Graphic Design with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

Fundamental Practice: Graphic Design introduces students to Graphic Design as an activity, a medium, a practice, a profession, and a subject for study. Through a focus on learning the core principles that are essential for effective visual communication, students will begin to develop the fundamental hands-on and digital skills required in successful graphic design projects. By analysing examples of graphic design, both historical and contemporary, students will gain a deeper understanding of how design functions, bringing this learning into their own work and developing a foundation for further study and future professional work.

Professional Futures: Communication equips you with the initial skills and knowledge necessary for your future career. The module explores the role of effective communication in the context of your emerging design practice. You will engage with theoretical frameworks and practical exercises to develop your contextual understanding of the subject, recognising their relevance in research, development and communication of key themes and ideas.

In Design at Play you will embark on an immersive journey into the fundamentals of brand design and its application across various channels. From crafting compelling visual identities, to designing impactful packaging and engaging digital platforms, students will explore the multifaceted world of branding and its pivotal role in shaping consumer perceptions and fostering lasting connections.

Design for Change is an interdisciplinary module that equips students with the knowledge, skills, and mindset to harness the power of design for positive social and environmental impact. Through a combination of theoretical study, hands-on tasks, and collaborative learning experiences, you will explore regenerative design principles, social impact, environmental sustainability, community engagement, and human-centred design principles.

Emerging Technologies immerses you in the cutting-edge world of technology-driven design innovation. With a focus on emerging trends such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), 3D modelling, projection mapping, and generative coding, students will explore how these technologies are reshaping the landscape of graphic design and opening up new possibilities for creative expression.

‘Professional Futures: Collaboration’ is designed to equip you with the essential skills for success in the diverse and collaborative field of design. With collaboration and communication as central themes, you will learn to navigate interdisciplinary teamwork and understand different design processes, methods and outcomes.

The module provides an opportunity to tackle real-world challenges through a cross-disciplinary collaborative project. This allows you to have a shared and reflective learning experience contributing to a shared task, preparing you for the demands of your future career. You will learn to convey ideas, concepts and project narratives with clarity and impact.

Assessment involves interdisciplinary teamwork to develop a creative project, emphasising communication, creativity, and project outcomes.

The aim of this final Level 5 module is to develop your critical, reflective, and analytical skills to define your area of practice. The module comprises of three distinct phases that will enable you to explore your interests further and broaden your knowledge of potential career pathways within the wider context of graphic design. These phases work together to comprehensively investigate your practice, prepare you for Level 6 study, and develop an industry standard showreel that showcases your skills and enhances your online presence.

Central to this experience is a 70-hour work placement, which you can complete either in a concentrated block or spread out over the duration of the module. During this placement, you’ll have the opportunity to develop your professional attributes and subject-specific skills. To align closely with real-world job market conditions, you should expect to prepare a current and relevant CV, attend interviews, conduct research to source your own placement.

Creative careers often lead individuals on unexpected journeys, traversing diverse paths. Recognizing and seizing opportunities becomes pivotal in shaping a fulfilling portfolio career—one that harnesses your creative abilities while sustaining your livelihood. Whether you’re crafting artistic artifacts, performing, providing services, or offering consultancy, the art of promoting and pitching ideas lies at the heart of an independent, entrepreneurial journey.

In this module, we delve into the essential facets of an entrepreneurial career. Whether you see yourself as a designer-maker, actor, musician, illustrator, artist, writer, filmmaker or a blend of any number of roles within a portfolio career, we’ll equip you with the tools to articulate your experiences and work confidently. Expect surprises along the way—opportunities that may reveal themselves unexpectedly!

This module provides an opportunity for you to apply your knowledge and skills to an external, professional brief. The brief will be ‘real’, set in negotiation with an external client/agency/community, or it may be a simulation, inspired by a typical professional scenario you might experience in a work situation. The brief will enable you to apply your discipline-specific skills broadly, collaborating with your fellow students and, where relevant, across disciplines and with other stakeholders. Your project should consider sustainability and address relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals as a key aspect of contemporary creative industries work.

Having developed and defined your direction of study throughout Level 5, you will now advance your practice as you enter your final year of study. This module will provide you with the opportunity to adopt an increasingly autonomous commitment to your individual direction. At this stage, a focused attitude is essential in developing an informed and contextualised approach to your thinking, ongoing project development, and outcomes.

The key aim of this module is to build upon the work undertaken in previous modules and contextualise this within a written assignment or its equivalent, that frames both your work and identifies possible future direction.  You will look to achieve this through the collection and use of both primary and secondary research. This should be used to support a deeper understanding of your discipline and practices, with further analysis used to help shape your on-going development as a successful creative.  

The purpose of the module is to enable you to undertake a sustained, in-depth and theoretically informed research project exploring an area that is of personal interest to you. It is important that we can support you appropriately, so you will be guided towards choosing a research topic which is relevant to your discipline and in which your lecturers have expertise. The outcome may take the form of a written dissertation or a practice-based portfolio.

Professional Futures: Presentation provides final-year students with essential skills and strategies for navigating the design industry. With a focus on ‘presentation’ and employability, the module provides you with guidance on refining your skills, whilst preparing you for the next stage of your design journey.