Graphic Communication
College of Liberal Arts
Graphic communication is the study of how we convey meaning through visual design. This includes the creation, production, management and distribution of advertising, marketing, websites, mobile apps, books, packaging and other media in printed and digital form.
San Luis Obispo, California
The program pairs graphic communication with general education courses providing you with a broad understanding of content management and production workflows with modern digital media processes. Our laboratory and classroom experience is unequalled in the nation.
With over 30,000 square feet of specialized laboratory space, students gain hands-on experience designing, engineering and implementing graphic systems across digital and physical media.
Design Systems Lab
Develop integrated graphic systems that move from concept to implementation across digital and physical media. Students explore typography, layout, information hierarchy and content structure while learning how design decisions translate into scalable production systems. Students practice the technical execution required to transform ideas into high-performance graphic solutions.
Photography and Color Science Lab
Develop expertise in professional photography, advanced photo retouching, motion graphics and color management systems. Students work with calibrated workflows and controlled production environments, and learn to maintain visual consistency and quality across platforms, materials and media technologies.
Packaging, Materials and Prototyping Lab
Design and engineer packaging systems that integrate structure, branding, materials, sustainability and consumer behavior. Students use digital modeling, structural design tools, decorative technologies and rapid prototyping systems to create market-ready solutions applicable across retail and distribution environments.
Media and Production Technologies Lab
Gain hands-on experience with industry-standard graphic production systems across digital and physical platforms. Students work with high-volume production systems, specialty graphics equipment, and industrial-scale processes to understand how graphics are implemented accurately, efficiently and at scale.
Operations, Analytics and Enterprise Lab
Apply principles of workflow optimization, quality control, estimating, sales strategy, data analytics and entrepreneurship to understand how graphic systems operate within organizations. Students practice through applied projects and a student-run enterprise environment, experience real production ecosystems and develop operational leadership skills.
Experience and Immersive Media Lab
Design and evaluate interactive and immersive visual environments. Students develop user-centered digital systems, augmented and virtual reality experiences and spatial storytelling applications. Everything is informed by research, usability testing, accessibility standards and technical integration to ensure reliable, effective performance across platforms and contexts.
Graphic Communication students can choose to study a specific concentration or develop their own.
Design Reproduction Technology
Bring ideas to life across print and digital. You will build strong design fundamentals while learning how to move work from concept to production, including publishing and web workflows. This concentration is ideal if you like design and want to understand the technology behind how it is produced and delivered.
Graphic Communication Management
For students who want to lead teams, projects, and client work. You will learn how graphic communication businesses run and how to manage timelines, budgets, quality, and stakeholders. This concentration supports careers in project and account management, marketing, operations and product-focused roles.
Graphics for Packaging
Create packaging that stands out on shelves and performs in the real world. You will explore how packaging graphics are planned, prepared and produced, with an understanding of materials and production constraints. A great fit if you are interested in branding, consumer products and the fast-moving packaging industry.
Immersive Experience Design
Design experiences that connect the physical and digital worlds. You will explore emerging tools and platforms such as AR, VR, XR and connected technologies, with an emphasis on how people interact with them. This concentration is a strong match for students excited by innovation, storytelling and new forms of engagement.
User Experience/User Interface
Design intuitive digital products for real people. You will learn to shape user experiences through visual design, interaction design and interface development for web and mobile. This concentration prepares you for careers in UX/UI, digital product design and roles where design and technology overlap.
Individualized Course of Study
Want a path that blends multiple interests? You can build a focused concentration with faculty guidance by selecting upper-division coursework that supports your goals. This option works well for students with a specific career direction or a unique combination of interests they want to pursue.
About the Program
Graphic communication is a dynamic discipline that brings together design, technology and strategy to solve communication challenges across physical and digital media.
We prepare you to be adaptable problem-solvers across the media ecosystem, from print and packaging to digital and interactive experiences, including branding and marketing across multiple media. You will develop key skills for today's graphic communication professionals, including design systems, product development, color management, user experience, production technologies and business operations, using the latest industry tools and technologies. Courses bring together design, technology and business to help you create effective solutions through both creative work and real-world production across physical and digital media. This is why our program remains a national leader in graphic communication education.
California Impact
Your education will prepare you to contribute to industries where brands and products shape how people experience information every day. Through hands-on learning, you will apply your skills to real-world projects, developing branded products, communication solutions and experiences across physical and digital media. The department’s advanced facilities and faculty expertise provide you with a practical, industry-connected education in graphic communication.
'They Are Much More Engaged.'
CSU Program Helps Cal Poly Students by Removing Barriers to Success
Students Design Web App
Students Design Web App with DX Hub and SLO County to Prevent Opioid Overdose D…Learn by Doing
Cal Poly provides the nation's most comprehensive hands-on experience in graphic communication education. By working with industry-leading technology, our students become agile problem-solvers, prepared to lead organizations that leverage high-performance graphics to inform, persuade and achieve growth.
Learning by Running a Business
Students manage real print work for campus and community
Read More About UGS
Design with Real Impact
Students created award-winning packaging for a local business.
Learn More About the Phoenix ChallengeOur Graduates
The graphic communication department has built relationships across the printing, packaging, media and tech industries over many years. Our graduates are in high demand by leading national and international corporations and our alumni have gone on to work at major companies across California and around the world.