BA [Hons] Graphic Design
Graphic Design builds on the success of the Visual Communication Design programme, retaining its emphasis on crafting and shaping text and image into coherent and inventive stories, visual artefacts, products, systems, services and experiences. The programme further builds on it’s core principle of interdisciplinarity, by expanding into new fields and blending practices in line with the rapidly changing nature of contemporary design and technology. This unique offering, combined with the options of industry placements and study abroad, and in addition to small class sizes and a dedicated team of full time staff, ensures a high quality educational experience which attracts many overseas applicants.
Graphic Design has a broad range of Erasmus partnerships in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Poland, and Spain, and is constantly expanding this network. The option to study abroad through the Erasmus Programme is available for one semester in either Years 2 or 3.
What will I do?
- Learn to become a versatile visual designer who can work as an individual and in multi-disciplinary teams, and is skilled at negotiating a wide range of platforms, media, and networks to find blended solutions to diverse communication problems.
- Learn the principles and core disciplines of contemporary graphic design communication.
- Learn how to communicate information as text (eg. copywriting, critical research and writing, typography), and as image (eg. art-direction, illustration, photography, print-making), and explore these ideas in visual and written formats.
- Formulate and edit stories, messages, and communication systems across multiple platforms and media, including traditional (design for print, spatial environments, broadcast); new (design for screen, motion, user-interface, user-experience, and digital products); and emergent (design for augmented and virtual experiences, systems and services, and wearable technologies).
What will I be able to do when I graduate?
Graduates are highly sought after by industry as proven by high levels of graduate employability and many successes in national and international awards. Areas of employment include: advertising, brand identity, design consultancy, design education, design entrepreneurship, design journalism, design for print and/or screen, design for experiences, design research, design writing and research, digital product design, motion graphics for digital, film or television platforms, project management, systems and services design, user-interface and user-experience design (UI/UX).
Completion of the Graphic Design programme opens up many and varied pathways to specialist postgraduate research. Typical examples include further study in: advertising, art/design direction, data-visualisation, design entrepreneurship, design ethics, design futures, design writing and research, illustration, information design, motion design, service design, systems design, typography, UI/UX, and visual and material culture studies.
What modules will I study?
Year 1
Visual Culture: Introduction to Visual + Material Culture; Transitional Studies (Faculty-wide module); Design Fundamentals; Visual Thinking: Art Direction + Illustration; Visual Culture: Interdisciplinary Theories and Histories; Experiential Design: Structure + Mapping; Communication Design: Static + Dynamic; Integrated Design: Play.
Year 2
Experiential Design: Immersive Exhibition + Wayfinding; Communication Design: Static, Dynamic + Interactive; Visual Culture: Exploring Visual + Material Culture; Electives (Faculty-wide modules); Visual Thinking: Identity + Storytelling; Integrated Design: Viewpoint; Visual + Material Culture: Disciplinary Specific Histories + Theories.
Year 3
Visual Culture: Critique + Disruption; Business + Entrepreneurship for Creative Practice (Faculty-wide module); Professional Practice and Placement (Faculty-wide module); Visual Culture: Thesis Research + Proposal; Experiential Design: Future + Speculative Worlds; Communication Design: Identity + UX Strategy; Integrated Design: Storytelling. Work/industry placement is compulsory in year three. Placements abroad are also possible through the Erasmus Programme.
Year 4
Integrated Design: Professional Studio; Visual Culture: Thesis (standard or extended); Major Research + Studio Project (standard or extended).
Cost for materials and/or field trips
Approximately €1000 per year (in years 1, 2 and 3) for art and design materials. You may also have an opportunity to take part in international field trips in Years 1 and 2 (not compulsory) which cost approx. €500 per trip. Your final year exhibition is your professional showcase; we advise you to budget a minimum of €1000 for this. Please consult with your tutors before purchasing expensive equipment. This will typically comprise a laptop computer (preferably Apple, the design industry standard), a digital camera with an interchangeable lens, a heavy tripod, or a smartphone capable of computational photography. You will need external storage devices for backing up your work. You should anticipate third party software subscriptions of approx. €20 per month.