UDGRDSPS - BA (Hons) Graphic Design (with preparatory semester)

BA (Hons) Graphic Design (with Preparatory Semester) seeks to inspire creative confidence and innovation in the discipline through its approach to teaching, ensuring students gain real-world experience and develop a wide range of practical, creative and conceptual skills, explored thoroughly through thinking and making.

Our students are encouraged to engage with the world around them through live briefs, socially and globally engaged studio projects and engagement with commercial practice. Throughout the course, students have frequent opportunities to establish links with the creative industries within and beyond graphic design so that they can understand the expectations of the industry and the opportunities available to them. Across the three years of study students have the benefit of talks by leading industry practitioners, feedback sessions with prominent designers, live briefs involving interactions with the clients and visits to a wide range of professional graphic design studios. The course has excellent well-established links with cultural institutions and design studios that enable these employment-focused collaborations. Graduates are prepared for demands of their ever-changing creative industry through becoming creative, inquisitive, professional, experimental, critical, resourceful, highly skilled and individually distinctive graphic designers.

The course promotes individualised, experiential, active and enquiry-based learning offering student choice in curriculum and approaches to study. Independent and critical thinking is encouraged so that students understand the opportunity to identify and redefine problems, offering creative and original design that meets the needs of current and future society. The course specifically asks students to avoid established, conventional ‘business-as-usual’ responses to design challenges, instead encouraging them to become the highly skilled and well-informed change makers needed by society.

The course has been designed in consultation with students and employers in order to ensure that it meets the aspirations of our students and the demands of the contemporary employment environment in graphic design. It aligns with the University’s Strategic Plan, the Education for Social Justice Framework and Student Partnership Agreement in promoting accessible and inclusive education in an environment that respects and values the identities of our students and accommodates diversity in all its forms. Consideration has been given to the QAA Subject Benchmark Statement for Art and Design (2019), the QAA Higher Education Qualifications Framework, and the University’s Academic Regulations.

Each year of study comprises of four year-long 30-credit modules in the areas of course specific skills, design development and realisation, professional practice, cultural and contextual studies. The curriculum focuses on project work, both individually and in creative teams, reflecting industry practice. The projects are rich and varied, developing essential skills such as editorial design, branding, 3D design, digital design, motion graphics, super graphics, multi-disciplinary and experiential design. Fundamentals such as research strategies, conceptual thinking and market analysis are taught alongside practical studio and workshop skills such as digital design, principles of typography, screen printing, letterpress and photography. Students are encouraged to explore these beyond standard applications and to expand their use, crossing disciplines and combining digital and analogue processes to generate innovative outcomes.

The BA Graphic Design (with preparatory semester) course incorporates an additional two 30 credit modules at Level 3 in the autumn semester preceding a spring start to Level 4. These modules ensure that students who are sure of their interest in graphic design, but who need some introductory study before commencing a BA at level 4, have the basic skills and contextual knowledge to be successful on the course.

The aims of this course are aligned with the qualification descriptors within the Quality Assurance Agency’s Framework for Higher Education Qualifications.

Graduates of the course will be able to interrogate, analyse, reflect upon the world around them and thereby find problems worth solving through engaging visual communication and innovative graphic design solutions. They will be independent critical thinkers and confident, explorative makers in both digital and analogue practice. They will be ethically aware, socially responsible and actively help to work towards a sustainable future. Graduates will be conceptually able, technically proficient and versatile, individual designers. They will be effective communicators aware of the professional requirements of their discipline.

The course’s students will:

employ idea-generated risk-taking, exploratory and innovative strategies for graphic design and control its function and effect;

conduct evidence-based primary research and analysis, developing a rigorous and professional approach to the practice and challenges of the graphic design profession;

ensure responsible ethical practice in relation to cultural, environmental, material and social circumstances and the needs of peoples and communities;

understand the working practices, roles and regulatory environment of the sector;

understand the cultural, psychological, emotional, political, technological and economic factors related to the design, production, and impact of graphic design outcomes ;

develop curiosity, a habit of independent enquiry and the capacity to reason, critique and reflect upon their own practice;

through working with 2D and 3D materials in both traditional and digital processes and platforms, develop employment-ready design and realisation skills aligned with sector requirements;

develop confident and persuasive presentational and communication skills utilising multidisciplinary approaches and production techniques;

be able to work independently, manage their own time and tasks and those of others, reflect objectively on their own performance, understanding the opportunities for their talents and interests, and plan effectively for the future, including self-development for career advancement.

On completion of this course, students will be able to:

Knowledge and Understanding:

1. recognise and describe the relationship existing between design, culture, environment and society, and commerce and the economy (both historic and current) and the relevance of these relationships to the practice of design;
2. analyse and understand a range of graphic design precedents and relevant contextual theories and utilise that understanding in their design process;
3. apply ethical and regulatory principles and standards that are required for the proper conduct of professional practice;

Cognitive Intellectual Abilities:

4. apply critical intellectual skills to interrogate design problems; utilising direct observation and primary and secondary research to enable independent critical analysis, reasoned and evidenced argument, and persuasive proposals;
5. make reasoned and considered judgements and decisions in situations where uncertainty, ambiguity and conflicting interests render simple solutions inappropriate and unviable, considering and balancing the needs of all parties and users as fairly as possible;

Transferable Skills:

6. independently and collaboratively communicate design proposals to colleagues, industry professionals, clients, invested communities and the general public, through the effective use of a range appropriate visualisation techniques;
7. as part of the design process, communicate ideas and proposals effectively by oral, written and visual means to others with clarity and confidence, using skills of persuasion and negotiation to secure the desired outcome;
8. exercise independent project management skills, including time and task management, team leadership and collaboration, self-evaluation and critical reflection;

Subject-Specific Practical Skills:

9. generate complex and detailed design concepts and proposals suitable for graphic and multidisciplinary design projects, through analogue and digital designing and visualisation techniques;
10. develop confident entrepreneurial and self-promotional skills to maximise employment and career opportunities;
11. understand the roles and associated expertise of the extended team members in the graphic design sector and work effectively in that context;

Professionalism and Values:

12. demonstrate confidence, resilience, ambition and creativity and act as inclusive, collaborative and socially responsible practitioners and professionals in their discipline;
13. ensure that social, cultural, ethical, and environmental contexts are engaged in the design process alongside economic and business factors.

QAA Subject Benchmark Statement; Art and Design (2019)

The assessment strategy for the course has been designed holistically, to ensure fairness, accessibility and inclusivity as well as manageable timing, workloads and clarity of expectations for students, and to avoid duplication of assessment of learning outcomes. Where appropriate, students are engaged as partners in the design of their assessments.

The assessment regimes for the modules and tasks are designed together with the briefs, prior to the start of the year, considering student, external examiner, professional collaborator and colleague feedback from previous instances. The requirements of briefs and their components, the assessment criteria, grading scheme and descriptors are published and explained to students at the start of the year and are designed to be used as consistently as possible, to avoid unnecessary complication.

In every case, there is required formative assessment and feedback prior to summative assessment at set points. This is recorded so that it can be used by both students and staff to track further progress and engage support where it is required. Feedback follows good pedagogic practice in that it is constructed as ‘feed-forward’, with a focus on specific actions and strategies as to how to improve, not only on what requires improvement.

Students are informed of the procedures for first, second and parity marking, and external examiner scrutiny of the assessment process and marks, to ensure that they understand and have confidence in the probity of the process and security of the final marks. Additionally, the course engages in Subject and School parity exercises to ensure that assessment standards are consistent.

Work-based learning is embedded in the course through live projects, industry visits, visiting professional speakers and participation in public events.

The majority of tutors and lecturers contributing to the course are practitioners who share their knowledge and experience with students throughout their course of study. The flexible practice-led model of delivery for the course means that evolving opportunities for work-related learning through collaboration with external companies, agencies, institutions, competitions and professionals are taken up as they arise.

Students’ understanding of professional standards and expectations builds as they progress from level to level. During their final year, students work towards completion of interview-ready professional portfolios of project work, exhibited at the annual summer show, digital platforms and associated events.

Part-time Structure:

There is no part time mode of study available for the first year of the BA (Hons) Graphic Design (with preparatory semester) course.

If a student should change to part-time mode of study after completing the first L3/ L4 year, the subsequent pattern of study shall be:

Year 2: DN5027 Skills and Enquiry, DN5028 Voice and Vision

Year 3: CP5021 Critical & Contextual Studies 2 (Visual Communication), DN5026 Work Ready Level 5

Year 4: DN6046 Skills and Innovation, DN6047 Major Project: Graphic Design

Year 5: CP6019 Critical and Contextual Studies 3:Dissertation (Visual Communication), DN6045 Work Ready Level 6

All modules on the course are core and compulsory, interim awards are therefore defined by the course structure. The part time route is prescribed (section 23).

The course’s principle of guiding learning through a practice-led curriculum promotes ongoing reflection and personal development. This is supported by regular formative feedback on work in progress that enables students to understand their progress and find opportunities for multiple and individualised routes to successful outcomes. Most modules are year-long, with interim points of review, which ensures that students, together with their tutors, can devise study strategies appropriate to individual learning styles, while ensuring monitoring of engagement and progress. There are regular peer-to-peer presentations and feedback points which enables students to become increasingly more confident and develop interpersonal professional skills. Students are asked to reflect on the work they are looking at as well as the work that they do as part of their course work.

The course’s engagement with external partners and employers ensures that personal development for career planning is effectively contextualised and suitable for the contemporary workplace.

Careers and professional advice is integral throughout the duration of the course. BA (Hons) Graphic Design leads to many more job roles than just as a graphic designer, students are guided to ensure that they understand the scope of opportunities that their degree offers them and they are mentored to discover how their interests and graduate attributes can best offer career openings. The course team works closely with the University’s Careers Office who support students with their CV’s and developing employability. Students will leave with interview-ready professional portfolios of project work, ready for employment, freelance work or postgraduate studies.

Students can also benefit from support and guidance from the Careers and Employability services and the University’s business incubator unit, ‘Accelerator’.

The skills you learn on this course will open up many different career paths to you. You could find employment in illustration, animation, printmaking, visual effects, art advertising or production design.

In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have:

• a minimum of grades of CC in two A levels (or a minimum of 64 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC National, OCR Diploma or Advanced Diploma)
• English Language GCSE at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent)

We encourage applications from international/EU students with equivalent qualifications. We also accept mature students with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

You will need to attend an interview with your portfolio of creative work. If you live outside of the UK will be required to submit a portfolio of work via email.

Portfolios and interviews

Your portfolio should be selective but have enough work to show the range of your interests and talents. We're interested in seeing how you develop a project from beginning to end, not only finished work.

Graphic designers work in a variety of media; please include the whole range of your creative work. If you can't bring some of your work to the portfolio interview, please take photographs and include them.

Finally, be ready to talk about your work and how you see your future as a graphic designer.

Physical portfolio

If you're coming in person to your interview we strongly suggest bringing a physical portfolio of work.

Things to bring:

• sketchbooks – we love to see your sketchbooks with ideas and notes, even if they are messy
• examples of the development of a project from start to finish and the final outcome
• some work that you are really proud of and want to talk about
• some work that shows you experimenting with different processes

Digital portfolio

If you are submitting an online application, please follow these guidelines.

Things to include:

• scans or photographs demonstrating items from the list above
• storyboarding for motion-based work
• scans of sketchbook pages showing development
• be sure to check the resolution and overall quality of your image to ensure submissions are not pixelated