Graphic Branding and Identity

Content

Getting to grips with the principles and practice of branding, visual identity and graphic design.

Look around you and you will see examples of the power of brands - on the High Street, within organisations and in the media. From Coca Cola to Virgin, the most successful brands are worth billions.

This MA course focuses on the role of visual identity within branding. The aim is to produce versatile and creative practitioners who understand design within a business, social and cultural context.

It addresses the subject from a broad perspective, covering individual, group, cultural, national, international, corporate and commercial identities. You will be encouraged to look critically at the graphic elements which make up a contemporary visual identity. The emphasis is on practical design, supported by theoretical components and the application of clear research methodologies. As well as developing a deeper understanding of branding and graphic design, you will learn about marketing and advertising as well. An important part of the course involves developing an independent personal project that investigates these principles and their application.

Learning at this level will be about research, intellectual engagement, discovery, interaction and change. The final product for us is not in itself the goal - it is the research, exploration, evaluation and intellectual understanding of branding and identity that makes this MA distinctive.

Structure

The course is divided into three phases, with Phases 1 & 2 spanning the first half of the year. There are three large projects plus a series of smaller workshops and electives. These projects revisit and develop your understanding of fundamental design principles related to graphic design, branding and identity. You will explore multi-disciplinary perspectives and design methodologies utilising theoretical and historical contexts for your work. This will be supported by a visiting lecture programme from key practitioners, and workshops in areas such as letterpress, printmaking and photography, together with visits to museums, galleries and design studios.

Phase 1

• Design Literacy
• Contemporary Branding Discourse
• Research Methods

Phase 2

• Rhetoric of Branding and Identity
• Research Methods
• A choice of two electives

Phase 3

• Major project: Practical + Report
• Major project: Thesis

Project cover a wide range of subjects, from professionally-based "real world" problem-solving to more exploratory and conceptual approaches to design.

Dedication

45 weeks, full-time.