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- BA (Hons) Graphic Design
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
On BA (Hons) Graphic Design, we believe in the power of design to evoke emotions and create meaningful connections to change the way people see, think, and behave in the world.
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement year: Optional 1 year
- Course code: W210 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
- Duration: 3 or 4 years full-time
- Placement year: Optional 1 year
- Course code: W210 (UCAS)
- Institution code: A66 (UCAS)
Featured quick links
Overview
Thinking through making is core to the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course. ‘Bringing ideas to life’ involves taking a concept or thought and turning it into a tangible reality or action that's expressed through creativity, innovation, and craft. This approach promotes design practice as a conversation, not a monologue, where you're encouraged to work with one another collaboratively on set and industry-led projects.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design course information
BA (Hons) Graphic Design provides a dynamic, student-centred learning experience, integrating specialist professional knowledge with theoretical academic understanding. This approach is relevant for various graduate-level roles and postgraduate study. Through project-based enquiry-led practice, sense-making activities, open-minded experimentation, robust critical thinking, and integrated writing output, you'll build your graphic design knowledge and understand its language and culture.
The BA (Hons) Graphic Design course benefits from deep professional practice knowledge, driven by our passion for conceptually led design projects and collaboration with industry partners and the creative sector. The curriculum, informed by industry, supports progressive learning, giving graduates a stronger critical knowledge of self-efficacy, participatory creativity, emerging technologies, and experimentation. Graduates are highly employable for their creative ideas, design skills, process thinking, and teamwork.
Conceptual thinking, resulting from creative openness to prototyping and exploration, is believed to define the future of graphic design. Thinking through making is central to the course. ‘Bringing ideas to life’ involves turning concepts into tangible realities through creativity, innovation, and craft. This approach promotes design practice as a conversation, encouraging students to work collaboratively on set and industry-led projects. This experience builds strong studio communities and networks, mirroring industry practice. Co-creation helps reframe ideas, challenge assumptions, and build trust and empathy for others' ideas and experiences.
The curriculum embraces innovative technologies and addresses design challenges from climate emergency, social injustice, economic inequality, and cultural development. You'll learn to respond ethically, with curiosity, and strategically to new challenges by identifying essential themes for each unit. The aim is to inspire responsible practitioners with core conceptual and technical skills, understanding graphic design's potential to influence and shape perceptions and behaviours.
A human, nature, and planet-centred approach nurtures positive, progressive interactions between the designer, the design output, and the end user. We aim to inspire future designers to become responsible practitioners, gain core skills, and understand graphic design's potential to influence and shape perceptions. The course connects with internal and external speakers through talks and workshops integrated into the AUB Human initiative.
You'll participate in study trips, events, set and ‘live’ projects, and designer-led workshops to integrate professional and transferable skills. This integration helps you to become confident, empathetic designers positioned within ‘design practice.’ Studio and cultural visits, attendance at the portfolio ‘Network Event,’ and placement options inform career ambitions and support the transition to industry or further study.
Placement year
All undergraduate courses at AUB offer an optional placement year, to be taken between your second and third years of study.
If you’re unsure about this optional placement, you don’t need to decide now. Once you’re here and studying with us, the course team will discuss the placement options with you, so when the time comes, you can make a decision that’s right for you.
Level 4 (first year)
The first year provides you with opportunities to develop fundamental skills, principles, processes, and knowledge. These are considered core attributes encompassing the tasks and knowledge expected of all graphic designers. All Level 4 units are designed to provide experience in the studio and computer lab, to promote confidence in using digital processes, methods, and materials essential to the study of graphic design. Additionally, gaining a working knowledge of typography is a key goal for this year, enabling you to effectively structure and arrange information to enhance communication and expression.
This level of study also offers a broader contextual understanding of the subject. Theory and practice are seamlessly integrated across all units. Skills in research, critical analysis, evaluation and communication of interrelated practices and technologies, are delivered to enhance your creative potential.
You'll explore contemporary global themes and issues related to design practice, contributing to the creative dialogue between theory and practice. Alongside incorporating these concepts into their design work, you're encouraged to be curious, take risks, and engage in experimentation – fostering growth as creative individuals who formulate and communicate visual solutions, either independently or collaboratively.
Throughout the year, emphasis is placed on generating and developing ideas. Units such as Exploring Graphic Communication and Visual Thinking will help in developing your typographic skills, visual language, and to the ability to research, experiment and generate ideas tailored to specific audience needs. The final unit in the year, Purposeful Curiosity, serves as a bridge to Level 5. Here, you're introduced to fundamental animation and motion graphic skills while delivering designed solutions. The importance of team working is also recognised within all units and include elements of self-reflection and peer evaluation.
Level 5 (second year)
In the second year, you'll consolidate and expand your digital, technical, typographic, design thinking and making skills. You'll identify different perspectives, specialisms, and modes of critical design thinking, within the broader field of graphic design. Furthermore, you'll explore code, moving image and emerging technologies, engaging in individual or collaborative projects with real-world applications. To highlight and celebrate your work, you'll participate in an industry 'Network Event' during the summer term, providing you with opportunities to build your design networks and establish connections within the creative industry.
Units in this year encourage you to engage with the subject from different viewpoints. In Innovate, you're challenged to embrace critical design practice and become agents of change. In Narrative, the focus is on designing motion design sequences and web interactions; you'll explore methods of analysing, constructing, and accessing narratives.
In Experience, you'll be introduced to immersive design and the user-centred agenda, preparing you for Level 6 study and units such as Future Practice. In this way, the Level 5 experience provides a way of scoping different understandings, skills, and methods of working that can inform your thinking in relation to the more self-directed practice, and project-based learning occurring at Level 6.
Theoretical and contextual understanding is broadened and deepened in a variety of ways in Level 5. Ethical and sustainability issues are addressed in units such as Experience and Place where talks and lectures align and integrate with the University’s AUB Human initiative. The Place unit provides opportunities to explore and reflect on practice, in relation to themes and issues that might go on to become the focus of Level 6’s Critical Practice and Major Project as well as future career planning.
The 'Network Event' encourages and supports you to participate in industry placements during summer break, which may help with the start of a career planning process.
Level 6 (third year)
In your final year, you'll continue to expand the scope of your skills, delve deeper into critical enquiry, and confirm your personal creative aspirations. You'll develop a strategic approach that directs your individual graphic design practice towards future career destinations. In the units Future Practice and Major Project, a research-oriented approach underpins experimental, disruptive, and speculative methods. This encourages you to take the lead in shaping your own path, empowering your practice. Learning in these units is primarily project-based, emerging from the challenges and nuances of each project.
The Critical Practice unit offers opportunities for advanced independent research, which can complement the Major Project. The integration and consolidation of themes across Level 6 units support and enhance creative practice and career aspirations. Additionally, beyond academic writing, you're expected to use your writing skills for reflecting on and organising ideas and process, messaging, specification, copywriting and pitching ideas.
At Level 6, all units require you to define your study through Learning Agreements, which are negotiated with the teaching team. These agreements provide focus and enable you to demonstrate agency by integrating your own interests and passions into your learning.
The course emphasises an outward-facing perspective, evident through engagement with competition briefs and input from visiting speakers. Project briefs may be ‘ignited’ in workshops led by designers, providing a springboard for research and ideation.
We enter National and International competitions to connect with high level industry and take advantage of the opportunities these bring to build networks, gain internships and employment.
- Creative Conscience Awards (2024) Animation (bronze), winners – Rosie Lorane, Hal Rumney Hunt, Lettie Suen, Amoré van der Linde
- Creative Conscience Awards (2024) Health, Wellbeing and Disability, highly commended – Millie Harvey, Finlay Heanue, Oona McLeary, Cui Xuan Aw
- D&AD New Blood Award (2024) Graphite Pencil, winners – Karla Noren, Klaudia Ptasinska
- D&AD New Blood Award (2024) Wood Pencil, winners – Gergana Sarieva, Phoebe Hart, Conrad Wells
- D&AD New Blood Award (2024) Wood Pencil and Portfolio Prize, winner – Duc Anh Le
- D&AD New Blood Award (2023) White Pencil, winners - Eve Sawyer, Sara Hunt
- Royal Society of Arts Student Award (2024) Xposure, Skin, winner – Ailsa Smith
- Royal Society of Arts Student Design Awards (2023) Planet Generation, winner – Josie Field
- Royal Society of Arts Student Award (2024) Steady, Caring Culture, Highly Commended for Innovation – Amelia Blantern
- Royal Society of Arts Student Award (2024) Terra Hex AI, Highly Commended for Innovation and Sustainability – Tess Taylor
- ISTD Accreditation Award (2024) Tweed – Zoe Higham Rowe
- ISTD Accreditation Award (2023) – Daniel Bryant
- Design + Digital Student Award (2024) Fault – Cerys Bessell
- Penguin Cover Award (2024) Atomic Habits – George Griffiths
- 3 Sided Cube Design for Good Award (2024), winner – Ailsa Smith
- 3 Sided Cube Design for Good Award (2023), winner – Jessie Denyer
- Creative Conscience (2023) Bloody Good Period – Zoe Higham Rowe, Grace Rolls, Ailsa Smith, Joe Taylor
- JDO RAW (2023), winner – Chiara Causer
- Wadworth Brewery Competition, (2023) winner – Gemma Cook
Student gallery
Meet the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course team
On BA (Hons) Graphic Design, you’ll benefit from the expert guidance of our experienced teaching staff, that include professional graphic designers, researchers and relevant visiting practitioners delivers the course. The course is outward-facing and works closely with creative agencies and other organisations at local, national, and international levels.
Graphic Design is a dynamic creative field and, at its core, it is about communicating to inform, educate, entertain, and persuade. Experimentation, discovery and transformation of creative ideas into tangible expressions are important values on this course. Graphic Design joins thinking and making. Through design-led enquiry, we gain insight into unfamiliar contexts and explore opportunities to turn end-user or audience needs into human-centred solutions. There’s no 'right' answer and you’ll be supported to try new things and confidently find your own path as you learn more skills.
Watch our course videos
Course leader Marion Morrison talks about what to expect from studying BA (Hons) Graphic Design here at AUB, and Senior Lecturer Alice Stevens explains how graphic design is changing the world.
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Application process
Once you've found the perfect Undergraduate course, you can apply to study via UCAS, including direct entry applications to second and third year.
When applying through UCAS, use the institution code A66 for courses taught at Arts University Bournemouth. For courses based at Bournemouth and Poole College, use code B49. We'll then use your completed UCAS form to make decisions about your application. You can find out more on entry requirements in our apply section.
When you apply to one of our courses, it's important that you help us get a good picture of both you and your work – so you'll need a great personal statement. We want to know more about why you're interested in the course, your key influences, and what you hope to do after your studies.
If you're invited for an interview, many of our courses will ask to see a portfolio of your work so we can get more insight into your ideas and abilities. To help you, we've created guidelines outlining what we expect from your portfolio for each course.
The fee that you pay the Arts University Bournemouth provides the necessary equipment and training for you to complete your course.
You may also choose to buy some items of personal equipment such as a laptop or tablet computer, but this is not required; desktop and laptop computers are available for you to use in common study areas, including a loan system in the Library.
If you decide to undertake an optional placement year, the tuition fee is £1,850. This is subject to inflationary increases based on government policy, and providing you progress through the course in the normal timeframe (no repeat years or breaks in study).
For the majority of our courses, we'll ask you to digitally submit a portfolio as part of the application process.
Portfolios should show examples of your work – both finished and work in progress – that demonstrate your interests and skills. We expect to see around 10 slides/images in your portfolio that shows your identity as an artist.
If we ask for a digital portfolio then we'll give you 30 days to submit it. Sometimes we'll need a portfolio submitted quickly if there's a UCAS set deadline approaching, but if you need more time, just let us know and we'll try to help.
We've created specific portfolio guidelines for each of our courses, you can take a look at these below.
If you've applied to study an online postgraduate (MA) degree, please refer to the AUB Online portfolio guidelines.
This course will require you to attend an in-person audition and/or interview. If you're invited to one, you'll be given at least 10 days notice.
Studios and resources
Teaching, learning and assessment
BA (Hons) Graphic Design is a practice-based course. The studio and a studio culture are central to the ethos of the course. The emphasis is on building creative skills, cognitive processes and methodologies. The diversity of the student group brings benefits of cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural experience.
The course objectives are met by structuring the learning progressively and by incorporating a wide variety of learning and teaching methods and experiences. Including: project-based learning, workshops, lectures, seminars, educational visits, group critiques and tutorials.
You'll develop creative cognitive skills, including research methodologies, critical analysis, problem-solving, communication and presentation as well as specialist technical skills.
You'll be encouraged to experiment, take risks, and try out new things. The moment when new-found skills and knowledge are connected to your existing skill set and understanding, is seen as an opportunity for insight, creativity and learning. Projects involve phases of research discovery, problem finding, insight gathering, problem-solving, and spotting opportunity for innovation.
Throughout, the programme integration of theory, critical thinking and practice is promoted. The learning experience emphasises the disciplines required of a creative practitioner and promotes the development of transferable skills, preparing you for a variety of employment routes and postgraduate study.
A team of staff that include professional Graphic Designers, researches and relevant visiting practitioners delivers the course. The course is outward facing and works closely with design agencies and other organisations at local, national and international levels.
Staff are responsible for co-ordinating individual units of study, and for selecting appropriate methods of delivery according to subject matter and student experience.
The study time allocated to each unit in the course incorporates a balance of formal teaching, tutorial support and independent learning.
Midway through the larger 40 credit units Formative Assessment will take place to help you keep on track, monitor your progress and support your achievement.
You'll have the opportunity to take part in major graphic design competitions, for example in second year, Creative Conscience, and in final year, the International Society of Typographic Designers Licentiate scheme that gives the opportunity to attain a specialist professional qualification and the Royal Society of Arts Student Design Awards as well as Design and Art Direction new Blood student awards offer opportunities to participate in industry-based briefs.
The course is structured progressively to provide increased opportunities for independent learning as you reach the final year of the course.
The tutor leading the unit will use a variety of methods of delivery in order to encourage your participation in the learning process. Progressively teaching is directed at providing you with the critical judgement necessary to take increasing responsibility for the management of your own learning towards individual goals. Throughout the units within a year and (year on year) across the course, you're encouraged to gradually become more autonomous, and to consider yourself as a professional designer.
Teaching is both directed at individual learning and working in teams to enable you to learn the value of peer collaboration.
Contact hours include all scheduled teaching sessions, but also supervised time in the workshop or studio.
Learning activities include: studio workshops, lectures, technical demonstrations, tutorials (individual and group), project reviews, presentations, independent study, field trips, AUB and London shows.
Typical contact hours can be found below:
Each unit is assessed separately, and the assessment forms part of the unit. Assessment both provides a measure of your achievement, and also gives you regular feedback on how your learning is developing.
For every unit of your course, we'll inform you of what you're expected to learn; what you have to submit; how your work will be assessed; and the deadline for presenting your work for assessment. This is made available through Unit Information, which is on your course blog.
You'll receive a final mark for each unit in the form of a percentage, which will be recorded on your formal record of achievement (transcript). Each component of assessment is graded using a notched marking scale, whereby only certain marks are used within each grade. The only marks available within any ten-point band are *2, *5 and *8 (e.g. 62, 65, 68). These marks correspond to a low, mid, and high level of achievement within each grade band.
All learning outcomes must be passed to successfully complete the unit.
On successful completion of your Honours degree course, you'll be awarded a degree classification based on your unit marks. The final classification is determined using all unit marks at Levels 5 and 6 using two different algorithms, which are detailed in the HE Student Regulations. If the two algorithms produce different results, you'll be awarded the higher class of degree.
If you have joined Level 6 through either the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) route or having completed a Foundation Degree (FdA), the final classification is determined using only your unit marks at Level 6.
For further information on assessment, progression, awards and classifications, please visit https://viewpoint.aub.ac.uk
What our BA (Hons) Graphic Design graduates are doing
Graduates of our course go on to play an active role in a wide range of communications businesses from design consultancies to media companies, publishers to packaging. And many set up their own companies.
Careers include:
- Graphic designer
- Brand strategist
- Brand consultant
- Motion graphic designer
- Systems, service designer
- UX/UI designer
- Packaging designer
- Strategic director
- Art director
- Content and social media designer
- Digital media designer
- Experience designer
Some BA (Hons) Graphic Design graduates choose to take postgraduate courses before embarking on their career.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design has close links with industry, and graduates are actively recruited by leading national and international design companies, including:
Forpeople | Sky Creative| JKR | Mad River | Moving Brands | NB Studios | Bond and Coyne | Pentagram | Walker Agency | Dixon Baxi | Ustwo | Nice & Serious | Bright Blue Day | Multi-adaptor | Dyson | Ogilvy | Accenture | 20 Ten Creative | Quantum
You can find out more about our alumni by browsing their profiles below.
Trips and visits
As part of BA (Hons) Graphic Design, you'll gain insight into the industry by visiting a range of design studios. You may also get the opportunity to take part in cultural course trips, previous trips have included:
- Berlin
- London
- Barcelona
- Madrid
- Venice
These trips are optional, and some may incur additional costs.
BA (Hons) Graphic Design has welcomed a wide range of inspiring speakers, to provoke discussion, deliver practice advice and workshops.
- Pali Palavathanan, TEMPLO
- Rob Nicoll, Co-Founder and CMO Chip[s] Board ltd
- Dr Cathy Gale, ‘X’ PhD research
- Rosie Isbell, Senior UX designer
- Rachel Andrews, Web developer, co-founder of Perch CMS and Notist
- Régine Debatty, Writer, curator, critic, We make money not art
- Alex Kosmidis, Joe Egan, Forpeople
- Tammy Johal, designer, Tide
- Izzi Hays, Creative Strategist Multi-adaptor
- Ruth Andrade, Lush
- Rebecca Ford, Head of Design and Innovation, The RSA
- Sevra Davies, British Council
- Laura Yarrow, Senior UX designer, Experience UX
- Ted Hunt, independent, discursive, critical designer
Eleni Beveratou – typography workshop – October 2023
We had the brilliant Eleni Beveratou – Creative Director at Dalton Maag – running a typography workshop for our third-year students.
AUB Human newspaper
The AUB Human newspaper features AUB student and staff work from the Environmental Connection project with BA (Hons) Graphic Design and Interior Architecture and Design courses. The project was undertaken in collaboration with Activate Performing Arts, in relation to the Green Space Dark Skies project at Maiden Castle in June 2022.