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Welcome to Graphics at Norwich

We hope that you are having a good summer. We are looking forward to welcoming you onto the course in September and working with you.

Welcome Week starts on Monday 15 September, and this is when we will meet you on campus and introduce you to our buildings and facilities. You will meet some of the staff team and other students on your course and take part in some introductory activities designed so you can get to know each other and remain safe on campus. You will also attend talks about the services and facilities the University offers. Above all, this week is about having fun and making connections, so we have a full and exciting timetable of social events and activities you can sign up to in conjunction with our fantastic Students’ Union team.

The four Graphics courses (BA Graphic Design, BA Graphic Communication, BA Design for Publishing, and BSc User Experience Design) are taught together in the combined delivery of Year 1 Graphics. The curriculum is specifically designed to support, develop, and allow exploration of subject knowledge appropriate to all four courses. The foundational skills, design thinking, problem solving, and communication skills gained are relevant to all specialisms and are the proven building blocks to success in your chosen subject area.

The first taught day of your course is Monday 22nd September. This is the start of Wayfinding Week; a week of various introductions and orientation sessions, so that you get to know how things work and settle into your studies.

Generally, over this year, you will have timetabled sessions on Monday, Tuesday, and Friday each week, with our Ways of Being Programme (first unit) and lectures from industry speakers (all year) on Wednesday mornings. On Thursdays we have optional ‘open studio’ time to provide additional support and help you progress projects. We look to keep your timetable simple and on a repeat pattern so that you can follow it easily and so that you can plan other aspects of your life, such as part-time work, if necessary.

The timetabled sessions will be made up of half-day studio teaching sessions and hour-long tutorials. The rest of your time during the week will usually be independent study time for you to research and develop your projects. Independent study is a vital aspect of university study, and one of the key steps towards your future employability.

Individual timetables will be given at the start of the course. In addition to sessions on campus, there will also be digital teaching sessions such as pre-recorded briefings and lectures, group seminars and individual tutorials too. You will be introduced to all these elements so don’t worry about any of this now!

On independent study, and days where online teaching is scheduled, you are able to access the campus to continue your work as needed, or you can elect to work remotely. We will help you understand the nuances of your timetable, and also to plan your time.

You will see that we’ve included some suggestions of things you might like to read, watch and do before you arrive, and provided suggestions about equipment and materials you are likely to need, so please read through the page carefully.

Summer preparation for Graphic Design, Graphic Communication, Design for Publishing and User Experience Design

Prior to joining us in September, please take a look at the various blogs, websites, books and films/documentaries listed below. These will give you a head start in thinking like a designer, solving problems, and exploring visual creativity.

An important part of your studies at university will involve looking at various things your tutors recommend. Following up on such resources is a key aspect of your independent study and is central to your learning and development. It is good practice, therefore, to get in this habit now. We hope that the things you see will both excite and inspire you.

You might like to explore the following design related websites/blogs – these get continually updated, so re-visit them regularly!

Watch and Listen

Here are a few films and documentaries that are well worth your time to help you get inspired before you start:

UI Breakfast Podcast

UI Breakfast

Michael Bierut on how to think like a designer

Abstract: The Art of Design (Season 1) – Paula Scher

Annie Atkins: The secret world of graphic design for filmmaking

My Life in Design podcasts

My Life in Design

You might like to listen to all of these. A few to get you started:

Equipment and materials list

This is a list of equipment that you will need over your time on the Graphics course. You may already have some of the things on this list, but all of it you will use at some point, so read through the list to check what you need to purchase in preparation for commencing your course.

Laptops

While we have computers in the studios and labs for you to use (Apple iMacs), you may find it more convenient to bring your own laptop.

Apple Mac computers tend to be prevalent in the design industry, so if you are planning to buy a new or second-hand laptop, we recommend you consider this. However, if you already own a PC laptop you do not need to replace it.

Make sure the computer you buy can run the Adobe Creative Cloud apps, particularly InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects. We will provide this software for you for your computer, so there is no need to buy your own software. Refer to the guide for details of laptop specifications.

Tablet

In addition to a laptop, you may like to buy a tablet for drawing e.g. an Apple iPad, but this is not essential, and should not be bought instead of a laptop, because iPads are not able to run the full Creative Cloud suite of applications which you will need to use for your projects

Equipment

Most of these items are available from our campus shop, at discounted prices. So, if you don’t have them, look to get them during Welcome Week.

Explore more

Undergraduate Course Information