Graphic Design, BA (Hons), with industry placement

Graphic design redefines the world as a versatile discipline, integrating words, images, form, and structure to influence clothing, politics, and planetary futures. It thrives on innovative storytelling through clever ideas and masterful execution, from hand-drawn concepts to digital innovations. Amid rapid changes, this course at Falmouth seeks purpose-driven thinkers to address human-centred communication challenges, fostering positive, impactful outcomes.Students join an immersive studio community that promotes innovation, risk-taking, and collaboration, while exploring design's role in societal issues and ethical dilemmas. The curriculum spans visual language, storytelling, and technologies across four years, with modules like "Design Is?" and "Design For" encouraging experimentation and critical reflection. Assessment focuses on coursework, including visual projects and self-reflection, preparing graduates for industry through practical experience and a career-ready portfolio.

With design process and clever thinking at its heart, the course explores how meaningful, creative ideas can be made. With its formidable connection to industry, award-winning graduates, and integration of theory and practice, you’ll be challenged to think holistically, responsibly, and differently. You’ll look ‘at’ the world around you, rather than be caught up in it. Year one During your first year, you’ll be encouraged to explore, experiment and question new creative processes and practices, through both thinking and making. This will deepen your understanding of the breadth of the subject and will begin to shape the future of your unique creative journey. You’ll be part of a supportive and innovative studio culture, where together you’ll learn to grow your skills, develop multiple ideas, and embrace creative risk. A variety of briefs, workshops, lectures, and presentations will introduce you to design process, visual language, collaboration, and storytelling. Modules Design is? Design from Design beyond Design with Year two In your second year, practical, hands-on thinking is re-considered in the light of historical, theoretical, and critical points-of-view. You will consider the process, craft (including the role of evolving technologies), and context of graphic design in much greater depth. You’ll also explore the role of designer as translator, disruptor, collaborator and facilitator. Briefs, workshops, lectures, and presentations are complimented by in-depth learning about experience design, brands and consumer culture, typography and information hierarchy, the ethics and responsibility of design practice, design for society and teamwork. In exploring these themes, you’ll also be encouraged to consider opposing perspectives to the accepted norms, and to wrestle with the tension these areas of design can create. Modules Design for Design against Design towards Design with Year Three: You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the employability team. Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying. How you’ll study during your professional placement You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks. You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation. Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth. Year four In your final year, you’ll select (or write) a variety of projects that continue to test and challenge your emerging areas of interest, culminating in a final portfolio of design work. These projects will allow you to build on core skills and reflect critically on your individual strengths – while still exploring alternative models of practice that help define a design future beyond your degree. They will also turn your thinking into highly ‘graphic’ outcomes, utilising the best technologies for each idea and celebrating your skills as an all-round practitioner. You’ll begin the year with a variety of workshops that encourage you to consolidate your practice, explore possible design futures, take on a leadership role as a collaborator, and finally culminate your studies – defining what you believe ‘Design is…! Modules Design as Design works Design is! Design with As part of our process of continuous improvement, we routinely review course content to ensure that all our students benefit from a high-quality and rewarding academic experience. As such, there may be some changes made to your course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on our website.