DSGN 216 Business for Creative Professionals

4 credits

This course provides an overview of the decisions and tasks involved in setting up and working in the creative industry. Students will gain an understanding of the pros and cons of entrepreneurship, employment, and business opportunities. The course will address different business structures, licensing, taxes, contracts, proposals, business plans, marketing plans, social media, networking, pro-bono work, and portfolios. Students should take this course in their first year.

Prerequisites: ABED 40 or AHSE 56 (or placement into MATH 87 or AHSE 66 or higher) and ABED 46 (or placement into ENGL 93 or higher)

Corequisites: DSGN 290

Course Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Describe the differences between a freelance creative professional, a small partnership, a full-time employee, or a contractor
Describe the steps and legal requirements involved with starting a new creative business, as well as the pros and cons of entrepreneurship and different business structures
Create and evaluate business contracts, project proposals, and business and marketing plans
Identify common business support services such as legal, financial, accounting, and insurance
Analyze market trends to identify where opportunities have historically existed, and where new opportunities may be found
Leverage social media to create contacts, and pursue the next steps in building a professional industry network

College-Wide Learning Outcomes
This course teaches to the college-wide learning outcome of Information Literacy, the ability to recognize when information is needed, to choose the appropriate tools to locate the required information, and to effectively gather and evaluate the information.

Total Hours: 60 Theory (Lecture) Hours: 20 Guided Practice (Lab or Clinical) Hours: 40