Langara College Design Formation Program
For students who like to get creative!
Design Formation is a 2-year diploma program that introduces future career creatives to a wide range of 2D, 3D, physical, and digital design disciplines. Graduates start their careers in entry level industry jobs or further their education in the discipline of their choice.
Hands-on projects, wood shop, and studio time give students firsthand experience designing, creating, and building projects. They explore and build skills in fields such as graphic design, branding and marketing, industrial design, exhibit design, interior design and architecture.
Creatives who want to explore options in many design fields and build marketable skills at the same time.
Mid career professionals wishing to upskill or translate their skills for more creative opportunities.
Students building their skills and portfolios to pursue degrees in competitive university programs.
Who is it for?
Students in Design Formation develop skills in:
Graphic design
Branding and identity design
Environmental graphic design
Interior design
Industrial design
Exhibit design
Architecture
Ethical AI tool application
Design thinking and prototyping
Indigenous design and decolonization practices
What will you learn?
Sample Curriculum
Term 1
DSGN-1151 Com Des I: Fundamentals (3 credits)
DSGN-1156 Exp Des I: Storytelling and Curation (3 credits)
DSGN-1155 Int & Arch: Fundamentals of 3D Space (3 credits)
DSGN-1255 Graphic Software Fundamentals (3 credits)
DSGN-1300 Design Thinking* (3 credits)
Term 2
DSGN-1250 Com Des II: Design Systems (3 credits)
DSGN-1256 Exp Des II: Objects and Ideas (3 credits)
DSGN-1153 Int & Arch: Intro to Interior Spaces (3 credits)
DSGN-1154 Materials, Process, and Sustainability (3 credits)
DSGN-1100 From Typography to Tattoos* (3 credits)
Term 3
DSGN-2151 Com Des III: Typography (3 credits)
DSGN-2155 Page Layout Software (3 credits)
DSGN-2054 Establishing a Career in Design (2 credits)
6 credits of:
DSGN-2351 Com Des: Web Design Fundamentals (3 credits)
DSGN-2152 Exp Des III: Working w/ Complex Stories (3 credits)
DSGN-1253 Int & Arch III: Adv Topics in Int Spaces (3 credits)
Term 4
DSGN-2254 Portfolio (3 credits)
DSGN-2354 Work Experience (1 credit)
ENGL-1129 Modern Novel, Poetry, and Drama* (3 credits)
9 credits of:
DSGN-2451 Com Des: Print and Publications (3 credits)
DSGN-2251 Com Des IV: Branding and Marketing (3 credits)
DSGN-2256 Exp Des IV: Media and Technology (6 credits)
DSGN-2353 Int & Arch IV: Site and Context (3 credits)
*Elective courses may be taken any term. Other courses may be available to fulfill elective requirements.
Total Credits: 60
Full time and part-time options available.
What happens after graduation?
Entry level jobs in design fields.
Students often go directly into entry level jobs after graduation. Some of their job titles include:
Interior Designer
Graphic Designer
Senior Designer
Exhibit Designer
Marketing Coordinator
Apparel Designer
Distribution Drafter
UX/UI Designer
Freelance Designer
Brand Designer
Transferring and Continuing Studies.
Design Formation graduates often continue their education to earn degrees and professional credentials. Design Formation students have been accepted, transferred to, or graduated from this growing list of schools.
*Indicates programs with either block transfer or course-to-course transfer agreements.
Capilano University, IDEA School of Design
*Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication
Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Ian Gillespie Faculty of Design + Dynamic Media
Bachelor of Design, Communication Design Major
Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design Major
University of British Columbia, School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
*Bachelor of Design
Dalhousie University, Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences
Bachelor of Landscape Architecture
Kwantlen Polytechnic Wilson School of Design
*Bachelor of Design in Graphic Design for Marketing
Bachelor of Product Design
Bachelor of Interior Design
British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)
Bachelor of Interior Design
Bachelor of Architectural Science
Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD) Faculty of Design
Bachelor of Design, Industrial Design
Bachelor of Design, Graphic Design
Design Academy Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Bachelor of Industrial Design
Thompson Rivers University
Toronto Metropolitan University (Formerly Ryerson)
University of Alberta (Calgary)
London South Bank University
Design Academy Eindhoven (Netherlands)
How to apply?
Thank you for your interest in Design Formation.
To apply, you must first do 3 key steps.
Step 1
ATTEND AN INFORMATION SESSION
(if you have not already)
We require applicants to attend an Information Session via Zoom as part of the application process. This gives us a chance to describe our Program in detail as there can be many important factors to consider when choosing a school.
You can sign to hear about upcoming info sessions here:
Note: you do not have to apply to Langara to attend an info session. They are open to anyone who is interested.
Step 2
APPLY TO LANGARA
Once you have been to an info session and you decide that our program is for you, you will need to apply to Langara College. Everything you need to know is here:
If you would like to know how much it will cost, you can use the Cost of Study tool here:
Step 3
SCHEDULE AN ONLINE INTERVIEW/PORTFOLIO REVIEW
Instructions:
When you are ready, you will email us to organize a portfolio review. We will respond to your email with instructions on where and how to upload it. After submitting, you will receive instructions on how to schedule the interview with a member of the admissions committee.
Portfolio Requirements:
For the portfolio, you will submit 10 samples of creative work as one multi-page .pdf. The portfolio must include 10 samples, but you can include as many pages as you need to document process, images of 3D pieces or additional information about the piece. The file should be no larger than 20 MB. Links to websites are not accepted.
Portfolio Content:
The portfolio should contain:
3 or more hand drawn sketches by hand on paper. If possible, please include sketches of 3D objects or spaces drawn in perspective. If you keep a sketchbook, you may show pages from it. *These sketches do not have to be high quality renderings - we want to see that you can express ideas visually by hand.
Samples of any creative work. For 2D work, you may submit drawings, painting, graphic design, drafting, or any other creative work. For 3D work, you may submit photos of objects you’ve created as sculpture, jewelry, crafts, woodworking, sewing projects, digital 3D objects, or physical or virtual spaces you have designed.
Note that all photographs of projects should be high quality, not pixelated or blurred and adequately show the work.
Additional Work:
You have the option to submit up to 5 pieces of additional work as a separate submission. For additional work, you may submit .pdfs, .jpgs or .mp4 files. Additional work should not be larger than 10 MB/file.
Additional work may include:
Photography as serious compositional work.
Videos as standalone work or demonstration of process.
Images from sketchbooks or any other additional work.
Interviews:
The interviews are held via zoom and typically last about 30 minutes. You will be asked to talk about at least 2 of the projects in the portfolio in depth, including the concepts and techniques used. Think of this as “why did you make it?” and “how did you make it?”
APPLICATION DEADLINES
Applications for the Design Formation program are usually open from October 1 through May 30 for acceptance in the following September.
Applications periods are:
Early Admission: October 1 - January 31. This is recommended for international students requiring additional paperwork, such as visas or study permits.
Regular Admission: February 1 - May 30.
Late Admission: June 1 - July 15. Late admission is not recommended for any student who isn’t already approved to study in Canada. There is no guarantee that seats will be available and qualified applicants may be placed on a waiting list.
Testimonials
I’m a full-time designer working for a strategic brand design and placemaking agency in Vancouver (though I work fully remotely). Having completed the Design Formation diploma in 2018, I can say the experiences, skills and relationships gained through the program were integral to my development into a confident designer and establishing a fulfilling career.
Like many creative folks after high school, I was unsure how I could leverage my creativity into a career. The multidisciplinary nature of the program allowed me to explore a variety of practices where I could not only uncover what I was most passionate about, but armed me with a diverse skillset that I continue to draw from today in my current role, working on brand story-telling, web design, print design, signage, and design for 3D immersive spaces.
I think what sets apart Design Formation the most is the close-knit nature of the classes and the caliber of teachers. I never once felt like just another body in a classroom. The faculty were invested in mine and my classmates' success from the get-go, meeting us where we were but always pushing us to explore more, ask more questions, and evolve. Their guidance as well as the camaraderie of my peers made the biggest impact, and created a network of support once I graduated. And yes, we still keep in touch six years later! Thanks, DF!
Aly Mireu, Graphic Designer
Studying at Langara’s Design Formation program provided me with an all-encompassing skillset of the design field. Ultimately, the multidisciplinary Design Formation program helped me decide what field of design I wanted to pursue, before committing to a Bachelor program.
In Design Formation, I learned essential design elements & principles that provided me with an in-depth understanding of my practice which helped shape my design style.
One of the most useful skills that Design Formation provided me with was a robust understanding of the Adobe Creative Suite. Knowing how to use the relevant tools and software before starting my BDes in Industrial Design put me at an advantage in my courses at ECUAD, as I could focus my time and energy on creating strong design concepts, iteration, and execution of my projects while using the software to create high-level presentations that communicated my ideas clearly.
In my current role as a Fabrication Coordinator at the Museum of Vancouver, I am able to put my multidisciplinary design education and experience into practice, combining industrial design, exhibit design, interior design, visual merchandising, and communication design to create well-crafted exhibitions with design that showcase the art and design in a way that enhances the visitor experience.
Nicolas Cyr-Morton
Before attending Langara’s Design Formation program, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in design however, I was unsure of what area of design I would excel in. Design Formation’s multidisciplinary program allowed me to explore and develop a wide range of design skills while honing in on what interested me most. Over the two years that I spent in Design Formation, I developed many essential design skills and creative processes while building a focused portfolio that would help guide my studies at ECUAD.
As a result of the strong foundational skills and knowledge that Design Formation provided me with, I felt significantly more confident, prepared, and focused on elevating and refining my communication design skills at ECUAD.
In my current role as a Graphic Designer at Resonance Consultancy, I am able to combine the foundational interdisciplinary knowledge from Design Formation with my BDes in Communication Design from ECUAD. Despite the title “Graphic Designer,” the majority of my projects also incorporate elements of interior design, event design, and visual merchandising. I believe that my multidisciplinary education from Design Formation has made me a more well-rounded designer due to my in-depth understanding of other design disciplines, which enables me to collaborate well with design partners in other industries.
Kelsey McDonald
