Undergraduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

Research and Concept Development

  • (Design, Knitwear & Textiles) Produce creative and original designs.
  • (Design, Knitwear, & Textiles) Select concepts appropriate for the market and customer, building on analysis of design and market research.
  • (Design, Knitwear, & Textiles) Generate ideas that are coherently related to the chosen concept as well as to one another.
  • (Design, Knitwear & Textiles) Conduct thorough design research, as evidenced in the sketchbook
  • (Design, Knitwear & Textiles) Demonstrate evidence of trialing and self-editing designs.
  • (Design) Propose designs that are possible to translate from 2D to 3D.
  • (Design) Relate silhouettes, color and fabric, details and styling to the design concept
  • (Design) Produce croquis that use color to indicate color and fabric
  • (Fashion Merchandising & Visual Merchandising) Advance their point of view or concept by conducting meaningful research and analysis
  • (Fashion Merchandising & Visual Merchandising) Produce creative and original merchandising concepts.

Visual Presentation Skills

  • (Design, Knitwear, & Textiles) Create professional and organized presentations that reflect an individual/personal style.
  • (Design, Knitwear, Textiles, & Visual Merchandising) Effectively communicate their design concepts and philosophy two-dimensionally.
  • (Design) Produce accurate and detailed technical drawings that include supportive information, where appropriate.
  • (Fashion Merchandising & Visual Merchandising) Create professional presentation boards, digitally and manually
  • (Visual Merchandising) Create professional and organized presentations that reflect a point of view consistent with product and brand.

Technical Skills

  • Work effectively with industry standard software.
  • (3D Design) Draft flat patterns and drape 3D designs
  • (Knitwear and Textiles) Produce yardage of a particular textile design that can be cut and sewn into a garment.
  • (Visual Merchandising) Demonstrate basic skills with regard to tools and materials for visual display.

Verbal and Written Presentation Skills

  • Clearly express their ideas utilizing fashion industry vocabulary.
  • (Fashion Merchandising & Visual Merchandising) Conduct professional PowerPoint presentations
  • (Fashion Merchandising & Visual Merchandising) Clearly express their ideas in written form

Specialty Skills: Fashion Merchandising

  • Source, edit and select the appropriate product for a target customer
  • Conduct a fashion business analysis and create an effective business plan (sales assortment plan, finances plan and marketing plan)
  • Merchandize a retail selling floor

Specialty Skills: Visual Merchandising

  • Source, edit and select the appropriate product for a target customer
  • Create and work within a budget to produce window and in-store presentations.
  • Merchandize a retail selling floor
  • Design and execute effective window displays and in-store presentations
  • Propose display concepts that are possible to translate from 2D to 3D

Collaboration Skills

  • (Fashion Merchandising & Visual Merchandising ) Work effectively in a team

Professional Readiness

  • Create a relevant and original portfolio and collateral materials which can be used to market themselves to the industry

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes?
Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

  • Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
  • Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
  • Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
  • Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
  • Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
  • Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
  • Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.