Sessional Instructor: Idea Behind Art Direction, Faculty of Design, Fall

Sessional Instructor:
The Idea Behind Art Direction, Faculty of Design, Fall 2026-27

Job Code 3837 Department Faculty of Design

Employment Type
Temporary/Contract

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories 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 offerings in the Fall 2026-27 academic year :

ADVR-1005: THE IDEA BEHIND ART DIRECTION (0.5 credit)
(Fall Semester: September 9th, 2026 - December 8th, 2026, Wednesdays 8:30-11:30am and Thursdays 3:10-6:10pm; In-Person)

COURSE

DESCRIPTION:

A variety of essential techniques and creative strategies to develop and sustain a practice of art direction for advertising are discussed and applied. Individual style and voice is cultivated through practices that introduce the elements and principles of colour, drawing, materiality, photography, and typography. Theory is reinforced through assignments requiring the prospective practitioner to observe, make, and reflect, as they come to know design processes of empathy-building, exploration, experimentation, and iteration as essential in the conceptualization and realization of reciprocal communication with diverse audiences across a range of media.

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: The successful applicant should have a Bachelor's degree in advertising, graphic design or relevant discipline and/or equivalent professional/practical experience. Outstanding communication skills, and a demonstrated capacity to support and resource independent studio investigations are essential to teaching at this level. A demonstrated commitment to the principles of equity and diversity, and proven ability to work effectively and collegially with a diverse population of students & faculty underpin all academic positions at OCADU.

• A current body of work within Advertising or the professional creative field (as it relates to advertising) and/or academic disciplines as it relates to the course description(s).
• Experience with, and aptitude for, highly iterative, process-oriented work without the restriction of fixed outcomes or expectations.
• An asset: two (2) years of teaching experience at the undergraduate level in a related Design discipline.
• Demonstrated leadership and experience in promoting a respectful and inclusive work and learning environment for students, staff, and Faculty.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: Sessional appointments are fixed-term annual contracts. Sessional compensation includes a per-course pay scale with salary level of $7,508.00 (per 0.5 credit course) plus 7% in lieu of benefits and vacation pay, per the provisions of the Employment Standards Act. These positions are subject to budgetary approval and satisfactory enrolment levels.

Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada for any employer (with a valid work or study permit, SIN and Canadian bank account).

As an institution committed to art, design, digital media and related scholarship, OCAD University (OCAD U) recognizes the profound and essential value that diversity brings to the creation, reception and circulation of creative…