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Graphic Design and Illustration
Complete Graphic Design (SEG Award – Lev...

Complete Graphic Design (SEG Award – Level 2 Certificate)

Ages: 18+
Term: Autumn
Length: 30 weeks

Overview

This 30-week course gives you the opportunity to develop sound graphic design skills and earn an accredited Level 2 qualification from Skills Education Group.

To book your place today, simply click the 'Book Now' button to be taken to AUB's secure online store, where you can complete your booking. You can also sign up to our newsletter for short course updates.

What you need to know

Autumn term 2024

Thursday 10 October – 12 December 2024 (10 Thursdays, 18.00-21.00)

Saturday 7 December 2024 (09.00-16.00)

Continuation in spring term 2025

Thursday 6 February – 10 April 2025 (10 Thursdays, 18.00-21.00)

Saturday 29 March 2025 (09.00-16.00)

Continuation in summer term 2025

Thursday 17 April – 19 June 2025 (10 Thursdays, 18.00-21.00)

Saturday 31 May 2025 (09.00-16.00)

Please note, it’s not possible to enrol on this course part-way through. You’ll need to attend from the start date in October.

You’ll be expected to complete projects, exercises, and research outside your sessions at AUB. You’ll be provided with more details about timelines and project submission deadlines at the start of the course.

Age

Suitable for adults aged 18+.

Level

Intermediate or anyone with some experience who want to refresh or develop their skills further.

Experience or qualifications required

You should possess some graphic design knowledge or experience in order to benefit the most from this course. Ideally, you’ll have previously completed Digital Graphic Design – an Introduction.

If you'd like to discuss if this course is suitable for you, get in touch with us: shortcourses@aub.ac.uk or 01202 363222.

£1,249

Deposit

You can choose to secure your place with a deposit of £400 and pay the remainder of your fees in two further instalments of £400 and £449. Simply, choose this option when booking your place online. The total balance of your course fee is payable by 1 October 2024. See our T&Cs (below) for further details.

Any additional costs

You'll need to provide some of your own art materials and equipment. This'll incur an additional cost if you need to purchase it for the course. See the 'What to bring to class' section below for full details.

Additional materials and resources will be provided by AUB and is included in your course fee.

A3 sketchbook
Notebook and pens/pencils to take notes
USB flash drive

A student stands painting two cherries in a sketch book.

Suggested Suppliers

Information about resourcing specialist materials/consumables that you may need to bring these with you

A flower and a pair of sunglasses rest on a pair of boxes. A stiletto heel shoe and a handbag are sitting in front of another box. The other stiletto heel shoe is on top of one of the boxes.

Short Courses FAQs – Evening and Weekend and Saturday Art School

If you have any questions about our Evening and Saturday Short Courses, you may find the answers in here.

A person leans in and looks closely at a big display board with assorted pieces of graphic design work.

Short Courses booking T&Cs

Please read our Terms and Conditions carefully before booking onto our Evening and Weekend courses.

About this course

This 30-week Skills Education Group (SEG) Level 2 accredited qualification will equip you with all the essential design and production skills required to be successful in the graphic design industry. You’ll elevate your understanding of design and explore the creative possibilities of graphics including in print, publishing, and digital practices.  

Having a Level 2 qualification will prepare you for further learning, give you the skills to progress in your current job, or equip you with new skills needed to change your career path.

You'll be expertly guided by your tutor through exercises and set projects including working with graphic design briefs, how to research, visualisation skills, planning and applying digital media, advertising, and packaging in graphic design. Other topics covered in group sessions will include the psychology of type, brand identity, composition, information graphics and campaign planning – this will also be applied to your individual projects.

As well as creating compositions using words, images, and colours you’ll also explore professional layout design and explore corporate identity design. You’ll be expected to enhance your skills in contextual thinking within design and ideas generation. Course sessions will also include using software applications such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign along with other contemporary tools.

You'll plan, produce and present final outcomes which may include photography, reprographic techniques, digital software, and font design. Techniques and equipment will be closely aligned to industry working practices to fully prepare you for developing as a graphic designer.

Techniques of developing a creative process 
Variety of research strategies 
Drawing, illustration, and approach of mixed media 
Typography and font design 
Creating original artwork for publicity materials (posters, flyers, cards) 
Advertising techniques, corporate and packaging design 
How to turn ideas into creative and sophisticated concepts 
Advanced work with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign techniques 
3D and 2D visual communication 
Individual project-based assignments 
Professional presentation skills

At the end of the course you'll:

Be prepared and confident in taking the next step in your creative journey, including pursuing further academic studies
Have a strong portfolio of work showcasing your skills developed throughout the course
Be able to demonstrate a wide range of graphic design techniques
Have had the opportunity to explore the importance of graphic design in branding, marketing, advertising, and packaging
Possess an enhanced ability to visually communicate your ideas and develop your visual voice
Have the skills to use Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop effectively and efficiently
Be able to turn ideas into creative and sophisticated concepts
Have increased confidence in your own skills and feel inspired
Have boosted creativity and imagination
Possess the foundations to continue creating beyond this course
You can request a certificate to confirm your achievements, providing you've a 100% attendance record. To request a certificate please get in touch with us at shortcourses@aub.ac.uk and confirm your name and the title of course you've completed

Will I be assessed?

Yes, if you complete this one-year programme and meet the necessary ongoing assessment criteria set by Skills Education Group you’ll be awarded an accredited Level 2 Skills Education Group certificate.

You’ll take part in group discussions and share your work for feedback. As the course progresses your tutor will measure your overall performance and offer essential guidance and feedback, so you know how you're getting on.

Book your place today

Book now

Meet your tutor

Emily Melling

Emily is a Graphic Designer and AUB graduate with a BA in Visual Communication.

Graphic design gallery

Sketchbook page with 12 different pencil drawings of Middle Street Bakery logos.

Open portfolio book with assorted colour swatches on the left-hand page.

Sketchbook page showing coloured illustrations of assorted vegetables and gardening equipment.

Box packaging for 'Aura' perfume sits on coloured paper cuttings.

Packaging box for 'Aura' rests on a plain surface.

Colourful packaging for perfume pictured against a multi-coloured backdrop.

Colourful packaging box for a perfume called 'Aura', resting on a multi-coloured surface.

Double page spreads of two books, one lying on top of the other, both containing a series of large images and blocks of text.

Two packaging boxes for a perfume called 'Cove', sitting on top of an open portfolio book.

Packaging box for a product called 'You', lying on top of an open portfolio book.

Packaging boxes for a perfume called 'You', resting on an open portfolio book.

Poster with illustrations of plants growing out of a watering can, a pair of boots and a shallow tray with a cat behind it. The main text appears above these illustrations and reads 'Where does your garden grow?'

Two pieces of packaging for 'Sense' lie on the spine of an open sketchbook.

Sketchbook page showing collage experimentation for 'Sense' botanical scent. Two pieces of packaging for 'Sense' lie on top of the page.

Sketchbook with graphics cuttings and hand-drawn illustrations, with handwritten captions and annotations.

Page with the heading 'Balance' in the top-left corner, with blocks of handwritten text and images along the bottom with handwritten annotations.

Beyond the course

This could just be the start of your creative journey! After this course, you could look to the future and explore our creative qualifications that can prepare you to further your current career, enable you to retrain to an alternative career path or prepare you for future creative arts studies.