New Media Design

Every day, millions of people engage in interactive digital experiences, from smartphones and smart TVs, to tablets, wearables, gaming systems, and more. In the new media design degree, you'll explore dynamic aspects of digital design–visual design, user experience design, interaction, motion graphics, and technology–that give you the skills you need to create captivating, interactive media.

What is New Media?

New media is an ever-changing form of digital communication that engages, immerses, and entertains its users.

The term new media was first coined in the mid-80s to refer to the impact computing was beginning to have on traditional forms of media, such as newspapers, radio, and television. But as digital platforms began to evolve beyond the internet, new media came to encompass all types of information and entertainment accessed by our computers, phones, and tablets. New media now encompasses anything that integrates communication, computing, and technology – from social media (Facebook, Instagram) and streaming services (Spotify, Hulu, Amazon Prime), to highly interactive digital technologies like wearables (Apple Watch, FitBit), virtual reality, augmented reality, and gaming.

RIT's New Media Design Degree

In the new media design degree, your course work will help you build the skills you need to design for interactive media. These courses include visual design foundations, 2D and 4D design, animation, information design, user interface design, user experience design, 3D modeling, motion graphics, web and multimedia technologies, usability research, and programming. You'll gain the skills needed to design cutting-edge interactive solutions from mobile apps to fully immersive digital environments.

Design for interactive media requires collaboration with programmers skilled in interactive design. As a new media design student, you'll benefit from close collaboration with students in RIT's new media interactive development major, which focuses heavily on programming and interactive development. Courses in this major address the computing and programming side of new media design, with classes covering topics in mobile development and alternative interfaces, website design and implementation, physical/wearable computing, game design, game development, design and media production, interactive audio, and more. Both programs share core courses in programming and design, enabling students in both majors to develop the complementary skill sets needed for success in the industry.

Your senior year concludes with New Media Design Capstone I and II, a two-course, two-semester capstone project in which you'll team up with students from the new media interactive development major to work on a project for a corporate client looking for a solution to a digital challenge their organization faces. You'll gain the teamwork experience needed as you learn to develop, navigate, and leverage the designer-programmer-client relationship. With many courses both project- and team-based, you'll build a robust portfolio of interactive projects, positioning you well to showcase your skills, capabilities, and knowledge to prospective employers upon graduation. View samples of new media team projects to see what our teams have created.

Careers in Digital Media

Digital media is everywhere and we interact with it daily, on phones and tablets, on wearables, and in gaming. As a result, careers in digital media, new media design, and design for interactive media are booming. With a new media design degree, you will graduate with the skills and the experience to launch a career in visualization design, interactive design, and user experience design for digital advertising, marketing, social media, mobile app development, web applications, entertainment and gaming, and corporate design.

You'll also be well-positioned to utilize your skills in video and audio production, game design, 4D design, television streaming and broadcasting, interactive website design, graphic design, illustration, and more.

Connect with New Media Professionals

The School of Design maintains memberships in a variety of professional organizations that foster a community of design, new media, interactive design, and digital design professionals, including Industrial Designers Society of America, ACM Siggraph, Society of Environmental Graphic Designers, American Society of Interior Designers, American Institute of Architects, ICOGRADA, American Institute of Graphic Arts, and International Interior Design Association.

Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees

Today's careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT's Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

+1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor's degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.

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