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BA (Hons) in Graphic Design

Do you have aspirations to make a positive difference to the way the world is viewed? Would you enjoy the challenge of working with different media platforms, on a diverse range of branding and promotional projects? Do you want to develop a portfolio of work that showcases your unique personal style and creative signature?

This exciting course is led and taught by experienced creative directors with industrial experience and who set a commercial tone in teaching, briefing and appraising work. We will take you on a life changing journey to help you develop personally, intellectually, creatively, and technically. Having completed your honours degree, you will be design agency ready and able to work commercially prior to graduation or you may wish to continue your studies by undertaking Master’s level study.

Key Information

  • Course Level

    Level 6

  • Delivery

    Full-Time

  • Duration

    3 Years

  • UCAS Code

    W291

  • Awarding Body

    University of Hull

Apply or Enquire

Open Event 17 June 2023

Come along to our Higher Education (18+) information evening and discover what it’s like to study at University Campus Doncaster.Attend our information event to get a taste of life as a higher education student at University Campus Doncaster.

Register to attend the open event

Student Work

Satisfy your creative thirst.

Our wide range of inspiring student projects aim to satisfy your thirst for creativity. The BA (Hons) Graphic Design programme encourages personal development, and you will have endless opportunities to produce exciting and commercially viable work that expresses your creativity and individuality as a designer. Achievement and a successful career in the digital design and branding industry will be the ultimate reward for your time spent studying with us.

Click here to download student work booklet (PDF)

 

Project Development Journals

Peeling away the creative process.

Although physical sketchbooks are used for ideas generation, and experimentation with traditional techniques and materials, students on our degree course submit all of their work in a digital project development journal (PDJ). This includes everything they have produced, from research and development stages to their final outcomes. The digital format allows students to add, refine, and change the order of content, which is more difficult to do with a traditional sketchbook. The following examples demonstrate the ways in which our students work, and how they present their final project development journals for assessments.

Click here to download project development journal booklet (PDF)

Portfolio Preparation

Portfolio flavour.

When it comes to attending a portfolio interview, preparation is everything. You should arrange your best work in such a way that it showcases your skills and allows you to speak confidently about each piece or project. Although we will spend time focusing on your creative abilities, we also want to find out more about you, your interests, and aspirations for the future. Our guidance booklet will help to ensure that your interview runs smoothly, and your work is well organised.

Click here to download portfolio preparation booklet (PDF)

Alumni

Tasting success.

Your academic reward for three years of hard work and determination is a degree certificate that helps you to get ‘a foot in the door’ of the design industry. Although this is a requirement and a necessity for many employers, what they really want to see is evidence of your skills as a designer. This doesn’t only include technical proficiency; they also want to know how you think, how inventive you are, how your work stands apart from others, and how interesting you are as a unique individual. Your work should speak for itself in terms of your passions, focus, and career ambitions. Our graphic design graduates work for a wide range of agencies, businesses, and organisations around the world. Here is just a small sample of their successes.

Click here to download alumni booklet (PDF)

Click here to view our alumni online

Final Shows

Celebrating every drop of creativity.

Our on-campus, end of year shows celebrates our students’ hard work, when they showcase their designs and promote themselves to industry representatives and members of the public. The third-year degree students choose exciting Final Major Project themes and these result in stand designs that include physical, as well as digital artwork. Professional graphic designers are invited to our private view, when they can talk to students and learn more about their skills and career ambitions. The accompanying booklet shows the wide range of themes that our students have worked on. They will hopefully inspire you to follow the same path and aspire to gain employment as a successful graphic designer, after studying with us.

Click here to download final shows booklet (PDF)

Our Staff

Simon Gomes

BA Graphic Design Course Leader

My main specialisms are advertising, branding, and visual identity design. I have experience of working on design projects for national/international education institutions, charities, and small businesses.

Francisco Casaroti

BA Graphic Design Lecturer

I have an MA in Visual Communication Graphic Design from Royal College of Art and a BA in Graphic and Media Design from the University of the Arts London, the two Leading Universities for Art & Design Globally since 2014. My specialism focuses on the appliance of emergent technologies in the communication process, with usages in Type design, branding, motion graphics and editorial.

Video Overview

This course includes the following core modules that all students complete:

L4 modules:
GD401: Visualisation (20 credits)
GD402: Historical and Contextual Studies 1 (20 credits)
GD403: Design Processes and Theory (20 credits)
GD404: Computer Applications for Design (20 credits)
GD405: Studio Practice (20 credits)
GD406: Fundamental Typography (20 credits)

L5 modules:
GD501: Historical and Contextual Studies 2 (20 credits)
GD502: Studio and Professional Practice (20 credits)
GD503: Advertising (20 credits)
GD504: Brand Identity and Design (20 credits)
GD505: Editorial Design (20 credits)
GD506: Advanced Typography (20 credits)

L6 modules:
GD601: Dissertation (40 credits)
GD602: Final Major Pre Production (20 credits)
GD603: Live Commercial Briefs (40 credits)
GD604: Final Major Project Production (20 credits)

Core content

  • Fundamental and advanced typography and editorial design
  • Theory-based and digital skills
  • Branding, visual identity, advertising, and promotional design
  • UX/UI/app construction and design
  • Portfolio building and self-promotion

Level 4: Fundamentals level
Broaden your design knowledge and work with a range of techniques and processes for experimental projects that are open to individual interpretation.

Level 5: Commercial level
Use the skills from level 4 to produce project work with a strategic, commercial focus.

Level 6: Professional level
Demonstrate your ability to articulate your advanced design knowledge and skills through the production of engaging commercial/competition briefs and final major project work.

Contact
Classroom sessions, online platforms (Microsoft Teams), student forums, one-to-one and group tutorials, and email feedback. All project handbooks and learning support materials, and are made available to access online.

Feedback
As you progress through your studies, ongoing feedback and suggestions are provided on work and personal performance. Tutor and peer recommendations are constructive and identify where improvements can be made.

Community
The course continues to build and maintain a vibrant student community. A combination of classroom sessions and forums play an integral and invaluable role in ensuring that all students feel fully supported in their studies. You will also make regular and ongoing use of online platforms to share your work and record your on-going learning journey.

Occasional changes to modules and course content may take place. Students will be notified when applicable.

 

Teaching and Assessment Methods

The primary way of delivering this course is on campus and teaching includes a combination of lectures, small group seminars, workshops, presentations, guest lectures, and one to one discussions with your tutor.

 Assessment methods

  • Digital project research, development and outcomes’ journals
  • Digital design portfolio
  • Reports and essays
  • Presentations
  • End of Year Show

Students will receive between 9 hours and 12 hours of teaching time per week throughout this course, depending on the year level and modules being taken. Additional one-to-one meetings with tutors will provide further support. On campus students will also have the opportunity to collaborate and share work with their distance-learning graphic design peers

Entry requirements would usually be one of the following:

  • 80 UCAS Tariff Points – from at least 2 GCE A Levels or BTEC National qualifications or a Foundation Diploma
  • Access to HE Diploma in an art related programme with at least 45 credits at Level 3
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

We welcome applications from people of any age who might not meet the standard entry criteria, but we would expect to see evidence of continuing academic and/or professional development and a capacity to pursue the course successfully. As part of the application process, you must submit a digital portfolio of art and design-related work to demonstrate your ability and suitability for the course.

Portfolio Requirements

1. We accept both physical and digital PDF portfolios, and portfolio websites. However, we are seeing fewer students present their work in physical portfolios, as digital versions can be more easily updated, and with the integration of more contemporary technology they can also include examples of website design, motion graphics, animation, and video work.
2. Once we have received your application, we will ask to see evidence of art and design work (ideally submitted as an A3 landscape PDF portfolio). This allows us to review and discuss your work before a formal interview. We will have your work on a screen, but if you wish, you can also show a physical portfolio to discuss your work further.
3. When considering which projects to show at your interview, we recommend selecting between 5-10 well-presented creative projects, and evidence of 2-3 essays/reports (to assess your written communication skills).
4. Include your strongest project at the start of your portfolio, with another in the middle, and one at the end.
5. Your creative projects should provide evidence of your methodical ongoing process – from research to the development of ideas and concepts, and realisation of completed outcomes. We are looking for inventiveness and depth of thought.
6. We will need to see evidence of initial sketches and digital development. This should be supported by ongoing evaluative notes that explain your decision-making process.
7. We will assess how your work has applied colour, type and layout, illustration, and/or photography.
8. Ensure that each project is clearly labelled with a heading and include a short description (around 100 words) that explains project requirements, as well as an overview of your resulting creative strategy.
9. We want to gain a good idea of your computer software skills, although this is covered as part of the first year, to ensure all students have the necessary skills to complete their work.

If you have any questions about our portfolio requirements or the interview process, please feel free to contact the course team // simon.gomes@don.ac.uk or francisco.casaroti@don.ac.uk

This course is relevant to people already working in or looking to develop a career within the graphic design, advertising, and associated creative industries.

This course provides a range of skills relevant across a variety of different professions. People who have completed this course have gone on to work in areas including:

  • UX/UI designer
  • Website designer
  • Advertising copywriter / art director
  • Illustrator
  • Exhibition designer
  • Typographer
  • Editorial designer
  • Account handler

If you wish to continue studying beyond this course, it will provide you with a strong academic basis to do so. Course progression routes could include postgraduate Masters level study in a design-related subject.

Financial Support

UK students can take out a tuition fee loan to cover the cost of their course and a maintenance loan to cover living costs.

We also have a range of other financial support available.

Course Fees

UK

£7770

Additional Costs

Your Tuition fees cover most costs associated with your course (including registration, tuition and assessment.)

There may be some extra costs that you might need to make, or choose to pay, for example:

• Books (you’ll have access to books from your module reading lists in the HE library, but you may want to buy your own copies)
• Art and design equipment and materials
• Printing and photocopying
• Trips and enhancement opportunities

You may be required to pay for a Basic or Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

 

Apply or enquire about this course

To find out more and apply for this course, please contact us via the telephone number below.

  • Course code: W291
  • Institution code: N64
  • Campus name: University Campus Doncaster
  • Campus code: D

Apply on the UCAS website Make an enquiry Call 0800 358 7474

Information for EU Students

From January 2021, how you apply for a course will change. For more information, read the UK Government's guide for the UK points-based immigration system for EU students (pdf).

Visit our International pages for more information and contact details