Graphic Design Welcome Guide

Preparing for your course

We're delighted that you've chosen to join our creative community at Arts University Bournemouth. We can't wait to see what you'll create.

Welcome to BA (Hons) Graphic Design

This welcome pack is designed to give you an idea of what to expect during the first weeks of your course. Please take the time to read it carefully and take particular note of the pre-course preparation. We hope that you'll enjoy a happy and productive time with us, and we look forward to meeting you in October.

A message from your Course Leader

Welcome to BA (Hons) Graphic Design.

Please take the time to read this information. It gives you insight into what to expect during the first few weeks of your course, and some pre-course preparation. The team and I are excited by the prospect of working with you later this year.

During the first week, you'll be introduced to academic staff, Students’ Union, Student Services and various departments of the University who support you and your learning.

- Marion Morrison, Course Leader

Before you join us

Ask: what else can I do with this? Take a simple everyday item and challenge the assumption that it can only function in a certain way. Discover and imagine what else it could be used for.

Record your ideas (lots) as line drawings or photographs, group and save these as single page PDFs in a named folder.

How to submit your summer project

During the first week share your ideas with avella@aub.ac.uk. We'll collaborate to create a virtual wall of ideas in the studio and use this as a great opportunity to meet each other and share work.

Visit exhibitions, listen to TED Talks and podcasts, cook a nice meal, make some music, read a good book, spend some time daydreaming.

The Library at AUB is extremely well-resourced and includes all key texts that you'll need. The list below indicates the key texts that will be useful throughout your studies. All of these are available from our Library. You might want to borrow a copy from your local library to look at before you arrive. Reading lists will be supplied in your course handbook and at the start of each unit on the course.

The following key texts are worth purchasing and will be used throughout the course:

Lupton, Ellen (2010) Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, and Students. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.
Dunne, Anthony & Raby, Fiona (2013) Speculate Everything. London: The MIT Press.
Data Flow 2 (2010) Visualising information in Graphic Design. Berlin: Gestalten
Malpass, Matt (2017) Critical Design in Context. London: Bloomsbury
Klein, Naomi (2018) No is not enough: London: Penguin.
Noble, Ian & Bestley, Russell. (2011). Visual Research: An Introduction to Research Methodologies in Graphic Design. AVA Academia S.
Roberts, Lucienne (2006) Good: An introduction to ethics in graphic design. London AVA
Hara, Kenya (2010) Formations: Lars Muller Publishing
Shaunhnessy, Adrian & Beruit, Michael. (2009). Graphic Design: A User’s Manual. London: Laurence King.
Mirzoeff, Nicholas (2015). How to see the World. London Pelican Penguin.