Graphic Design BA (Hons)

The module debates and reflects on key emerging trends and sector challenges situated within your design discipline, and functions as an important precursor to your final year study.

This explorative module builds on your insights from the first year and continues the discussion of design’s sociocultural impact on the world. In the first half of the module, your tutors will present for debate examples of advanced practice and research that will showcase these impacts. In the second half of the module, you will be introduced to a range of social science methods that are currently being used in human-centred design practices. This will help you to understand better the dynamics of human behaviour and how it may be applied in your future design practice. By the end of the module, you will have begun explorative research into a design problem, setting or theme of your own choosing that can be further developed during your final year modules.

This module introduces you to the professional context and how to place yourself and promote yourself within it.
It will give you the opportunity to undertake the following:
Design report preparation
You will complete a 500-word written assignment and attend supporting seminars which are designed to equip you with the ability to review what subject areas are important to your developing professional interests and identity as a Graphic Designer. This proposal will become the framework for the Design Report a 6000-word independent research project that you will complete in your final year.

This will enable you to develop a professional attitude to emerging contexts, enhancing your opportunities for placement and employment.
Experience lectures by professional practice speakers
Professional speakers from related industries will help develop your critical awareness of the design related industries, an understanding of responsible design and/or professional practice, as well as developing your awareness of employment context within the design profession. This module will also reinforce the various opportunities that professional studios offer to graduates as well as an awareness of the professional and ethical responsibilities of the designer/illustrator.

Portfolio preparation
You will learn how to design a finished portfolio, prepared and presented to a high standard. This process gives the you an opportunity to reflect upon what you have achieved so far on the programme, assess your development, and gain confidence in presenting your work critically, visually and verbally, building on your strengths and addressing your weaknesses.

You will be asked to consider your aspirations as Graphic Designers, research the professional environment and design pieces that which will showcase you and your work to an identified and relevant audience in a convincing and compelling way.

This module will enable you to focus on the positive social and cultural impacts of Graphic Design practice. The design solutions that practitioners create can help change lives, human behaviours, and culture within societies.
Graphic Designers have been at the forefront of facilitating modern societal change for over a 100-years across the world. In this module, you will build on this legacy by choosing from a set of briefs that cover design manifestos, ethical and sustainable design, designing for the third sector (charities and NGOs), etc. You will use your developing creative skills to impact positively on other people’s lives.
You will research your chosen sector and use the skills and knowledge acquired so far, along with your technical skills to design an appropriate, creative and meaningful solution.

This module builds upon the knowledge and skills acquired so far on the course and gives you the opportunity to consolidate your learning and explore the more specific areas of Graphic Design that interest you.
A number of briefs will be offered which accommodate opportunities to take a more specialist approach, or a more generalist approach to the subject area. This will be your first opportunity to tackle a substantial brief of this nature in a chosen area and will result in a significant project for your portfolio at the end of the year.
This project will also help you to reflect upon your progress so far, the aspects of Graphic Design that you have found most rewarding, most challenging and most enjoyable. This process will help you to set your trajectory through 3rd year, giving a focus to your journey through the course.