Graphic Design

Over a number of years the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course has proved phenomenally successful, predicated on the value of creative ideas and covering areas such as corporate identity, branding, publishing, packaging and editorial design.

Former students hold positions in many of the leading design groups in the industry; our graduates find their NUCA credentials very attractive to potential employers.

The fundamental cornerstone of the course is the development of ideas. We believe that it is this that maintains our reputation as one of the leading Higher Education providers in the country. A distinctive feature of the course is the Level One programme, in which students study Graphic Design alongside related courses before confirming their specialism during their first year.

The BA (Hons) Graphic Design course is structured around two main avenues of study. Firstly students engage in the acquisition of essential practical skills through workshop based projects.

Alongside this, contextual studies tuition and business and professional skills aim to develop theoretical, intellectual and applied competence to support creative decision making and practice.

Both elements are considered to be integral and to share common concerns. Through study in both areas students build up a considered, wellformed context to their individual interests and creative development.

Level One

Your course begins with an introduction to Graphic Design working alongside students from other design disciplines. The breadth of this experience will provide you with a unique understanding of the disciplines that orbit your own.

This general period of study rates highly with students and is central to the successes of the course as a whole. You will develop an awareness of graphic design and design for publishing that will enable you to make an informed choice regarding the development of your work.

Level Two

Having confirmed your commitment to Graphic Design, Level Two focuses on the provision of the skills and ways of thinking that are required to excel in this area.

The work is largely hands-on and project based. You may be working with students from other courses in a creative partnership. Alternatively you may be trying your hand on a brief from a demanding real world client or perhaps enjoying an assignment in a commercial graphic design studio or publishing house.

For those students who wish to develop their studies into the specialist area of design for publishing the course enables an exploration of the interrelated fields of typography, layout, pagination and formatting. The course also instills the need for scrupulous attention to detail.

Effective graphic design and publishing techniques are developed for magazines, newspapers, books, leaflets, brochures, catalogues and the web. This specialist avenue within the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course demands that students’ creativity is informed by the editorial content of the communication they are designing for. Legibility must also be considered to ensure that the interaction between publisher and audience is successful.

Companies who have offered our students placements include Carter Wong, hat-trick design, Turner Duckworth, The Partners, Design Bridge, Smith & Milton, Identica, Coley Porter Bell and Pearlfisher.

Level Three

Level Three starts with you undertaking a Research Report into a topic that really captures your graphic imagination. You will then focus on finalising your development into becoming an industry-ready graduate, being able to communicate your ideas to clients and others effectively.

You will be involved in steering the direction and content of your studies to ensure your full potential is realised. To prepare you further for a career in the creative industries you will further develop your business and professional skills.

What Makes Us Special

In recent years students have found employment in major design studios and publishing houses including: Carter Wong, The Partners, Design Bridge, Smith & Milton, Identica, Pearlfisher, Williams Murray Hamm, hattrick design, Brandhouse, Dew Gibbons, Coley Porter Bell, Turner Duckworth, Blue Marlin, Ziggurat, BrandMe, John Brown Publishing, Haymarket Publishing, The Sunday Times, Glazers, Pearson Education, Turnbull Grey, Dorling Kindersley, Grade Design, Macmillan Books, 85four and HarperCollins.

Our students have won many prizes in recent years, including prestigious design and art direction awards. Recent successes include: winner and runner-up in the D&AD Student awards, two first prizes in the Coley Porter Bell ‘Shine’ competition, winners and runners-up in the Design Bridge branding competition and three commendations in the YCN awards.

The course also undertakes many commissions and live projects for industry and the community.

Students who successfully complete their undergraduate studies are able to progress to a range of MA courses at NUCA, in particular MA Communication Design which covers graphics, illustration, publishing, typography and related fields.

Mode of Attendance : Full - time