About Graphic Design

About this field of study.

As a Graphic Designer, you have the important role of communicating other peoples' ideas through a variety of visual methods. Graphic Design is essentially concerned with the creation and manipulation of imagery and text to communicate a message. We believe that Graphic Design should also play a socially responsible role in society – from the materials being used to the relevance of the final product. Whether a design encompasses corporate identity design, an advertising campaign, information graphics, packaging, a book cover or a complete magazine, the designer will need to relate imagery and text in a creative, stimulating and purposeful way. You will be working with illustration, photography, typography, computer generated and hand generated images in order to creatively communicate the desired message. You need to be creative, attentive to detail and think laterally.

As an academic learning programme, part of your studies will require focused research into visual culture and cultural theory as it becomes relevant in the field of Graphic Design. This will enable you to position your own thinking as a designer in relation to a broader study of images and how they operate meaningfully in society today.

Areas of employment include design consultancies, advertising agencies, exhibition design and signage companies, retail chains, large corporations and print, film, television and electronic media houses.

Programmes Offered:

BA Graphic Design
BA Honours Graphic Design

What will I qualify with?

Programme Outline

BA Graphic Design

1st Year. As technology continues to develop at a rapid rate, it becomes increasingly important for designers to develop thinking and visualization skills which can drive technology in a creative and meaningful way. For this reason, research skills and drawing as a thinking tool are given emphasis in your first year. During this year you are taught basic design principles relating to typography and two dimensional composition. Illustration, printmaking and photographic projects increase your visual literacy and communication skills. Creative and critical thinking are developed through academic research and writing.

2nd Year. This year introduces you to the technological and professional practices pertinent to Graphic Design. You develop proficiency in a number of software packages while developing your photographic, illustration and rendering skills.  Conceptual planning and design thought processes give you the ability to evolve creative designs within the constraints of media, technology and available time. The subject Critical Studies will introduce you to visual cultural theory as it pertains to a study of diverse imagery in design. The intention is to enable critical thinking through focused reading and discussion around theoretical discourse.

3rd Year. The final year prepares you for the working world. This year allows you to implement, evaluate and critique visual communication processes with an aim to locating your role within the professional and workplace arena – that of a conceptual and visually literate graphic designer.

You use your software proficiency and understanding of production processes to develop a portfolio which illustrates a wide variety of design skills and shows professional presentation skills. The subject Critical Studies will give you the ability to form, create and rationalise design and theoretical arguments located within the scope of visual culture and provides you with a theoretical and practical foundation in visual communication for further study.

Programme Outline

BA Honours Graphic Design

This course is aimed at the future leaders in design. It equips you to adopt and develop a critical perspective on design and place an argument within current discourses addressing social, economical, political or cultural issues. Through a trans-disciplinary approach to design, you are able to critically engage with topics that are of a personal interest and produce independent research material, whilst gaining a wealth of knowledge and experience through engaging with like-minded individuals and professionals from Graphic, Multimedia and Interior design related fields. Critical Studies is made up of two parts – both of which emphasise different skills. Part A is a course work programme in which you are required to read extensively and complete topic specific research to resolve prescribed briefs. Part B is a research report in which you demonstrate academic competency and enact a theoretical and analytical position in relation to selected case studies as well as your own work.

Programme Outline