Software & Course Manuals
You will need access to the appropriate software for the courses you are taking. There are only a couple of courses that require manuals, as listed below; all other course resources (with the exception of software) are included in the online classroom.
Required Software
If you are planning on completing the entire program, you will need to have access to the CS5, CS5.5, or CS6 versions of Adobe InDesign®, Adobe Photoshop®, Adobe Illustrator®, Adobe Dreamweaver®, and Adobe Acrobat® (Adobe Acrobat® 9 or Adobe Acrobat® X Professional).
We normally recommend that if you are taking more than 2 courses in the program, you purchase Adobe Creative Suite Design & Web Premium, since it includes all the software you need for all the courses in this program. Adobe now offers subscription plans (from $29.99 USD/month--student price--based on a one-year commitment) for Creative Suite software, including InDesign, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, and Illustrator, and Acrobat.
If you are only taking 1 or 2 courses in the program, you will need to have access to the CS5, CS5.5, or CS6 version of the software for the specific course(s) you are taking. See the list of Adobe Student & Teacher Edition software. Adobe now offers subscription plans (from $19.99 USD/month--student price--based on a one-year commitment) for individual Creative Suite software, including InDesign, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Acrobat.
Although the Design Concepts course does NOT require specific software, we DO recommend that students have access to MS Publisher, Adobe InDesign, QuarkxPress®, or the open-source desktop-publishing program Scribus®
As a student in a course at Vancouver Island University, you are eligible for student prices on software related to your course(s). See student pricing on software.
It is possible to begin the program with 30-day trial versions of the software, available as a DVD or individual downloads from http://www.adobe.com/products/creativesuite/design/trial/ (search the Adobe site for individual trial downloads, if you prefer). However, you will want to purchase the software at some point, since it is required for completion of your assignments beyond the 30-day trial period. You also need all the program software in order to complete the Portfolio Prep course. Adobe Creative Suite Design & Web Premium contains all the software you will need for this program, or you can purchase the individual software package(s) for the specific course(s) you are taking.
You also need to be aware of the computer and system requirements.
Required Manuals
Most course-related resources are included in the online classroom, with the exception of software (as listed above) and the manuals listed below.
Manuals listed below are also available in a print edition - from the Vancouver Island University Bookstore (email bookstore@viu.ca & allow 4-6 weeks for delivery), Amazon.ca, Chapters.indigo.ca, or your local bookseller.
Design Concepts: "The Non-Designer's Design Book" (Third Edition). Robin Williams (Peachpit Press). Print ISBN-10 #0321534042; Print ISBN-13 #978-0321534040; Ebook ISBN-13 #978-0321563071 OR ISBN-13 #978-0132103923 Available from http://safari.peachpit.com, www.amazon.ca or www.chapters.indigo.ca.Click here for information on software for this course.
Adobe InDesign: There is no manual required for this course. Click here for information on software for this course.
Adobe Dreamweaver: There is no manual required for this course. Click here for information on software for this course.
Adobe Photoshop: There is no manual required for this course. Click here for information on software for this course.
Adobe Illustrator: There is no manual required for this course. Click here for information on software for this course.
Adobe Acrobat: There is no manual required for this course. Click here for information on software for this course.
Portfolio Prep: "The Web Portfolio Guide: Creating Electronic Portfolios for the Web", Miles Kimball, Longman Press, ISBN# 0321093453; ISBN-13 #978-0321093455. Available from www.amazon.ca or www.chapters.indigo.ca.Click here for information on software for this course.