This module will introduce you to a greater level of independence within your working methods. It will enable you to practice proposing, planning and directing an independent project in negotiation with your tutors. You will be asked to realise a project of exhibitable standard which is presented in a format appropriate to your subject area of interest. Tutors and technical teams will support your project progress. You will be expected to engage with regular tutorials to help guide your coursework. Sessions will enable you to demonstrate and present a thorough narrative of your creative process to underpin your project.
This module will focus on introducing you to subject specific approaches to guide your creative thinking and making. It will enable you to start to consider and direct your studies in line with your future progression choices within degree study and career path. You will be asked to select, edit and resolve outcomes to create a cohesive collection of work that represents your growing practice and interests. You will engage with subject specific workshops and seminars that will further develop your skills, awareness and insights within your area of study. Practical workshops will be underpinned through a set of subject specific journal tasks designed to enhance a wider perception of subject discipline and help you make new connections to your subject interest.
This module will introduce you to idea generation techniques and a range of drawing and visual imagery skills using analogue and digital processes. You will practice a range of processes used within visual arts and design subject specialisms in the School of Creative Industries, helping to prepare you for your Level 4 subject area of interest. This module will enable you to practice generating concepts and effectively communicating your ideas. You will try out a range of key and more experimental drawing approaches as a fundamental method of exploring and discussing your ideas. Workshops will allow you to practice and explore a variety of visual techniques during short and more sustained projects. Enabling you to create concepts, test process and resolve your work.
This module is designed to introduce you to key concepts related to creative identity, creative process and subject specific areas of interest within the School of Creative Industries. During this module you will undertake a research based design project to identify, investigate and reflect on your findings in relation to your career aspirations. This project will assist you to develop academic study skills in research, analysis, and referencing. You will be introduced to a range of subject specific ways of working through scheduled workshops and seminars. These sessions will enable you to experience and experiment in a variety of subject methodologies in a practical and contextual basis. This module is designed to guide you in gaining greater insight into the applications, possibilities and career prospects within each subject area.
This module encourages you to explore the design process through a range of creative projects. You’ll work on tasks such as book cover design, social change campaigns, and infographic creation while building your ideas and experiments in a sketchbook and using design sheets. Lectures and workshops will help you refine your conceptual and technical skills. The emphasis is on developing your process, from idea generation to final outcomes.
This module explores the intersection of print and digital media. Building on your design process and project work from Semester 1, you’ll experiment with motion graphics and hands-on printmaking techniques like risograph and silkscreen printing. You’ll also learn to apply your skills to digital contexts, such as designing for social media. The aim is to develop your ability to work creatively across different formats and platforms.
This module introduces you to the fundamentals of typography and its role in effective communication. You’ll explore expressive approaches to typography through projects like creating letterforms and designing typographic responses to phrases. Alongside this, you’ll develop academic and reflective writing skills, practice visual analysis, and build confidence in research using library resources. The focus is on understanding typography as both a practical and conceptual tool, with contextual underpinning.
In this module, students are invited to explore how they and their peers perceive the world and examine how that fits in with creative practice and the wider context of the Creative Industries. The focus is on empowering voices and refining the articulation of ideas. The module aims to develop students' abilities to critically analyse information and engage in thoughtful, sometimes controversial, discussions on contemporary issues. It provides an opportunity to explore concepts including cultural, social, political, economic, and environmental factors and across various disciplines. Additionally, it encourages the exploration of diverse perspectives and fosters the development of collaborative and inclusive communication skills.
This module combines brand strategy and motion design, offering a broad and exciting introduction to branding. You’ll create brand-based motion graphic animations using industry software, work in a design agency setting to redesign a brand strategy, and participate in a live brand project, whenever possible. These experiences will develop your skills in narrative design, strategy, visual storytelling, and motion-based communication.
This module focuses on designing for campaigns and user experiences. You’ll work on a User Experience and User Interface (UX/UI) project using industry software, learning to create intuitive and impactful interfaces and user journeys. Additionally, you’ll collaborate in a communications agency setting to develop a brand campaign, honing your ability to design across multiple platforms with a strategic focus on audience engagement.
This module deepens your understanding of graphic design’s role in society and industry through themed seminars and practical work. You’ll write an essay exploring critical and contextual perspectives on graphic design and participate in ethically-focused design challenges, such as the Starpack sustainable packaging competition. These projects encourage critical thinking, research skills, and creative responses to contemporary design issues.
This module is about ‘you’ and your place in the world, with a view to refining your specialism as a professional/practitioner and improving your profile. The module will be delivered across specific course groupings that capture the core values of each course. Across this module students will typically undertake at least one major externally facing project (e.g. live brief, placement, virtual placement, etc) or 2-3 smaller projects by negotiation. These projects will support student transferable skills around employment within the Creative Industries.
This module explores the role of the art director, emphasising conceptual thinking and creative leadership. You’ll work on projects such as a conceptual response in creative practice, designing for unusual formats, and art directing a publication and a site-specific projection. Through these tasks, you’ll develop a strong sense of visual storytelling, layout design, and the ability to guide creative projects from idea to execution.
This module allows you to take ownership of your creative journey through a series of negotiated projects. You’ll begin with a conceptual starting point and develop work aligned with your career aspirations, honing skills in strategic thinking and project management. The emphasis is on producing a portfolio-worthy body of work that reflects your vision and professional goals.
This module bridges the gap between education and industry, preparing you for professional practice. You’ll undertake a brief set by an agency for a high-profile client, offering insight into real-world design challenges. Additionally, you’ll complete a visual thesis that includes an extended essay and a conceptual visual response, demonstrating your ability to synthesise research and practice aligned with your creative ambitions.
This module is about your 'career' after you complete your formal UG study. It is about the realities of (and preparation for) freelance, entrepreneurial, industry and further study trajectories. This pan-school module will hinge around students creating a personal career strategy plan called ‘28 days later’. The purpose is for students to take accountability and ownership over their future direction by creating a career plan that they activate when leaving the course with a view to maximise their long term employability prospects.