Sessional Instructor: Graphic Design 2, Faculty of Design, Winter 2026-27

OCAD U International; Toronto; On-site; CAD 45,000 - 65,000; Part time

Job summary

OCAD University invites applications for a Sessional Instructor of Graphic Design 2 in the Faculty of Design for Winter 2026-27. The course runs Jan 11, 2027 – Apr 11, 2027, in-person, with Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Friday slots.

Applicants should have strong design research skills and be prepared to teach interactive, code-influenced design concepts. Responsibilities include course outline development, delivery of lectures and critiques, and providing timely feedback, while fostering an

Qualifications

• Demonstrated capacity for empathic, user-centered research across qualitative and quantitative methods.
• Experience with research ethics protocols and familiarity with REB procedures.
• Experience designing for diverse human capabilities, languages, cultures, and genders.

Responsibilities

• Teach and develop course outline, deliver lectures, conduct critiques, and handle grading and evaluations.
• Guide students through iterative, research-based design processes from user analysis to prototyping.
• Provide timely, constructive feedback and maintain an inclusive studio environment.

Skills

User-centered research

REB familiarity

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Job description

Sessional Instructor: Graphic Design 2, Faculty of Design, Winter 2026-27 Job Code 3905 Department Faculty of Design Employment Type Temporary/Contract

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestralterritories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work, and create.

OCAD University , Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design.

Itisanexciting time to join the OCAD U community as the University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles — driving positive impact; decolonization, indigenization and equity; environmental sustainability; emerging as a vibrant hub; student centered approaches; innovation in learning teaching and research; and financial stewardship.

The Faculty of Design invites applications for the following anticipated course offering in the Winter 2026-27 academic year:

GRPH-2010: Graphic Design 2 (1 credit)

(Winter Semester: January 11th, 2027 – April 11th, 2027, Mondays & Wednesdays 8:30-11:30am and/or Tuesdays & Fridays 11:50-2:50pm; In-Person)

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

Graphic Design 2 enhances forms of making that engage with interaction, screens, code, and algorithm. Interactive forms of meaning‑making are explored through defamiliarizing existing tools inside familiar formats, expanding notions of algorithm and parametrics into the realm of code, and explore the potential of database aesthetics. Refinement of design processes through research, making, and research-through-making are used to respond to multifaceted contexts of contemporary digital landscapes. Re‑examination, re‑deployment, and critical engagement with design processes and formats‑working across intended purpose‑expand creative potential and the nature of toolsets. Competences in coding fundamentals and interaction design practices are refracted through the lens of art‑historical and contemporary media theory.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Teaching and teaching‑related responsibilities may include but are not limited to: course outline development, studio preparation and delivery inclusive of lectures, critiques, grading, mid‑term evaluations and final evaluations/reviews; guiding students through iterative, research‑based design processes from user analysis through prototyping; providing timely and constructive feedback on studio work; and maintaining an accessible and inclusive studio environment. Responsibilities may also include drafting or modifying a course‑based Research Ethics Board (REB) application as needed to support student research activities. Responsibility for health & safety and meeting academic and curricular requirements and deadlines is also expected.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Note: Human Centered Design, as approached in this course, draws on inductive research methods adapted from the social sciences (e.g., observation, interviewing, and other empathic techniques), alongside participatory approaches such as co‑design, but remains oriented toward a design outcome. Candidates should be able to translate research insight into the design of products, services, systems, or interfaces, not only to conduct research.

• A demonstrated capacity for empathic, user-centered research, including engagement with users and design partners, in support of design research and design as research, in both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise with research ethics protocols, including familiarity with institutional Research Ethics Board (REB) procedures and requirements.
• Experience designing for the full range of human diversity, including ability, language, culture, gender, and