Graphic Design

Graphic Design is an ideas-based discipline concerned with the creation of visual material, often uniting text and image. The work is designed to be printed, projected, in a digital medium, read or seen in specific contexts, and to communicate to a wide and varied audience.

Graphic designers must be extremely flexible in their working practices and in the way they generate ideas and solve problems. They must be capable of working within set parameters to arrive at practicable and effective project resolutions.

The technology involved in this process is developing rapidly, and the skills required are becoming ever more varied, giving the graphic designer far greater freedom and at the same time control over individual design elements such as typography, image and sound. With such potential for creative output, the quality of the initial idea and the thinking behind it assumes greater importance.

Programme Content

YEAR 1

Students in First Year Studies progress through three phases of study, namely Exploratory Study, Elective Study and Specialist Study. These are designed to enable initial exploration and experimentation, building experience within a selected range of specialist subjects and moving towards the confirmation of specialism for Year 2 and onwards.

YEAR 2

In this first year of specialisation our students are given a basic grounding in graphic design principles and practical specialist processes including screen printing, letterpress and digital techniques. Students begin to develop the approaches and visual vocabulary that will be used throughout their careers. In Digital Arts, we give students an introduction to creative computing, and there are also a number of collaborative projects with other disciplines within the School of Design.

YEAR 3

Students undertake a varied programme of projects intended to give a more in-depth experience of the design process. Students explore a cycle of analysis, interpretation, trial solution, and resolution. There is a greater opportunity to work on commercially viable projects, produce professional printed work, take part in industry visits, obtain work experience within the creative field and continue with practical specialist processes.

Electives may include:

• Visual Narratives
• Contemporary Art
• Home Truths
• Expanded Cinema
• Shopping for Cultural
• Cultural Threads

YEAR 4

Each student identifies their own personal direction and style. The projects set will give greater choice and thus opportunities for personal viewpoints and exploration. Competitions and live projects are an important part of the programme, allowing students to compare their work with that of their peers, engage in dialogue with clients, respond to feedback, and gain genuine experience of production. Emphasis remains firmly upon innovation and creativity through a process of problem-solving.

Professional Practice

Professional Practice is also embedded throughout all programmes and at all levels at the College to ensure that you develop the necessary range of intellectual, professional and contextual skills in order to maximise the opportunity for success in your chosen career after graduation.

The Professional Practice course provides an introduction to aspects of working in the visual communication industries and starts our students on the process of researching and planning their careers.