Examining the design education climate of Los Angeles results in finding a broken art education system and misconceived notions about graphic design. The struggle to implement design education into the lives of high school students leads to some students who have access to art classes with an emphasis on technical digital art and some students who have never taken an art or design class. This project is the work of bringing design education to students in the Los Angeles area. This design curriculum was created to promote creative process, problem solving, play and experimentation, and a deeper understanding of the use of graphic design as a communication tool. This curriculum was implemented at the High School Institutes at Inner-City Arts, a nonprofit that provides free arts education to thousands of youth in Los Angeles.