Graphic Design, BA (Hons)

Course summary

OVERVIEW BA (Hons) Graphic Design at Norwich University of the Arts is a contemporary ideas-led course that specialises in branding, identity design and packaging. The course is highly regarded amongst industry for its unique focus on clever and witty visual ideas, often taking a steer from the classic graphic design text, A Smile in the Mind. You will work on brands and identities for a range of organisations and businesses including designing the brands, or re-branding, within the food and drink categories. Very few courses have a reputation for doing this, and this course is rightly famous for it. You will also work on a broader range of design problems such as brand promotion and extension, editorial design and digital design. Typography, copywriting, imagery (photographic and illustrative) and print applications lie at the heart of all your work. You can also get involved in motion design as part of your solutions and/or to bring your projects to life on screen. KEY FEATURES

• Share your first year with other graphics students, and continue to work alongside each other, allowing for a unique cross fertilisation of knowledge, skills and experience

• Develop skills in typography, printing, layout, photography, design research, idea generation, visual narrative and story telling

• Become adept at understanding and deciphering a brief, researching and generating ideas, problem-solving, developing the most successful concept, and executing and presenting the final work

• Create clever ideas-based solutions for organisations and brands, premium food and drink packaging, design for good/change and campaigns that aim to address the problems we face in the world

• Your timetable will be punctuated by regular industry talks from some of the highest profile designers, studios and agencies, anywhere in the world

• Participate in workshops and classes run by external professionals, undertake project briefs initiated and taught by designers from industry, and enter national and international design competitions judged by the design industry

• Engage with industry through portfolio reviews and surgeries, talks from practising alumni focused on portfolio development and employability, interview practice and graduate portfolio showcase events

YOUR FUTUREYou will be asked to consider the design industry in terms of the sectors you wish to work in, and the potential roles that are available to you. You will have the opportunity to create a range of employment focused tools including a CV, email/covering letter and a career overview and strategy. By the time you conclude the course you will have developed a professional portfolio and a strong sense of where you want to work within the industry. Nearly all designers must collaborate with others; even sole traders need to work with clients and suppliers, and of course working within any sort of agency set-up requires that you can work alongside others. Therefore, we provide these opportunities for you to develop a set of professional and transferable skills such as teamwork, time management and project planning. Students have found employment at some of the most prestigious design agencies including Turner Duckworth, JKR, Magpie, The Cabinet, Hat-Trick, The Chase, Pearlfisher, Elmwood, and many, many more. OUR STUDENTS’ WORKExplore our online Graduate Showcase – celebrating the very best Norwich University of the Arts graduate work at nuagradshowcase.com

Modules

You can find more information about the content of the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course at https://norwichuni.ac.uk/ba-hons-graphic-design/

Assessment method

The University assesses you through the coursework you produce as you complete each unit. Each unit will require you to present a portfolio of work which may include finished pieces of work, written work, your research, and a reflective journal which allows you to evaluate your learning and highlight your strengths and areas for further development. You can find out more information about our assessment methods at https://norwichuni.ac.uk/ba-hons-graphic-design/#assessment

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You can find more information about the content of the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course at https://norwichuni.ac.uk/ba-hons-graphic-design/