Graphic Design & Illustration
Right: Jack Gaisford, UCA Canterbury
Cover: Pawel Halasa, UCA Epsom
Graphic Design & Illustration
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Introduction
Here at UCA, we’re proud to offer a strong portfolio of Graphic Design and Illustration degree programmes. BA (Hons) Illustration & Animation, for instance, will help you establish your own personal voice to communicate visually – you’ll look at applied drawing techniques, printing, editorial illustration and narrative sequence. On the Illustration course, you’ll explore creative methods of storytelling, making and creating using a variety of techniques. Our Graphic Design courses will help you to become a multi-disciplinary digital designer or artist, depending on which one you choose, and our Advertising course will give you insight into some of the world’s leading advertising agencies. You can explore all of our courses within this subject area in this brochure.
Resources include traditional printmaking, book production, animation, Mac suites, digital printing, 3D workshops, laser cutting, 3D printing, textiles, photography and video.
Our programmes are relatively small, providing you with good access to tuition and facilities. Our staff represent a range of backgrounds and experience – from commercial advertising and graphic design, to academic research-led practice. Most are active designers participating in exciting commercial or research projects.
Study with us and you’ll strengthen your own distinct and personal area of creative practice, underpinned by critical, conceptual and technical skill which will form the basis for your future creative career. Our graduates have a critical, conceptual and contextual understanding of the subject area, as well as creativity informed by technical skills.
You’ll have the opportunity to produce a wide variety of work here at UCA – some of our students have created typographic responses to briefs, technologydriven interactive pieces challenging identity and interface design for crisis equipment. Live projects have included packaging of a retrospective box set for band The Pixies, animated ‘live windows’ for flagship Benetton stores and information design for the United Nations in Brussels and New York.
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Sophie Tweedale, UCA Canterbury
Find the right course for you
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BA (Hons) Advertising
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
UCA Epsom
UCA Canterbury
Archie Challen & Rob De Souza, UCA Farnham
Liam Mockeridge, UCA Canterbury
Taught by highly experienced practitioners with connections to the biggest names in the industry, our Advertising degree offers you a unique opportunity to blend academic excellence with professional experience.
Throughout this course, you’ll study Graphic Design in its broadest global context, as a foundation to develop understanding of contemporary practice. Supported through an exciting programme of workshops, including typography, printmaking, photography, darkroom processes, 3D, letterpress and motion design, you’ll discover a range of digital and analogue making skills as related to still and moving images, alongside dedicated software training.
Supported by some of the world’s best-known creative directors, our course continues to develop a mentoring scheme. Visiting professors include Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, and Mark Waites, founding partner of Mother Advertising in London, New York, Los Angeles and Argentina. Through a carefully curated collection of units such as Art Direction, which introduces you to the process involved in creating a successful advertising campaign; Copywriting, which will encourage you to develop your ‘voice’ and understand how to talk to your audience; Advertising Strategy, which will give you the opportunity to explore some of the world’s leading advertising agencies; and Personal Practice, which gives you the platform to create and experiment with your own ideas, you will graduate with a strong knowledge of industry and your role within it.
Duration: 3 years full-time UCAS code: C93/W218/E UCAS tariff points: 112
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Explore how graphic design shapes form and content across the spectrum of media, from the printed page to the Internet in your first year in the Introduction to Visual Communications unit. From there, units such as Design Fundamentals, Visual Theory, The Editorial Process and Developing your Practice will enable you to experiment, find your own style and understand the processes and cultures of visual communication. In your final year you will undertake a self-directed research and design project and will create your final major project. You’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with your fellow students to present your work, preparing you for a career in industry.
Duration: 3 years full-time UCAS code: C93/W211/C UCAS tariff points: 112
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BA (Hons) Graphic Design
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
UCA Epsom 3 and 4 year routes available
UCA Farnham
Ilias Diamantiridis, UCA Epsom
Emma Mills, UCA Farnham
This course takes a practice-based look at the art of visual communication, learning both analogue and digital skills such as typography, illustration, moving image and social design within an encouraging and inspiring environment.
On this course, we’ll introduce you to the exciting array of avenues within graphic communication – from branding, typography and advertising, to print media, digital publishing and graphic design.
In the first year, you’ll undertake units like Developing Thinking and Developing Making, which will further your existing knowledge and understanding of the tools you need to explore the fundamentals of graphic design practice. You’ll also gain a broader understanding of the use of software to experiment with your ideas. In the second year, you’ll be able to choose from a variety of options including Illustration, Typography, Interaction & Interface, Information and Design Laboratory. These options will encourage you to specialise in a particular field, hone your skills and, alongside industry experience, begin to apply your knowledge in the real world. In the final year, you’ll demonstrate your understanding of graphic design with your creative thinking in your final major project, which you will be able to exhibit at the Graduation Show. You’ll also submit your dissertation, a large body of selfdirected research.
Duration: 3 years full-time UCAS code: C93/W210/E UCAS tariff points: 112
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Duration: 4 years full-time UCAS code: C93/W214/E UCAS tariff points: 64
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In the first year, you’ll focus on the investigation, testing and application of the guiding principles and processes associated with graphic communication, while also beginning to explore and experiment with your own projects. Units such as Publishing & Narrative and Contextual & Theoretical Perspectives in the second year will give you the vital background knowledge and critical thinking skills to apply what you learn to the real world. In your final year you’ll begin to synthesise your practice through the Creative Research and Practice Unit and will produce your final major project, bringing together your written and practical work. You’ll be encouraged to collaborate, socialise and share ideas within our unique community of creative students, as well as utilise the industry knowledge of our experienced design professionals and tutors.
Duration: 3 years full-time UCAS code: C93/W217/F UCAS tariff points: 112
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BA (Hons) Illustration & Animation
UCA Farnham 3 and 4 year routes available
UCA Canterbury
Theodor Fahlen, UCA Farnham
Molly Jones, UCA Canterbury
On our long-established and renowned Illustration course has a strong reputation for visual narrative and documentary, underpinned by an understanding that the best illustration is based on exciting, original ideas.
Our Illustration & Animation degree has a strong focus on social and cultural contexts for practice, shaped by our proximity to the coast, and we can offer you opportunities to be involved with extracurricular projects run in Europe.
The content and delivery on our course reflects trends in the creative industries for illustrators to be collaborative and flexible, initiating new opportunities for shared and individual work.
In Year 1, the Illustration Fundamentals: Image, Type, Print and Animation Fundamentals: Motion, Narrative, Screen modules will give you a strong introduction into the two practices that shape this course.
In the first year, you’ll be able to experiment with ideas and image making, exploring your craft and learn the fundamentals of storytelling through illustration in both still and moving image and threedimensional work. In your second year, you’ll build on these principles, working in a more self-directed way, with the opportunity to explore new processes and skills. You’ll gain experience of the professional environment through externally focused projects, as well as establishing a good working practice, which will give you the experience and underpinning knowledge to progress into your final year. The final year of the course is focused on establishing a unique visual approach and preparing you for the launch of your professional career.
Duration: 3 years full-time UCAS code: C93/W220/F UCAS tariff points: 112
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Duration: 4 years full-time UCAS code: C93/W221/F UCAS tariff points: 64
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Find the right course for you
BA (Hons) Illustration
Underpinned by contextual and cultural studies, you’ll progress into Year 2 to develop these areas further, looking to find your own style and voice, and preparing yourself for the bigger, individual undertakings of your dissertation on Final Project in Year 3. You’ll be part of a lively and active community, supported by state-of-the-art studios and access to specialist tools and processes, including printmaking, bookmaking, letterpress, moving image, 3D work (including ceramics, spatial practices and three-dimensional design), photography, darkroom processes and industrystandard software. Instagram: @illustrationanimationuca
Duration: 3 years full-time UCAS code: C93/WW26/C UCAS tariff points: 112
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Your career
The UK has the largest design sector in Europe, employing 177,000 people and contributing £3.2 billion to the economy¹. UCA has a proud tradition of supporting students and equipping them with everything they need to thrive in the workplace. 96.9% of our students find employment or go on to further study within the first six months after graduating. Supported by exponential growth over the past five years, thousands of new jobs have been created, with the industry set to expand significantly over the coming decade. With our graphic design, advertising and illustration degree courses you can pursue a career path in a variety of industries, including: –– PR and communications –– Publishing –– Film –– Music –– Fashion –– Media production –– Web design –– Marketing. In these fields, the demand for creative skills is high. While studying with us, you’ll be able to apply your vision to exciting live projects and access industry workshops as well as lectures with design studio and book publisher representatives. 8
With our close connections to many big names such as the Association of Illustrators, Penguin Books, The Folio Society, the Design Museum and news publishers like MOJO Magazine and the BBC to name but a few, UCA students learn first-hand from trained professionals and have access to rewarding work placements. You could go on to work as an art director, project manager, media buyer, illustrator, web designer, typographer, copywriter, brand manager, picture editor, or one of many other creative roles where your degree will be invaluable. You’ll have the knowledge to pursue freelancing and bring your skills to small businesses as well as agencies, working on design projects from website re-brands through to brochure design, drawing avatars, creating book cover art and much more. UCA graduates have been offered positions in the fields of animation, multimedia production, printmaking and digital imaging as well as editorial design, working as graphic designers, app developers, animators, set designers and account managers among a multitude of professions at top agencies and brands, including Harper Collins, Burberry, Boeing, Channel 4 and many others. ¹Source: designcouncil.co.uk
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Alice Eckton, UCA Farnham
Portfolio advice
What is a portfolio? A portfolio is a collection of your work that demonstrates your range of skills and creative talent. It’s your opportunity to showcase your individuality, creativity, inspirations and artistic abilities, and a useful way for us to evaluate your suitability for the course you’ve applied to. It might contain design work, drawings, art projects, photographs, films, sound work, music composition, or examples of creative writing or essays. Think of your portfolio as a statement about your work – it should exhibit your creative journey, thought processes and influences. Don’t be afraid to be bold and appeal to a viewer, keeping their attention and leaving them feeling excited about your creative potential.
What should my portfolio include? Your portfolio should feature examples of your research and show the development of your ideas and projects – this should be highly presentable and well organised. It may be useful to arrange your work into themes, styles or chronological order, demonstrating good organisational skills and your own artistic awareness. Make sure you show your passion for the subject – look into your favourite designers, artists and editors and the other things they make. Show us some ideas you’ve had, things that inspire you and designs you love. Your portfolio should exhibit your creative journey, thinking processes and individual personality, so we can assess your potential. It’s important to show both your inspirations and aspirations, as your portfolio says a lot about you and your creative identity. Documenting the development of your ideas in a sketchbook is a great way to show us how you approached the task of creating your work, giving us insight into your creative thinking and how you approach your subject. Make sure your portfolio is well presented. Our tutors only have a short amount of time to look through each portfolio, so you need to organise your work intelligently. We recommend that you include between 10 and 25 pieces of work, neatly mounted on white or off-white paper in either landscape or portrait format (not a mixture of both).
Find out more The course pages at uca.ac.uk provide clear guidance on what we’d like to see in your portfolio for each of our courses. We’ve also put together a set of videos talking you through the process: uca.ac.uk/study/portfolio-advice 10
Put some of your most attention-grabbing and interesting work at the front and lead us through your journey, showcasing a variety of skills, materials, techniques and influences – it could include paintings, drawings, photography, digital pieces, storyboards, animation images or written work. If you include moving image work, we recommend a maximum of two minutes’ running time. Highlight your favourite pieces too, and indicate what or who inspires you.
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Christy Fung, UCA Epsom
“ Studying the course at UCA Farnham was extremely eye opening, in a positive way. I’ve always had a passion for being creative and therefore after seeing graduates work from the course and meeting the tutors, I felt I could take my passion for Graphic Design and educate myself even further into the field to produce work I was eternally proud of. “ I enjoy the creativity, positivity and encouragement that is given to constantly motivate and push you to achieve the highest standard of work. “ The facilities and resources at UCA Farnham have been extremely helpful throughout my time on the course. The design studios offer a large, creative environment to work in and collaborate. As well as the library being a source for a wide variety of research and a different place to work when I wanted somewhere with a change of scenery.”
Olivia Rideout BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham Graduated 2018
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Course leaders
David Anderson Course Leader for BA (Hons) Advertising — UCA Epsom David Anderson leads our Advertising degree, and is a successful creative and strategic thinker combining a highly renowned academic reputation with extensive industry experience. A graduate of Glasgow School of Art and the University of Huddersfield, he’s been awarded an MA in Writing for Performance and Publication from the University of Leeds and is the External Examiner for MA, MDes and BA courses and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. David’s impressive CV includes a number of years as Creative Director and Art Director, following on from his success as a Graphic Designer. During his career in the advertising industry, David was mentored by Ogilvy & Mather and worked for several influential agencies. Before joining UCA, David spent 19 years at Leeds College of Art developing and leading a portfolio of courses in both graphic design and advertising. Alongside his role at UCA, David is also a short story writer and a published playwright.
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Jane Cradock-Watson
Hugh Harwood
Course Leader for BA (Hons) Illustration
Course Leader for BA (Hons) Illustration & Animation, BA (Hons) Graphic Design
— UCA Farnham Jane Cradock-Watson leads our BA and MA Illustration degrees at UCA Farnham. Prior to this, she was Associate Dean for our School of Media and Culture. Jane has worked as an illustrator on commissions from a wide range of clients in editorial illustration, packaging design, publishing, TV and advertising. Her specialist fields include packaging and nonfiction publishing. Jane’s personal research focuses on the production of limited edition hand-made artists’ books with much of her work using photography and printmaking. She has exhibited regularly since 2009. Many of Jane’s books are in major national and international collections, such as the Tate Britain, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Yale collection of British Art.
— UCA Canterbury Hugh Harwood leads our BA (Hons) Illustration & Animation and BA (Hons) Graphic Design: Visual Communications courses at UCA Canterbury. Hugh is a lens-based artist, preoccupied with the landscape and issues of place. Much of his individual practice is focused upon issues of history and time, cycle and change within the environment. He has also developed many socially engaged, collaborative art projects with a diverse range of people – particularly within a health context – that explore, through various media, issues of memory and identity.
The metaphor of the landscape and nature have been a major theme in the creation of her books, providing an intimate and sensory experience with nature, and engaging the audience in reflecting on the natural world as a metaphor for life.
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Mark Hudson
Tom Northey
Course Leader for BA (Hons) Graphic Design
Course Leader for BA (Hons) Graphic Design
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UCA Epsom
UCA Farnham
Mark has shaped and led Graphic Design courses in and around London for the last twenty years, alongside a thriving graphic arts practice. He has taught and lectured internationally, including workshops in Copenhagen, Ghent, Hamburg and Orleans, and was awarded First Prize in the MacMillan Prize for Children’s Books.
Tom is originally a graduate of one of UCA’s founder colleges, the Surrey Institute of Art and Design (SIAD). For the past fifteen years, Tom has worked for a variety of sectors within the design industry.
Initially trained as an Oxford historian, Mark brings critical analysis to modern design settings. Based in design studios in London’s Brunswick Centre, shared with design publishers GraphicDesign&, his graphic work consists of thoughtful visual imagery used in a wide range of settings, extending out far beyond traditional illustration into exhibition graphics, public art, historical visual consultancy, and book arts and manufacture. His wider professional design interests range from applied drawing and printmaking to children’s books via digital domains, artisan design and print ephemera. He looks to promote a graphic ideology that is collaborative and does not accept constraints or boundaries to the situating of graphic design as a practice. See Mark’s work at markhudson.co and read about his research on the UCA Research Office website: research.uca.ac.uk 16
During his time in the design industry, Tom has worked with some household names including British Airways, Innocent Drinks and Orange. Tom is the founder of KöderBüro, working for clients in the Middle East and Europe. Since gaining his BA from SIAD, Tom has gone on to receive an MA in Graphic Design from the London College of Communication, is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, has a PGCert in Learning and Teaching, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and has won seven D&AD (Design and Art Direction) Awards. Former students of Tom’s have gone on to work at companies such as SEA Design, Burberrys, Electronic Arts, BBC & Harper Collins.
Jasmine Dace, UCA Farnham
Course leaders
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Dalma Bujnovszky, UCA Farnham
“ I met some of the most amazing people while I was studying. Everyone, including students (who are now definitely friends for life!), staff and tutors really made a difference to my experience and it’s best thing about UCA – being surrounded by creative people and creative insights, support and encouragement. “ The main aspect I loved about the course was the broadness of work you could produce – I’d never thought I could create what I did in the three years. This course encouraged me to try new things as well as embrace my strengths. If you’d told me at the beginning I would design some of the things I’ve made I wouldn’t have believed you – but that’s the beauty of the course and university: you grow into the designer you want to become and they’re with you every step of the way. “ When I began my academic and creative studies into this industry I thought everything was very black and white – that if you study fine art then you will become a fine artist or if you study graphics you’ll only create digital outcomes. However, experience has changed my mindset completely after UCA and the campus has taught me that there is so much more to learn out there and so many different avenues I can potentially go down. “ I absolutely loved being at UCA and couldn’t have asked for better friends and tutors to help me through it. If you’re planning on joining a creative community that really appreciates you, producing great work which you never thought you could, progressing your communication skills in a friendly and fun environment as well as work really hard to meet the best of your potential, then UCA is definitely the place for you.”
Emma Mills BA (Hons) Graphic Design, UCA Farnham Graduated 2018
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Our facilities
Canterbury
Epsom
UCA Canterbury provides purpose-built studios, workshops and lecture theatres for nearly 1,000 students studying fine art, graphics, illustration and animation, architecture and interiors.
UCA Epsom is renowned as a major centre for fashion, fashion journalism and graphic design and is the home of our Business School for the Creative Industries. Our facilities provide students with the right ingredients for successful study including modern IT facilities, an equipment hire department, inspiring teaching areas, gallery space, a library, supportive teaching staff and a programme of guest speakers.
Facilities include: –– Access to a dedicated studio space equipped with both Macs and PCs, programmed with the latest industry-standard, specialist software –– F ully-equipped photographic studios with darkrooms, digital processing and printing facilities –– Print and screen printing facilities –– Specialist processing equipment –– Animation and stop motion bays.
Facilities include: –– Dedicated studio space equipped with both Macs and PCs, programmed with the latest industry-standard, specialist software –– Dedicated technicians and technical tutors –– D igital print studio with large and small format printing, bookbinding, guillotine, perfect binding –– S creen print studio for traditional printing onto a wide range of media –– T raditional oil based print including hot metal letterpress equipment –– F ive fully-equipped photographic studios with digital processing and finishing facilities and full industry-standard lighting rigs –– Laser cutter and desktop 3D printer.
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Farnham UCA Farnham has extensive purpose-built facilities for over 2,000 students studying a wide range of creative arts subject areas including film, animation, graphics, illustration, fine art, photography, textiles and journalism. Facilities include: –– Access to a dedicated studio space equipped with both Macs and PCs, programmed with the latest industry-standard, specialist software –– L arge format digital printing and scanning. Traditional Printmaking workshop, including intaglio, relief, screen printing and letterpress –– Book making facilities –– F ully-equipped photographic studios with darkrooms, digital processing and finishing facilities and full industry-standard lighting rigs.
Please note, access to each campus and its resources can sometimes depend on the campus you choose to study at. For example, you may be using the facilities at the campus where your course is based but not always at others – this depends on your course. 21
Next steps
How to apply The course you choose determines how you apply – this could be through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) or directly to UCA. Find out more uca.ac.uk/study/how-to-apply ucas.com/apply Contact us If you’ve got any queries regarding the admissions process or your application, please contact the relevant admissions team: UK/EU admissions T: +44 (0)1252 892 960 E: admissions@uca.ac.uk International admissions T: +44 (0)1252 892 785 E: internationaladmissions@uca.ac.uk Connect with us @UniCreativeArts facebook.com/ucreativearts @unicreativearts @unicreativearts youtube.com/unicreativearts #WeCreate blog.uca.ac.uk social.uca.ac.uk Join us at #UCAlive We run live Q&A sessions where you can ask us anything you like about what it’s like to live and study here at UCA. Visit uca.ac.uk/live to find out about our next #UCAlive session.
Disclaimer The information in this brochure is believed to be correct at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to introduce changes to the information given including the addition, withdrawal, relocation or restructuring of any programmes. The information in this brochure is subject to change and does not form part of any contract between UCA and the student and his/her sponsor. For up-to-date and more detailed information on any of our courses and studying at UCA, please visit uca.ac.uk 1035-0318