About the department
The Department of Design and Art Theory carries out academic, methodological, research, educational work and ensures completeion and defense of graduation theses (projects) in the field of Art aimed at training specialists in Design. It is one of the largest departments not only in the Institute of Arts, but also in the University. There are several important milestones in the establishment and development of the Department:
1998 saw the first enrollment of students in the Art and Graphic Arts Department to train specialists in Art: 0202, 6.020200 – Bachelor, Specialist, Master of Arts degree qualifying as a designer, a teacher.
In 1999, the Department of Fine and Decorative Arts was reorganized into the Department of Art and Design, which was headed for ten years by Stanislav Shumeha, Candidate (PhD) of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor, Honored Teacher of Ukraine.
In 2005, the Department of Fine Arts and Design was divided into two separate departments: Department of Design and Department of Fine Arts.
In 2009, the Department of Design was integrated with the Department of Art Theory and History. It was headed by Mykhailo Stankevych, Doctor of Art History, Professor, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine. Since 2017, the Department has been headed by Doctor of Art History, Professor Oleg Chuyko.
The Department of Design and Art Theory has accredited programs for the first (Bachelor’s), second (Master’s) and third (PhD) degrees of higher education. Master’s graduates can pursue academic work in research institutions, work on a variety of projects in design studios, and work in secondary and higher education institutions.
Teaching and learning activities at the Department are provided by 2 Doctors of Science, 3 Professors, 14 Candidates (PhDs) of Science, 12 Associate Professors, 3 Senior Lecturers, 3 Lecturers.
The teaching and learning activities at the department are carried out according to three curricula: Graphic Design, Environment Design, and Fashion Design. They reflect different types and sculptural means of design activity, applied in the modern social and cultural environment and characterized by the following features: visualization of the information environment, globalization of communication networks, creation of a system of influential factors for shaping the worldview, artistic taste, interests, needs, aesthetic preferences of a person. Therefore, developing creative abilities of students, their non-standard thinking, building a high intellectual and moral culture are an important driver of professional growth of a present-day designer. Design-specialists can work as designers, art directors, artists, visualizers, decorators, art critics and art experts.
FIRST (BACHELOR) LEVEL OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Graphic Design Curriculum
Graphic design is a challenging area of the Department for training design artists in the field of printing, visual design, advertising, web design, multimedia products. In the process of training, students learn a number of specialized disciplines that provide skills in the field of visual communication. Moreover, this qualification includes training in corporate identity design, trademarks, packaging design, book design, advertising and social posters. The acquired knowledge can be applied in advertising agencies, editorial offices, printing companies and multimedia communication enterprises.
Major Courses
History and Theory of Art and Graphic Design, Drawing and Painting, Fonts, Typography, Company and Corporate Design, Material Science and Technology of Publishing and Printing, Computer Technology in Graphic Design, Multipage Publication Design, Photography and Photographic Art, Book Design and Illustration, Visual Communication, Video Advertising, Video Editing, Machine Graphics, Industrial Graphics, Graphic Techniques and Materials, Poster and Flier, 3D Design, Web Design, Outdoor Advertising Design, Packaging Design, Animation Post Design, Vector Graphics, Integrated Brand Development.
Practical Training
In accordance with the curriculum, students pursue educational practices and internships in design studios, advertising agencies, printing companies, web-design studios, photo studios, enterprises working in the field of information and telecommunications, institutions of culture and art, multimedia laboratories of the University. With the aim of acquiring practical experience, students attend master classes, meetings with employers, visit exhibition centers, presentations, as well as institutions and companies working in the field of design. During their study, students are involved in implementing real-life design orders, present their works at exhibitions, international and national Ukrainian competitions and Olympiads.
Photos of graduation projects
Creative Laboratory Our Cyrillic
It was launched in 2010 for comprehensive study of calligraphy as one of language visualization aspects. The Laboratory is headed by Associate Professor Nadiia Babii, PhD in Art History. Academic staff: Professor Bohdan Hubal, Honored Artist of Ukraine; Professor Iryna Dundiak, Doctor of Art History; Associate Professor Lesia Semchuk, PhD in Art History.
The main goal is to bring together the experience of teachers and talented students, to promote aesthetic education of creative young people by studying the history of Ukrainian writing system, preserving and promoting national handwriting, preparing creative works to participate in international and national Ukrainian competitions, exhibition activities, holding calligraphy master classes, lectures.
Students’ works demonstrate present-day views on the use of historic handwriting and show how exquisite and up-to-date handwriting can be. Finding opportunities to visually capture language as a symbolic and acoustic phenomenon has become one of the activities. Apart from handwritten scripts, they study drawn, printed fonts, photographic fonts, other technological ways of reconstruction and transformation of font graphics, author’s printing, duplication, font design.
A number of group exhibitions of Graphic Design specialization represents creative activity of the laboratory and received considerable publicity in the press: 2010 (Ivano-Frankivsk Art Museum), 2013 (Gallery E). Participants of the exhibition New Generation, Inspired by Images and Letters (2015, Precarpathian Art Museum) demonstrated the works dealing with the development of corporate styles, book design, font, typography, industrial graphics.
In 2017, specialized exhibitions were initiated: Our Cyrillic 2017 (Bastion Art Gallery), 2019 (Exhibition Hall of Ivano-Frankivsk Children’s Art School), accompanied by open discussions, multimedia lectures, master classes. The two-week project School of Cyrillic in collaboration with the Art Literature Department of Ivan Franko Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Universal Scientific Library was the first long marathon event in Ivano-Frankivsk that so widely promoted the national writing system. Bohdan Hubal and Iryna Dundiak delivered author’s lectures. Interactive classes on Font and Typography were held at schools, libraries, and open public spaces: Literature departments in foreign languages (2019), master classes in Cyrillic calligraphy for the city community in the Art Literature Department of Ivan Franko Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Universal Scientific Library (2018), for art school students «Well, what the words would seem» in Ivano-Frankivsk Children’s Art School, 2019).
The Creative Laboratory Our Cyrillic is an annual participant of Volodymyr-Volynskyi Summer Art School supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of State, American Councils for International Education and Future Leaders Exchange Program (FLEX) – 2017-2020. International projects include students’ participation in the International Font and Calligraphy Competition Pangram-2016 in May, June 2016 (Certificates in the Accidental Font, Font Poster nominations), reaching the finals in the Pangram-2019 competition in the Font Poster nomination.
The Creative Laboratory studies the varieties of the uncial writing of Galician Gospel of 1144 (based on facsimile edition from the Scientific Library of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University).
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Environment Design Curriculum
Environment Design involves training specialists in the design of residential and public interiors with the use of author’s furniture and equipment; as well as designing exhibition and museum displays; landscape design; designing small architectural forms and advertising in urban environment. Students acquire knowledge and practical skills in the process of studying courses of art and specialized subjects. Training of specialists in the field of Environment Design includes involving students in real-life objects design. Tasks performed during studies gradually become more complicated and are culminated in a graduation project.
Major Courses
History and Theory of Art and Environment Design, Drawing and Painting, Composition in Environment Design, Design Graphics and Modeling, Material Science, Designing Residential Premises, Designing Public Premises, Computer Technologies in Environment Design, Engineering Graphics, Furniture Design, Design of Small Architectural Forms, Environmental Design, Landscape Design, Design and Construction Technologies, Lighting, Interior Communication Systems, Exhibition Design.
Practical Training
In accordance with the curriculum, students pursue educational practices and internships in design studios, design engineering bureaus, creative studios, institutions of culture and art, multimedia laboratories of the University. With the aim of acquiring practical experience, students attend master classes, meetings with employers, visit exhibition centers, presentations, as well as institutions and companies working in the field of design. During their study, students are involved in implementing real-life design orders, present their works at exhibitions, international and national Ukrainian competitions and Olympiads.
Photos of graduation projects
Student Design Workshop 200 DVA
The Department of Design and Art Theory hosts the Student Design Workshop 200 DVA, where students can work on the development of real-life projects during internships and as part of certain academic subjects. The Student Workshop is based on joint creative work of leading teachers, practicing specialists and graduates of the department on the tasks important for the social, economic and cultural life of the University and the region. This form of work contributes to the development of future designers’ necessary professional competencies and soft skills for successful professional activities and their getting acquainted with current trends in design development in the region, and encourages students to analyze the needs of the market. Furthermore, the Student Design Workshop helps students to generate comprehensive aesthetic, technological and ecological ideas, to adapt and socialize in professional sphere, to demonstrate their personal identity, to interest employers in their creative work.
The creative work of the Student Design Workshop 200 DVA includes design projects and accomplished objects of architectural environment, conceptual solutions of public space interiors, landscape and park designs, designs of urban and suburban landscaping ensembles.
Relevant works include:
– Draft design offer of a comprehensive architectural and landscape solution for the Franciszek Springs Vacation Center in the territory of the Ancient Halych National Reserve in the village of Krylos Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, 2017. Designers: students Ruslan Burchak, Liudmyla Shkolna; teachers Oleg Chuyko, Vasyl Khomyn.
– Draft design offer for the comprehensive arrangement of the University administrative building, 2018. Designers: students Ruslan Burchak, Liudmyla Shkolna; teachers Oleg Chuyko, Vasyl Khomyn.
– Draft design offer for the arrangement of 200 DVA communicative artistic space, 2019. Designers: student Ruslan Burchak; teachers Oleg Chuyko, Vasyl Khomyn.
– Coloristic solution of the facades of the academic buildings of the Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, 2019-2020. Designers: students Pavlo Pranychuk, Vasyl Honchar; teacher Vasyl Salabai.
– Designing television studio of the Galychyna regional television, 2014 and the studio of Myroslav Boichuk, 2020. Designers: students Nadiia Babiiv, Marian Kondrat; teacher Vasyl Khomyn.
– Designing interiors of the PNU Science Park, 2018. Supervisor: Professor Bohdan Hubal.
– Visualizing the exposition of the Rusiv Memorial and Literary Museum of Vasyl Stefanyk, 2021. Designers: student Roman Petriv, supervisor Professor Bohdan Hubal.
One of the important areas of work of the Student Design Workshop 200 DVA is participation in various environmental projects, in particular, a significant collaboration with the Re:space Experimental Educational Space, located in the Promprylad.Renovation Innovative Center. The importance of caring for the environment of the Carpathian region is brought up to date by promoting the issue of conscious consumption, sustainability and recycling of household waste (plastic, paper, glass, textiles). Re:space Educational Space (co-founded by Iryna Maksymliuk, teacher of the Department of Design and Art Theory) has become a platform for environmentally conscious people and combined a sorting station, a research and creative recycling laboratory, a venue for environmental events and master classes.
Within the Experimental Educational Space students can use equipment for recycling plastic (based on the PreciousPlastic technology of Dutch designer Dave Hakkens), textiles, glass, paper, thus, enabling implementation of design projects with minimal impact on the environment, avoiding the use of expensive raw materials.
The space event venue periodically hosts lectures, excursions, and workshops related to environmental pollution and plastic recycling, attended by students of Design under the supervision of lecturer Vita Lototska.
One of the large-scale environmental projects implemented by the Re:Space team together with students and faculty of the Department is creating an urban garden on the roof of the Promprylad.Renovation Innovative Center (600 square meters) based on the principle of circular economy, which will reduce the negative impact of humans on the environment. Besides, the project of the urban garden provides a space with free access for students, which will be used for educational needs (Project of the Urban Garden on the Roof of the Promprylad.Renovation Innovative Center (URBAN green GARDEN)). Designers: student Iryna Dzyndra; teacher Vita Lototska.
To promote Environment Design, teachers of the Department of Design and Art Theory cover environmental trends in modern landscape design, as well as issues of environmental friendliness in interior design, environmental trends in fashion design, recycling of plastic and its application in modern design by holding webinars, lectures and master classes.
The interest of students in Environment Design can be seen in the themes of conference presentations, research papers and undergraduate and graduate projects, such as Biodesign Ideas in Foreign Artistic Practice of the Late Twentieth – Early Twenty-First Century by student Iryna Dzyndra, research adviser Vita Lototska; Recycling Ideas in Object Design by student Mariana Kablak, research adviser Vita Lototska; Eco-Design of Public Spaces in the Architecture of Ivano-Frankivsk in the Late Twentieth – Early Twenty-First Century by student Vitalina Maidanska, research adviser Khrystyna Nahorniak; Use of Recycled Materials in the Design of Contemporary Dwelling Interior by student Tetiana Zeman, research adviser Iryna Chmelyk; Environmental Considerations in Design Culture and Fashion Industry by student Natalia Malinovska, research adviser Oksana Beilakh; Current Trends of Environmental Design in Designing Public Spaces on the Example of Ivano-Frankivsk by student Oksana Voloshenko, research adviser Nadiia Babii; Designing a Series of Posters with Eco-Friendly Content by student Andrii Shchypka, research adviser Uliana Melnyk; Environment Design of Eco-Cottages in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in the Late Twentieth – Early Twenty-First Century by student Iryna Shcherbyn, research adviser Oksana Beilakh; Eco-Design Ideas in the Interiors of Tourist Centers in the Carpathian Region of the Twenty-First Century by student Nadiia Ponypoliak, research adviser Lesia Semchuk; Interior Design of Avokado Eco-Cafe by student Viktoria Danyliuk, research adviser Uliana Melnyk.
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Fashion Design Curriculum
Fashion design involves students acquiring professional skills in costume making starting with the development of a professional sketch-idea to its actual implementation in the material. Fashion designers-to-be learn the history of costumes, the history and theory of fashion, as well as clothing design and modeling. They learn peculiarities of design and technology of manufacturing wide assortment clothes, designing individual models for different purposes, and get acquainted with the finishing techniques. Students can also pursue a career as designers of accessories and headwear. Along with their work in educational workshops, students who have chosen this major have practice at specialized enterprises of the city, take part in designer clothing shows at various art events, festivals and contests.
Major Courses
History and Theory of Art and Costume Design, Drawing and Painting, Computer Technology in Costume Design, Costume Composition, Fashion Design, Children’s Fashion Design, Stage Costume Design, Designing, Modeling and Styling, Costume Finishing, Decoration and Ornamentation, Special Drawing, Special Painting, Design and Technology of Stage Costume, Design and Technology of Outerwear, Design and Technology of Menswear, Designing Outerwear, Design and Technology of Children’s Wear, Designing Menswear, Designing Children’s Wear, Clothing Decoration, Designing Accessories and Headwear, Textile Design, Fabric Decoration, Magazine Graphics and Advertising, Photography and Photographic Art, Visual Marketing Communications in Fashion Design, Visualization in the Fashion Industry, Design and Technology of Knitwear, Design and Technology of Industrial Apparel Patterns, Designing Knitwear, Designing Industrial Apparel Patterns, Designing Workwear, Designing Branded Garments, Workwear Design, Brand Apparel Design, Felting, Technology of Hand-Knitted Clothing, Nunofelting, Designing Leather Garments.
Practical Training
In accordance with the curriculum, students pursue educational practices and internships in design studios, garment enterprises, tailors’ shops, fashion houses, creative studios, institutions of culture and art, multimedia laboratories of the University. With the aim of acquiring practical experience, students attend master classes, meetings with employers, visit exhibition centers, presentations, as well as institutions and companies working in the field of design. During their study, students are involved in implementing real-life design orders, present their works at exhibitions, international and national Ukrainian competitions and Olympiads.
Photos of graduation projects
Creative Student Formation MODSGRUP
In 2015, a Creative Student Formation MODSgrup was launched on the basis of the Institute of Arts of Vasyl Stefanyk PNU, curated by Oksana Beilakh and Svitlana Povshyk, to support talented youth and promote the Carpathian school of fashion design, especially gifted students. Its activity is aimed at developing abilities and skills of talented young people to professionally address theoretical and practical challenges of different spheres of design.
When working on this project, the group curators focus on developing the students’ ideas of the national costume as a historical and cultural phenomenon, as a phenomenon of spiritual and material culture of the nation; thorough studying of the regional features of the Ukrainian national costume; developing their special skills and abilities in making sketches of modern costumes based on the national costume.
In practice, implementation of the goals set consists in preparing students of Design for international and national Ukrainian creative competitions and Olympiads.
Collections made by these students are a well known trend of the Kraika Festival, they regularly receive favorable reviews and positively influence the development of high aesthetic level of light industry products in the region and beyond. Students of the Department have won numerous awards in various contests and festivals.
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SECOND (MASTER) LEVEL OF HIGHER EDUCATION
Design Curriculum
The main goals of the curriculum are to train professionals capable of solving sophisticated specialized challenges and practical issues in the field of design, comprehensive in their nature and involving application of academic theories and methods of design. Emphasis is placed on acquiring professional competencies in the field of environment design, including the ability to solve difficult challenges and practical issues, the willingness to articulate, visualize, argue and implement the author’s idea in the project creation at all stages of design processes. The training of specialists focuses on recreational and tourist features of the region, requiring knowledge of national traditions of art, architecture and folk art crafts, as well as the ability to interpret them in design solutions. The curriculum peculiarity consists in studying academic subjects, which ensure the development of relevant competencies meeting modern requirements of planning and design.
Major Courses
Design Management, Theories and Concepts of Design, Historiography of Art, Conceptual Design, Space Planning and Interior Design, Furniture Design, Textiles in Interior, Psychology of Visual Perception, Theory of Artistic Culture and Art, Psychology of Advertising and Marketing, Specialized Drawing, Specialized Painting, Sacred Environment Design, Criticism of Design Works, Landscape Design, Exhibition and Museum Exposition Design.
Practical Training
Under the curriculum, Master’s students undertake an internship and research practice, resulting in developing practical design skills, the ability to apply research methodology in design and use these skills in their future professional activities. Degree students take part in large-scale projects of the University (Science Park, Observatory, Energy Efficiency and Environmental Programs of the University, International Meeting Center for Students of Ukraine and the Republic of Poland). An important aspect of designers’ training is their readiness for professional self-actualization, interaction with colleagues in a mono- or multidisciplinary team, self-presentation, and establishing effective communication with the customer.
Many Master’s students have won international and national Ukrainian competitions and Olympiads, namely: Khrystyna Kot – winner of the International Competition of Young Designers Ukraine in Blossom 2018, (2018); Tsitsiura Tetiana – scholarship holder of the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies (Warsaw, Republic of Poland, 2018); Anzhela Urda – winner of the National Ukrainian Olympiad on Computer Game Development, (Odesa, 2019); Oksana Soroka – winner of the National Ukrainian Competition of Student Research Papers (Stage 3) (Kharkiv, 2016).
Research School
The Department hosts a Student Research School, aimed at interesting Master’s students in research activities, developing the necessary basis for revealing their scientific potential. The School’s work includes arranging scientific conferences, seminars, forums, drafting academic papers, selecting papers for competitions, Olympiads, assisting in the study of regional specifics of professional, folk art and design. Scientific research is conducted under supervision of experienced scientists: Associate Professors, PhDs in Art History Lidiia Khomiak, Iryna Chmelyk, Nadiia Babii, Lesia Semchuk, Khrystyna Nahorniak, Anna Makohin, and lecturers, PhDs in Art History Vita Lototska, Iryna Maksymliuk.
The School’s work focuses on the following main areas:
-studying the history and theory of visual arts and design of the twentieth – early twenty-first century, the influence of regional factors on culture, art and design;
-studying current trends in design activities of the social sphere;
-analyzing the influence of environmental factors on the latest findings in design projecting;
-conservation, protection, restoration and reconstruction of monuments of the Pre-Carpathian region, their promotion;
-studying the specificity of planning and design for the tourism industry in the Carpathian region;
-exploring contemporary art practices, opportunities and prospects of exposition and museum sphere in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast;
-studying the work of artists and designers of the Pre-Carpathian region.