Graphic Design
By Zoe Flood
Published: 15 August 2004
What do you come out with? BA
Why do it? Because you are passionate about creating and have a real eye for design. Because whilst you know that computers are how where it's at, you are aware that there are other important skills. Because you want to work in an exciting profession that's in great demand.
What's it about? Finding the best way of conveying a message, using any medium. Students learn to think creatively about different approaches to problem-solving, studying design areas including editorial, packaging, corporate identity and moving image. The first year is usually spent getting a grounding in these ideas, and learning how to manipulate different media. You can expect to take courses in areas such as typography, calligraphy, lithography, audio visual techniques, photography and bookbinding. At Kingston, students in their first year spend four days a week in the studio completing projects based on different media. Falmouth College of Arts teaches the history of graphic design and its role in contemporary culture, with the aim of "getting students to recognise their responsibilities as designers". In the second and third years, learning is much more self-directed, with students choosing to broaden the media they work in or instead to focus on a particular area. You would be expected to produce a large amount of studio project work that will ultimately be assessed as part of your degree.
How long is a degree? Three years.
What are the students like? Creative, but with their feet on the ground. All have a passion for design, which admissions tutors say is evident from their personal sketchbooks and portfolio work, and are very driven. Most will come from some kind of pre-degree art and design course, such as a foundation art course.
How is it packaged? Varies, but generally assessed studio work accounts for most of the degree grade, although students will often have to submit written work at the end of each project. There will be end-of-semester shows and exhibitions. Most students will also write a final year dissertation.
How cool is it? Very. Every magazine, website and poster we see has been worked on by graphic designers. The more visuals we are bombarded with, the harder graphic designers have to work to catch a person's eye.
What are the entry requirements? A-levels generally aren't emphasised, with Falmouth asking for two passes, one of which should be Art and Design-related. The more usual route is via a pre-degree art and design course such as Foundation Art and Design, BTEC ND in Art and Design or 12-unit Vocational A-level in Art and Design Grade CC or above. A minimum of five GCSE's will also be expected.
Will you be interviewed? Almost all students whom the tutors like the look of will be interviewed. Offers are generally made on the basis of an informal interview and on the selection of sketchbooks, notebooks and larger pieces that students will be asked to present.
Will it keep you off the dole? Yes, but maybe not immediately, and it certainly could take you a long time to become established. While a few graduates go to work in general employment, the majority will remain in the industry. Graduates will work in a variety of design consultancies, in book or magazine design, or as branding consultants. Elsewhere, there are opportunities in website, multimedia and packaging design.
What do students say? All are 22, and graduated from Falmouth College of Arts in 2004. "The teaching at Falmouth directed us towards professional practice, yet encouraged creative thinking rather than over-emphasising computers. It's all self-directed so you do as much or as little as you want," says Michelle Thomas. "It is a well-paced course," said Lucy Hibburd. "By the third year it was up to us where we wanted to go. The strong links with industry means that we now have contacts we wouldn't have had otherwise". Holly Rose agreed about the workload - "It's fine, a perfect amount. You are busy but not over-worked, which is important given that you need time to develop ideas and the project as a whole."
Where can you study it? APU, Bath Spa, Blackpool and The Fylde College (associate of Lancaster), Arts Institute at Bournemouth, Brighton, UWE, Buckingham Chilterns University College, UWI Cardiff, Carmarthenshire College, University of Central England, Central Lancashire, Colchester Institute, Coventry, Croydon College, Cumbria Institute of the Arts, De Montfort, Derby, Dunstable College, East Lancashire Institute of Higher Education, University of East London, Edinburgh College of Art, Falmouth College of Arts, Glamorgan, Glasgow Caledonian, Gloucestershire, Greenwich, Havering College of Further and Higher Education, Hertfordshire, Huddersfield, Kent Institute of Art and Design, Kingston, Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan, Lincoln, Liverpool John Moores, London Institute, Loughborough, Luton, Coleg Menai, Middlesex, University of Wales - Newport, University College Northampton, Norwich School of Art and Design, Northumbria, Nottingham Trent, Oxford and Cherwell College, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, Reading College and School of Arts and Design, Reading, Salford, Sheffield Hallam, Southampton Institute, Graphic Design, South East Essex College, Stamford College, Staffordshire, Stockport College of Further and Higher Education, Suffolk (associate of UEA), Sunderland, Surrey Institute of Art and Design, Swansea Institute of Higher Education, Swindon College, Teesside, Westminster, Wimbledon School of Art, Wolverhampton, York College.
What about teaching/research? No ratings here. However, the tutors on most graphic design courses are themselves practising designers, meaning that students learn professional skills as well. At Kingston, all are practising and have a broad base, meaning that they can tutor on almost anything. At Falmouth, those who aren't in professional practice work on projects such as the development of a Cornish lettering archive and on papers on design to be presented at history societies. Researchers at Brighton look at the links between design and culture.
Added value: Falmouth organises an evening at the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts) every year for its third year students, in which graduates are "shown off" to the design industry. Around 100 designers turn up, and it is an ideal opportunity for students to develop all-important contacts. Falmouth's excellent industry contacts also mean that second year students have the opportunity to do placements in consultancies in London or Amsterdam.
