Graphic Design

• Our courses reflect the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary visual communication
  
• We aim to retain the balance between digital media and traditional craft based skills
  
• The emphasis is on creative visual thinking and our approach is not ‘what to think’ but ‘how to think’.
  

• Read Graphic Design course information (PDF, file size: 341.54KB)

Jessica Sidaway won the Shine Awards, a design competition by a global branding company, Coley Porter Bell. Read more

Graphic Design graduate Andy Cooke is scaling the career ladder. Just months after completing his course in summer 2010, he was named a ‘Rising Star’ by industry magazine Design Week. Read more

It's been another successful year at D&AD, New Blood and more for our Graphic Design graduates

Graphic Design Awards Report 2009

"Throughout the 3 years of the course I enjoyed sharing an environment with fellow students that allowed me to grow and mature as a designer. Giving me the freedom to work as an individual or in a group. Tutors were also very supportive through ups and downs at University, giving me help whenever I needed it and helping me to achieve many of my goals. I couldn't of asked for a better experience."

Mike Willows 2007 graduate now working at packaging and branding company; Core, London.

Our cluster of Graphic Design awards attempt to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary visual communication. With an emphasis on creative visual thinking, we encourage diverse approaches to working with both digital and craft-based media. We provide you with a creative working environment for the exploration, development and cross-fertilisation of ideas, spanning a broad spectrum of disciplines from: typography, illustration, advertising and art direction, to editorial/magazine design. Our aim is to develop and harness your own capacity to think creatively through communication problems towards fresh and innovative solutions, encouraging collaboration and a strong sense of self-directed purpose.

Graphic Design students are encouraged to experiment creatively and critically generate ideas for a wide range of projects including; brand identity, packaging, advertising, typography design and image making. There are also opportunities to develop skills in web design, animation and printmaking. Students will also explore historical and contemporary issues in art and design enabling the production of graphic design that has meaning and relevant content. Experimentation with mark making techniques will be encouraged through projects in collage, painting, print, photography, 3D materials and digital media. Students will also examine the history and future direction of illustration.

An excellent feature of this course is its strong links with the design industry including visiting lecturers from top design companies such as; Jonathan Barnbrook, Glorious Creative, The Chase; membership and direct involvement with organisations such as D&AD, visits to design and advertising agencies and trips to cultural centres such as London, New York and Barcelona. Individual and experimental approaches are nurtured throughout the programme in order for you to discover your own unique talents and to find your own voice.

In order that you can tailor the course to your own pathway and skills, your chosen programme will be supported by a flexibly structured series of option choices taught by a range of specialist staff and will comprise: set-projects, competitions, lectures, seminars and workshops. At the centre of this activity lies a structure of group tutorials, critiques and personal tutorials.

In Level 4 you will be encouraged and inspired to think differently and to become more visually aware. Through a series of individual and team-based projects you will explore the interplay between word and image through experimentation in a wide range of media approaches in both two and three dimensions. Workshops in wood, metal, plastics, screen-printing, typography, and industry standard software packages are all offered at this level.
To compliment and enhance the core programme you are able to select from options in: photography, animation, 3D modelling, advertising and brand management, surface pattern, multimedia design, image making, design theory and cultural studies. The introduction of working methods, rules and parameters in Level 4 paves the way for more freedom and personal expression in Level 5.

Level 5 builds on your skills and knowledge acquired and looks in more depth at the breadth of graphic communication: taking into account such elements as promotion, corporate identity, editorial design, visual storytelling and typographic design to name a few. We have a number of option modules for you to choose from including: web design, digital illustration, advertising and packaging, photography and art direction, and an optional work placement module. The emphasis of the second year is on experimentation and professionalism, so you will explore a variety of media and learn to how to apply them appropriately within your projects.

In order to give you an understanding of the design industry there are opportunities to attend educational visits to top agencies in both New York and London. We also encourage you to enter into National Design competitions such as the MPA Roses and D&AD awards. In preparation for Level 6 the final semester culminates in a personal project, where you can put to use all the skills you have acquired and to examine in more depth your individual interests within illustration/publication/graphic design.

The final year focuses on you and your own creative ambitions. You are grouped according to your area of interest and focus. Tutors act as facilitators encouraging you to discuss and debate subjects of social and cultural interest and to develop exciting visual communication solutions within your self negotiated programme of study. Design Futures is a distinctive Level 6 module which builds on the agency visits in Level 5, enabling you to research into your possible future, forging deeper links with industry and broadening your employment potential after graduation.

Our ‘real world’ focus has enabled graduates to succeed in a broad range of career pathways with students gaining employment in top creative companies such as The Chase, Elmwood, Love Creative, Channel 4 and True North, Lambie Nairn, Future Publishing and Hallmark. The course boasts many awards in D&AD, Roses, and RSA competitions.

We have an excellent reputation in the industry because of our emphasis on transferable skills, such as problem solving through exploration and lateral thinking, team work, communication skills and managing projects from concepts through to final presentations.

Kerry White
"I really enjoyed my three years at Staffordshire university, I have learnt so much about design and after graduating with a First Class Honours it hasn't stopped there. Since leaving University I haven't stopped, its been placement after placement and its great!
I have been to some of Londons top agencies including The Partners, HGV, The Chase, Radford Wallis and Turner Duckworth. I love working in design and have met so many lovely people on the way who have taught me so much."

Robert Sherwood
"I have been very lucky as shortly after the D&AD exhibition I was contacted by Andy‚ from Roundel as he saw Utopia and loved its aesthetics. He invited me in to see my portfolio, offered me a months placement; this was then extended to two months and mid-way through the second month, interviews were held for a Junior Designer's position. After a couple more interviews I got the job!It‚s a really great company run by two fantastic guys Mike Denny (ex-vice president of D&AD) and Simon John who joined about a year ago from Ergo ID.

There is quite a lot of really creative briefs in, like paper promotions and stamps for the Royal Mail and also a lot of really good practice, hardcore graphics that we do for the some rail services like maps, pictograms and information posters."

Robert Leah
"I am currently for working for Roundel, a London based design and identity agency headed up by the sagacious Mike Denny and Simon John. Staffs ensured that I had the skills, ability and essentially the confidence, attain this fantastic job.
The course endowed me with strong craft and typography skills and taught me the importance of simplicity and clarity in visual communication. Roundel has helped to build on these foundations and I have continued to learn surrounded by great designers and working on some great projects for clients such as the Royal Mail, Zanders and D&AD."  

• BA(Hons) Graphic Design and BA(Hons) Illustration Programme Specification (PDF, file size: 110.08KB)

For more information about Graphic Design (W211) please contact: