Graphic Design BA (Hons)

In the first year, the curriculum is shared across related graphics courses, enabling you to gain a broad grounding in the discipline before going on to specialist units in your chosen field in the second and third years. In your common first year, you will explore the fundamentals of design. With a focus on process, you will explore techniques, technologies, and research-inspired design as you work on individual and team projects. The course expands to cover a huge range of experimental processes, platforms, and technologies, meaning that you will build a strong portfolio demonstrating your design skills and innovative practice. This unit also introduces theories and ideas of design and visual culture and teaches you how to use them in your practical work.

40 credits

In this unit, you will explore and experiment with techniques, materials, and media. You will explore the fundamental principles of visual communication and develop skills in typography, printing, layout, photography, design research, idea generation, and storytelling. You’ll learn technical skills in various design-related software, such as InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Figma, and After Effects. You’ll be introduced to essential skills in organising and presenting complex data and information using typography, illustration, infographics, and wider graphic language, as well as how people view, process, and act on the wealth of visual information they receive every day.

80 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus.  The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

This unit will develop your ability to creatively respond to graphic design challenges through real-world problem-solving exercises. You’ll work on a series of specialist live client projects and competition briefs that will give you the experience and confidence of working in a professional environment. Developing skills and knowledge of idea generation, typography, imagery, copywriting, motion, print, and making, are key areas of your study. This learning is supported by projects including branding, visual identity, packaging design, editorial design, image-making, design for social media and digital platforms, advertising, and promotional media. Throughout this unit you’ll explore materials and processes through making, folding experimenting with formats and specialist print finishing. You’ll develop a portfolio of work demonstrating your ability to document a design process, including evidence of design research, experimentation and exploration of design ideas, and appropriate presentation skills. You will also explore the historical and theoretical issues relating to graphic visual culture globally, helping you develop your own critical opinions about graphic design’s role in society.

80 credits

This unit focuses on how you work with your peers and clients to take ideas from concept to presentation to build your in-depth knowledge of the graphic design industry. You’ll learn how collaborative work can help you focus and enhance your creative thinking, exposing you to new processes and approaches. You’ll gain confidence exploring a range of skills, including teamwork dynamics, resilience, and adaptability, emphasising the value of alternative perspectives and consider the opportunities and challenges of collaborative work. You’ll build your knowledge in time and project management and your creative decision-making. Learning is supported through team tutorials with tutors and art directors from the publishing industry, and project development review meetings to produce physically printed/made 2D or 3D objects and digital assets such as animations, motion and interactive work. This is an opportunity to build a portfolio of work that reflects your interests, and identify your long-term plans.

40 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus.  The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.

This is the first, and shorter, of the two units that make up your final year of undergraduate study. In this unit you are setting the agenda for your research and creative practice, which will help you begin to define your final portfolio and career goals. The focus in this unit is on research, experimentation, and development of your individual creative practice. You’ll undertake and initiate creative activities from a range of set projects and choose from competition briefs set by established professional bodies and client briefs. This will allow you to explore and experiment with a broad range of communication ideas, approaches to content, and materials, including analogue and digital outcomes. You’ll apply various research methods informed by your approach to your creative practice and future career aspirations. Due to the open and creative nature of the studio work, you will be encouraged to explore new processes and production methods relevant to the communication of your ideas. The Graphics Talk programme will allow you to network with industry leaders and participate in national and international competitions.

40 credits

Your final unit allows you to research, conceptualise, and create a self-determined final-year project(s), building on the skills, knowledge and understanding you have gathered throughout the programme. You’ll consider your creative route and receive expert guidance towards completing your chosen project(s). The unit focuses on reinforcing the process of applied theories, fundamentals, and principles particular to branding, visual identity, packaging design, editorial design, image-making, design for social media and digital platforms, advertising, and promotional media to support your transition from student to designer. There are opportunities to engage in national and internationally recognised student design competitions judged by the design industry, as well as live project briefs (internal and external) taught by designers from the industry. Through the weekly Graphics Talk programme and regular tutorials with industry, you’ll get to meet and network with established and respected practitioners and discuss your work and portfolio with visiting lecturers. You’ll have the opportunity to display your final year project as part of our degree show, Grad Fest, which allows you to showcase your work to our network of industry professionals and prospective employers.

80 credits

The first week of each academic year is called Wayfinding week. It’s an opportunity get your bearings, establish new connections and, after your first year at Norwich, re-establish old ones. Your course team will talk you through the year ahead and explain the expectations for the year. We’ll help you navigate new encounters and identify areas to focus on as you progress through your course.

An important element of Wayfinding Week is taking part in our annual ‘Make it Manifest(o)’ project. Your course team will introduce the project in which we’ll ask you to consider your hopes and vision of the year ahead at Norwich and work with students in other year groups to bring your ideas to life. The project culminates in a celebratory display of work across the campus.  The project will help you to develop your critical creativity through different approaches, concepts, and mediums. You’ll encounter diverse perspectives and build friendships and networks within our university community.

Interchange weeks are opportunities to step away from your disciplinary studies and engage in projects, workshops, visits and talks that extend your knowledge and understanding of the world. Whether you learn a new skill or take part in a global challenge project with students from other courses, you will come away with new insights to take back to your course. Interchange is part of the schedule for all Norwich students with sessions held across and beyond the campus led by university staff, visiting lecturers and students.