MA Graphic Design

This introductory unit is designed to orientate you with postgraduate study. Where does your past and present practice fit within contemporary graphic design? Which directions might you take in the future? You’ll also be challenged to expand on your own reference points as a practitioner.

Combining theory and practice, we’ll delve far beyond the aesthetic surface of graphic design. You’ll be introduced to design thinking: a research-informed, iterative process for understanding audiences, challenging assumptions, and ensuring that your designs have the right impact. This will shape your creative output before the creation stage, elevating your work as a catalyst for problem-solving.

Through the combined lens of both design and theory, we'll help you centre your practice on the UN’s sustainable development goals. Mirroring professional experience, you’ll be asked to make a successful communications strategy or campaign that prioritises eco-consciousness every step of the way – from the use of sustainable materials to the creation of impactful messaging.

For designers, the five senses are an important consideration when it comes to promoting certain customer behaviours. In this theory-based module, we’ll explore how sensory design can be used to influence brands and branded environments. You will then work collaboratively with your peers to design, present and reflect on a branded experience.

This unit will delve into cognitive science: the interdisciplinary study of mind and intelligence. We'll explore how the graphic design process and typography has been revolutionised by neuroscience, evidence-based design, and AI. You’ll also be tasked with creating a statement and either choosing or creating typography that amplifies, enhances, or elucidates your message.

Contemporary design practice often focuses on user needs, and this has ultimately shaped the landscape of customer experience. In this unit, you will learn how to adopt human-centred design: a problem-solving technique that puts real people at the heart of the development process.

Through several real-world case studies, we’ll explore ‘nudge theory’ in visual design. You’ll develop a profound understanding of how your projects can influence audience behaviours, shift social perceptions, and act as a catalyst for positive social change.

Together, we’ll explore how to become champions of inclusive design. Inclusive design is a design process that considers diverse groups of people and their needs in visual communication. You'll learn how to make your products, designs and services usable by as many people as reasonably possible – no matter what their age, ability, and socioeconomic background.

This module represents a pivotal point in your academic journey. Together, we’ll help you define the study focus for your Final Project. You’ll also reflect on your purpose as a graphic designer and determine the lines of enquiry you will delve into in your future practice.

This final module is your opportunity to demonstrate the vast breadth of knowledge and skills you have acquired. You’ll work independently to produce a resolved, research-informed, practical project on the topic outlined in your research proposal.

This course is suitable for students who wish to build on their current and existing knowledge in graphic design, but also maybe transfer from other subject related areas. This could include art and design, digital design and development, possibly the print industry or illustration, and maybe even subjects such as marketing.

Uniquely, this course has lots of short credit modules and this is advantageous for students working, who want to study maybe alongside a job or with other commitments and they can manage it at their own pace and in their own time. It also means we can introduce broader subjects, which touch on traditional graphic design, but offer insight into other industries which is really necessary in the world of graphic design today. And it makes this particular course is unique because we have a professional, leading in their industry at the head of each of these modules. So you're getting a flavor, for example, of, human centered design by a UX and UI specialist, which looks at design thinking and ways of doing things differently.

We also have a a module which is designed for inclusion, where we look at, people from neurodiverse backgrounds or designing for an aging population for example. And we these days you have to look at strategy and in broader marketing skills as well.

They will learn a multitude of skills from the very, short fifteen credit modules, where we have an industry expert, the head of each module. This is so that students can have that they can think laterally. So we're trying to create students that have perception to, identify problems to solve as well as become solve problem solvers in the world of design.

So this MA award offers the, the bonus of being offered flexibly and online and direct from the Arts University Bournemouth with the advantages of all the study skills, the support, the pastoral care and the exceptional facilities available here at AUB. The The program is a great platform for professionals wanting to further their ambitions in employment or professional practice, for further education or those wanting, inspiration to start their own creative agency or business.

Students are going to learn skills, which introduce broader topics and also touch on traditional graphic design skills. And we're offering these additions to these core skills by, insight into related industries. So the module themes contain subject such as design thinking, knowledge of marketing and targeting audiences, brand strategy, and user experience. These are all the skills that designers will need for the next generation.