{"id":24470,"date":"2022-11-07T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/2022\/11\/07\/graphic-design-program-changes-name-to-reflect-expertise-in-user-experience-design\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T11:15:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T15:15:12","slug":"graphic-design-program-changes-name-to-reflect-expertise-in-user-experience-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/2022\/11\/07\/graphic-design-program-changes-name-to-reflect-expertise-in-user-experience-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Graphic Design Program Changes Name to Reflect Expertise in User Experience Design"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After months of preparation, the graphic design program will change its degree names to reflect career opportunities for students. The Bachelor of Graphic Design and Master of Graphic Design degrees will change to Bachelor of Graphic &amp; Experience Design (BGXD) and Master of Graphic &amp; Experience Design (MGXD) respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese new degree names emphasize not only the current strong curriculum taught by faculty, but deepen our alignment with exciting trends in the profession,\u201d says Department Head of Graphic Design and Industrial Design Tsai Lu Liu. The name change officially acknowledges the program\u2019s understanding that user experience and user interface design (UX\/UI) represent strong growth sectors within the profession\u2014sectors that will continue to thrive according to statistics from the Department of Labor. UX\/UI intersects with more traditional graphic design practices like branding, publication design, service, and exhibition design, bringing a human-centered approach to the design process.<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"has-red-400-text-color wp-block-ncst-pullquote\">\n  <div class=\"pullquote-container\">\n    <p class=\"pullquote-content\">\u201cThese new degree names emphasize not only the current strong curriculum taught by faculty, but deepen our alignment with exciting trends in the profession\u201d<br>&#8211; Tsai Lu Liu<\/p>\n  <\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The program\u2019s strong national and international reputation reflects this deep understanding of current and future trends. Animation Career Review ranks the program number one among the top 50 public graphic design schools in the United States. 69% of professionally-placed alumni over a recently tracked 5-year period are employed in high-paying UX\/UI positions. Such alumni also informed the name change process, encouraging the program to expand its title to better reflect student expertise. Strong interest by companies, which continue to partner through sponsored studio projects, testifies to the program\u2019s success in UX\/UI. Recent sponsored studio partners include such companies as SAS, REI, Sealed Air, Advance Auto Parts, WebAssign, Red Hat, and IBM.<\/p>\n\n\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-highlight with-image\"><h2 class=\"highlight__label\">Related<\/h2><a href=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2022\/05\/20\/when-graphic-design-meets-big-tech-red-hat-sponsored-studio-tackles-autonomous-vehicles\/\" class=\"highlight__link\" data-ua-cat=\"Highlight Block\" data-ua-action=\"Story Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2022\/05\/20\/when-graphic-design-meets-big-tech-red-hat-sponsored-studio-tackles-autonomous-vehicles\/\"><div class=\"highlight__image-container\"><div class=\"highlight__image-background\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"highlight__image wp-image-30163\" alt=\"Video still from group one demonstrating how emergency services could be designed for AVs.\" src=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/group1emtscenario-copy.jpg\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"highlight__text-container\"><h3 class=\"highlight__heading\">When Graphic Design Meets Big Tech: Red Hat Sponsored Studio Tackles Autonomous Vehicles<\/h3><p class=\"highlight__teaser\">Graphic design students recently partnered with Red Hat to create solutions for a world dominated by autonomous vehicles.<br><br>Students then had to design for a variety of human factors such as family needs, career specializations and security concerns.<\/p><p class=\"highlight__cta\"><span>Read about the <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>partnership&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/a><\/aside>\n\n\n\n\n<p>For the past 16 years, the program has been evolving as part of a long-term strategy. A 2009 NASAD accreditation review supported the program\u2019s anticipation of future trends in graphic and experience design. In 2012 and 2013 the department shared with the college a researched overview of academic and professional practice that emphasized emerging categories in graphic design such as user interface design (UI) and user experience (UX). This future-facing approach has allowed the program to strategically build the curriculum and teaching faculty over the past nine years, successfully positioning for leadership in the discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re grateful to NC State for supporting this important step for the graphic design program,\u201d says Liu. \u201cI appreciate the work produced by our faculty and students, and I know that this degree name change will continue to produce graduates who are top designers in their field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-related-stories\"><h2 class=\"related-stories__label\">Related<\/h2><div class=\"ncst-component__related-stories-container\"><a \n      href=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2021\/09\/09\/using-design-thinking-to-investigate-the-potential-of-knowledge-graphs\/\"\n      class=\"ncst-component__bold-link text-link\"\n                >\n    <span class=\"text\">Using Design Thinking to Investigate the Potential of Knowledge Graphs<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"><svg class=\"wolficon wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" role=\"img\"  aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\">\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n    <\/a>\n  \n\n<a \n      href=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2021\/05\/21\/whose-data-is-it-anyway-ever-had-trouble-accessing-your-own-medical-data\/\"\n      class=\"ncst-component__bold-link text-link\"\n                >\n    <span class=\"text\">Whose data is it anyway? Ever had trouble accessing your own medical data?<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"><svg class=\"wolficon wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" role=\"img\"  aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\">\n\t\t<\/svg><\/span>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n<p><em>This post was <a href=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2022\/11\/07\/gxd-name-change\/\">originally published<\/a> in College of Design Blog.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false,"raw":"<!-- wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n<!-- wp:ncst\/default-post-header \/-->\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/dynamic-header -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>After months of preparation, the graphic design program will change its degree names to reflect career opportunities for students. The Bachelor of Graphic Design and Master of Graphic Design degrees will change to Bachelor of Graphic &amp; Experience Design (BGXD) and Master of Graphic &amp; Experience Design (MGXD) respectively.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cThese new degree names emphasize not only the current strong curriculum taught by faculty, but deepen our alignment with exciting trends in the profession,\u201d says Department Head of Graphic Design and Industrial Design Tsai Lu Liu. The name change officially acknowledges the program\u2019s understanding that user experience and user interface design (UX\/UI) represent strong growth sectors within the profession\u2014sectors that will continue to thrive according to statistics from the Department of Labor. UX\/UI intersects with more traditional graphic design practices like branding, publication design, service, and exhibition design, bringing a human-centered approach to the design process.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/pullquote {\"value\":\"\u201cThese new degree names emphasize not only the current strong curriculum taught by faculty, but deepen our alignment with exciting trends in the profession\u201d\\u003cbr\\u003e- Tsai Lu Liu\"} -->\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-ncst-pullquote has-red-400-text-color\"><div class=\"pullquote-container\"><p class=\"pullquote-content\">These new degree names emphasize not only the current strong curriculum taught by faculty, but deepen our alignment with exciting trends in the profession\u201d<br>- Tsai Lu Liu<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/pullquote -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>The program\u2019s strong national and international reputation reflects this deep understanding of current and future trends. Animation Career Review ranks the program number one among the top 50 public graphic design schools in the United States. 69% of professionally-placed alumni over a recently tracked 5-year period are employed in high-paying UX\/UI positions. Such alumni also informed the name change process, encouraging the program to expand its title to better reflect student expertise. Strong interest by companies, which continue to partner through sponsored studio projects, testifies to the program\u2019s success in UX\/UI. Recent sponsored studio partners include such companies as SAS, REI, Sealed Air, Advance Auto Parts, WebAssign, Red Hat, and IBM.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/highlight {\"teaser\":\"Graphic design students recently partnered with Red Hat to create solutions for a world dominated by autonomous vehicles.\\u003cbr\\u003e\\u003cbr\\u003eStudents then had to design for a variety of human factors such as family needs, career specializations and security concerns.\",\"callToAction\":\"Read about the partnership\",\"imageID\":30163} -->\n<aside class=\"wp-block-ncst-highlight with-image\"><h2 class=\"highlight__label\">Related<\/h2><a href=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2022\/05\/20\/when-graphic-design-meets-big-tech-red-hat-sponsored-studio-tackles-autonomous-vehicles\/\" class=\"highlight__link\" data-ua-cat=\"Highlight Block\" data-ua-action=\"Story Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2022\/05\/20\/when-graphic-design-meets-big-tech-red-hat-sponsored-studio-tackles-autonomous-vehicles\/\"><div class=\"highlight__image-container\"><div class=\"highlight__image-background\"><img class=\"highlight__image wp-image-30163\" alt=\"Video still from group one demonstrating how emergency services could be designed for AVs.\" src=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/group1emtscenario-copy.jpg\" \/><\/div><\/div><div class=\"highlight__text-container\"><h3 class=\"highlight__heading\">When Graphic Design Meets Big Tech: Red Hat Sponsored Studio Tackles Autonomous Vehicles<\/h3><p class=\"highlight__teaser\">Graphic design students recently partnered with Red Hat to create solutions for a world dominated by autonomous vehicles.<br><br>Students then had to design for a variety of human factors such as family needs, career specializations and security concerns.<\/p><p class=\"highlight__cta\"><span>Read about the <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>partnership&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/a><\/aside>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/highlight -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>For the past 16 years, the program has been evolving as part of a long-term strategy. A 2009 NASAD accreditation review supported the program\u2019s anticipation of future trends in graphic and experience design. In 2012 and 2013 the department shared with the college a researched overview of academic and professional practice that emphasized emerging categories in graphic design such as user interface design (UI) and user experience (UX). This future-facing approach has allowed the program to strategically build the curriculum and teaching faculty over the past nine years, successfully positioning for leadership in the discipline.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re grateful to NC State for supporting this important step for the graphic design program,\u201d says Liu. \u201cI appreciate the work produced by our faculty and students, and I know that this degree name change will continue to produce graduates who are top designers in their field.\u201d<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/related-stories -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-ncst-related-stories\"><h2 class=\"related-stories__label\">Related<\/h2><div class=\"ncst-component__related-stories-container\"><!-- wp:ncst\/bold-link {\"url\":\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2021\/09\/09\/using-design-thinking-to-investigate-the-potential-of-knowledge-graphs\/\",\"text\":\"Using Design Thinking to Investigate the Potential of Knowledge Graphs\"} -->\n<a href=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2021\/09\/09\/using-design-thinking-to-investigate-the-potential-of-knowledge-graphs\/\" class=\"ncst-component__bold-link wp-block-ncst-bold-link\" data-ua-cat=\"Bold Link Block\" data-ua-action=\"Bold Link Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2021\/09\/09\/using-design-thinking-to-investigate-the-potential-of-knowledge-graphs\/\"><span>Using Design Thinking to Investigate the Potential of Knowledge <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>Graphs&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/a>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/bold-link -->\n\n<!-- wp:ncst\/bold-link {\"url\":\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2021\/05\/21\/whose-data-is-it-anyway-ever-had-trouble-accessing-your-own-medical-data\/\",\"text\":\"Whose data is it anyway? Ever had trouble accessing your own medical data?\"} -->\n<a href=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2021\/05\/21\/whose-data-is-it-anyway-ever-had-trouble-accessing-your-own-medical-data\/\" class=\"ncst-component__bold-link wp-block-ncst-bold-link\" data-ua-cat=\"Bold Link Block\" data-ua-action=\"Bold Link Click\" data-ua-label=\"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/blog\/2021\/05\/21\/whose-data-is-it-anyway-ever-had-trouble-accessing-your-own-medical-data\/\"><span>Whose data is it anyway? Ever had trouble accessing your own medical <\/span><span class=\"nowrap\"><span>data?&nbsp;<\/span><span class=\"arrow-indicator\"> <svg class=\"wolficon\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><use xlink:href=\"#wolficon-arrow-right-bold\" \/><\/svg> <\/span><\/span><\/a>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/bold-link --><\/div><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:ncst\/related-stories -->"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After months of preparation, the graphic design program will change its degree names to reflect career opportunities for students. These new degree names emphasize not only the current strong curriculum taught by faculty, but deepen the program&#8217;s alignment with exciting trends in the profession.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":24471,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"source":"ncstate_wire","ncst_custom_author":"","ncst_show_custom_author":false,"ncst_dynamicHeaderBlockName":"ncst\/default-post-header","ncst_dynamicHeaderData":"{\"showAuthor\":true,\"showDate\":true,\"showFeaturedVideo\":false,\"caption\":\"\"}","ncst_content_audit_freq":"","ncst_content_audit_date":"","ncst_content_audit_display":false,"ncst_backToTopFlag":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[5],"class_list":["post-24470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-_from-newswire-collection-271"],"displayCategory":null,"acf":{"ncst_posts_meta_modified_date":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24470"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24470\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25231,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24470\/revisions\/25231"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/design.ncsu.edu\/graphic-design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}