AIGA, I.D. magazine, Technology Review and The New York Times, among others. Her work has won recognition in leading competitions and, after designer Stefan Sagmeister invited her in 2012 to become a partner in his firm—which became known as Sagmeister & Walsh—she founded her own firm in 2019, & Walsh.
Featured stories
Students in a fall studio are exploring a wide range of motion design techniques, from stop-motion animation to film title sequencing.
As a designer and educator, RISD alum and faculty member Rene Payne strives to break down social and cultural barriers.
Four ongoing research projects by faculty and recent alums focus on composting, improving the visual data used to drive climate research, sustainable biomaterials and tenants’ rights.