This innovative BA course represents the evolving areas of contemporary design, interaction and moving image while capitalising on the graphic design heritage of London College of Communication that has been established since the 1960s.

Distinctive features of the course...

This innovative BA course represents the fast evolving areas of contemporary design, both digital and analogue, specifically in the areas of interaction design, moving image and digital culture. The course builds on the graphic and communication design heritage of London College of Communication that has been established since the 1960s.

The course’s design led curriculum includes Interaction design both analogue and digital, moving image design and interactive digital design. Specialisms include psychical computing, expanded cinema and digital filmmaking, visual coding, user centred design, haptic feedback and design innovation. These skills make our graduates highly sort after in the design industries.

The course also engages with social design (participatory, collaborative and community based) and socially aware design (design that exposes, understands and meets the need of particular communities and users).  We aim to give our students the understanding that design impacts the world at large both cognitively and physically and that understanding issues such as sustainability and social awareness are central concepts of the contemporary design field.

You can expect ...

You can expect to be involved in working across a spectrum of media and materials - hi-tech, low tech or no tech exploring how people interact with design. You will explore sequential communication and narrative navigation, designing with images, sound, words and space across 2D/3D analogue and digital media.

Your specialist studios are constructed as a designer’s playground that will nurture and encourage creativity and learning through the formation of a community of practice. There is access to traditional media such as letterpress, printmaking and photography and that can all be readily accessed for your work.

You will graduate from your studies able to approach industry with the confidence of being able to negotiate many specialisms across the full media spectrum and you will leave with a wide range of technical, intellectual and design skills that ensue you are ready to work in this challenging and exciting area of contemporary design.

Drawing on a tradition of dynamism, exploration, prototyping and experimentation, students of this BA degree are taught that the only boundaries are those set by the imagination and that creative ideas hold sway over technology. Students on the course understand that design impacts the world at large and that they have a responsibility for the wider issues of sustainability and social inclusiveness.

Tutors on this course ...

Tutors on this course include Course Director, Joel Karamath who keenly researches within the areas of film and popular culture. All tutors are experienced practitioners and specialists. They have strong external links enabling students to take a year in industry in many world destinations. The College plays host to many visiting speakers from a wide variety of backgrounds, institutions and subject disciplines, including design, arts, cultural theory and science.

What students say ...

“The studio was the best one in the whole School, and there was a strong sense of camaraderie amongst students. The tutors were very much responsible for and contributed to this kind of environment, and I think this brought out the best in the students.” Former student, Yana Naidenov

“Interaction Design is getting bigger & bigger. It's easier to stand out from the mass of other design graduates with interactive works. I see it as a creative/science bridge.” Former student, Richard Harvey

“The main reason why I knew IMI would benefit me was that It gives you the freedom to explore a wide range of creative experiences and I wasn't going to let a chance like that slip by.” Former student, Hassan Alsekafi

“We were taught a way of thinking, of how to explore, research and consider the experience and effect of a project regardless of its medium...” Former student, Libby Mor

Alumni include ...

Graduates of this relatively new course have successfully gone on to fulfil placements or employment with various creative agencies including Onedotzero, Its Nice That, Blacionica, Technology Will Save Us, Nexus, The MU  - themu.co.uk, Prologue, KIN, Wieden+Kenedy, Poietic - poietic.co.uk, Beta Tank - betatank.net and joecoppard.com.

This course is taught within the School of Design at LCC.

Learning and teaching

Courses in UAL span a broad range of art, design, communication, business, media, science and communication subjects. So the ways in which you learn and how your time is used will vary according to the specific course you are studying; this may be in studios, labs, classes, involve working alone, learning from peers in pairs or groups, or with external partners. Most importantly, no matter which course you enrol on, you will learn not only about your subject but also about how you learn and how to increase your knowledge base.

Our courses will guide you to take increasing responsibility and ownership of your work and your learning. We do this so that you will be ready and able to take full advantage of the full range of opportunities offered by the creative industries in the global economy. 

Assessment

Assessment always sounds austere and foreboding, but it is not. We see assessment as a very real part of learning, rather than just a means of looking back at past work and measuring achievement; we believe that assessment helps you plan future work and develop new ideas.

Your work will be assessed through projects or portfolios, with written papers or research journals, and, on some courses, examinations. You will be graded according to a set of marking criteria that relate to such things as research, subject knowledge, methodology, and your capacity to analyse and reflect on your achievements. So don’t be afraid of assessment - it is the way to progress.

Outline of the course:

Year 1

Year 1 comprises of the following four units.

• Introduction to Study in Higher Education which inducts you into the College and course and introduces you to learning at undergraduate level.
• Experimental Design & Media, a unit which focuses on exploration and discovery through practical activities and projects, introducing students to traditional key elements of design principles and techniques, within the context of Interaction and Moving Image.
• Design for Interaction & Motion, a unit which will facilitate continued exploration of the concepts, materials, media and course philosophy introduced in the previous studio unit.
• Contextual and Theoretical Studies (CTS) and encourages you to consider visual communication within historical and cultural contexts. Viewed as an element of design and communication CTS is explored as both a methodology and a critical context through which you can locate and develop your own approach to contemporary professional practice. The aim of CTS is to provide an underpinning in critical thinking that reinforces the relationship between studio practice and theory. Our programme of Contextual and Theoretical Studies (CTS) units run throughout Years 1 to 3, offering continuity of academic and pastoral support via lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials.

Year 2

Year 2 consolidates your skills and encourages you to experiment and ‘play’, succeed and ‘fail’, but more importantly, gain confidence. Year 2 comprises of the following units:

• Design Exploration Digital & Analogue, a unit that is intensive and designed to introduce you to subject specific processes and techniques involved in Interaction and Moving image. The unit contains a mixture of thinking and technical skills and is delivered via a series of projects and workshops that provide you with a structured program of investigation and experimentation.
• Collaborative Project, a unit that is undertaken by all students in the College in their second year gives you the opportunity to work collaboratively with students from other courses.
• Contextual Studies 2, a unit that allows you to select an option from a range of subjects which expand on and contextualise your practice.
• Application 2, a unit that is designed to further aid and develop the work and concepts introduced in the previous unit. The program will encourage and allow you to spend time applying your newfound skills in greater depth. This naturally extends your interest into more personally focused areas and lays the foundations for the final year and a more independent form of study.

Year 3

When you reach the final year it may be that you have developed an interest in your dissertation topic and want to place greater emphasis on it. Option A allows you to do this. If on the other hand you wish to place greater emphasis on studio work by doing a smaller dissertation you can do so in Option B.
Final Year students are also given the possibility to organise a group exhibition of their final portfolio work.

Diploma in Professional Studies

The Diploma in Professional Studies is an optional Industrial placement year between the second and fourth year of the course. The Diploma in Professional Studies is a managed year of professional experience largely undertaken in the design profession in a variety of national and international locations. Students interested in taking the Diploma are selected during their second year on the basis of a detailed year out proposal, portfolio and studentship

Typically students are fully rounded in spatial, temporal, interaction, sequential and narrative design. They are conversant with technology but not subservient to it and have a focus on finding small answers to big questions. For example Min-Kyu Choi, who developed a prototype a folding plug whilst at LCC, then progressed onto RCA MA Design Products and eventually picking up the Brit Insurance Design of the Year 2010 award for his design.

The course has a proven track record of employment and postgraduate progression, for example in 2008/09 and 2009/10 five students progressed onto courses including RCA MA Design Products, MA Interaction and Design Communication, MA Fine Art Sculpture and LCC's MA Interactive Media.

Alumni

Some of our students have also gone onto have great success within industry, these include the following:

Chris Strong: Creative Director and founder of blac ionica production company
Min-Kyu Choi: Designer with folding plug now in production 
James Gilpin: Creative Director at It's Nice That
Ricky Knowles: Working on the Southward Garden Project at Southwark Council.
Richard Harvey: Working at Weiden+Kennedy.
Beccy McCray: Producer at Nexus.
Simon Clowes: Art director and Motion Graphics designer/director at Prologue in LA

The above list of students highlights the diverse, transferable skills base and breath of expertise our graduates take with them into an increasingly diverse and interdisciplinary market.

Enterprise and employability at UAL

We know what it takes to be successful in your chosen field. Your tutors are professionals in their own right and understand what you need to help you establish your career. Staff in our Centre for Student Enterprise and Employability (SEE) are dedicated to helping you build up work-relevant skills, knowledge, experience and networks throughout your time here. You will also benefit from our many relationships with industry, which give our students exclusive opportunities and access to networks and funding.

Artists and designers tell us they value UAL's informed engagement with their career and professional practice development and our ability to offer them practical advice, guidance and opportunities across the wide spectrum of possible professional pathways - as entrepreneurs and employees. Staff value the resources and skills UAL makes available to help them deliver effective professional and career development through the curriculum.

Find out more

ArtsTemps (SEE) is the UAL in-house recruitment agency placing students and graduates in paid temping roles within the University. 

Creative Opportunities (SEE) is the UAL job vacancy and work placement website for students and graduates and advertises hundreds of creative job and placement opportunities each month.

Get more information and advice on employment and creative careers for all UAL students and graduates.

Recruitment and admissions

The BA Interaction and Moving Image Course team recognise applicants come from a broad spectrum of backgrounds from across the world. The course in the main attracts students who apply direct from A level or other equivalent qualifications but it also welcomes students from Foundation Diploma in Art and Design and other art courses as well as mature students who may have worked in industry.

Entry Requirements (Home/International/EU)

For admission to the BA Interaction and Moving Image course applicants normally need:

• 240 UCAS tariff points but a minimum of 160 UCAS tariff points (gained at GCE Advanced level) will be considered, supported by passes in five other subjects at GCSE Grade C or above.
• Alternatively, you will be considered if you have achieved 1 subject at GCE Advanced level and Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, supported by passes in three other subjects at GCSE Grade C or above. In addition, the University of the Arts London Awarding Body Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design will be considered. 
• We also accept people with the equivalent qualifications obtained through a National Diploma, Access, NVQ and a variety of other pre-University level qualifications including International and European Baccalaureate. Other qualifications, including overseas, may be considered.
• We also accept those with relevant professional and vocational qualifications.
• The subjects the Course Team will be looking for in your application are wide ranging: your A levels (or equivalents) would ideally be achieved at grade C or above and may include English, History, Media, Business, Art and Design or other Social Science subjects.

Other entry routes

We also welcome applicants such as mature students who do not have formal qualifications but may have relevant experience. Students applying to this course will be expected to demonstrate a specific interest in this area of study and should have a commitment to engaging with Interaction and Moving Image Theory and practice. In such cases students applying on the basis of their previous experience or who wish to enter the course with through Accreditation of Experiential Learning (AEL) or Accreditation of Certificated Learning (ACL) processes should apply via UCAS and will be guided by the admissions staff on the AP(E)L processes.

Language requirements (International/EU)

• International and EU students: In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, then IELTS 6.0 (or equivalent) is required.
• If your first language is not English you should check you have achieved the correct IELTS level in English. Further information is available on our International Applications page.
• International applicants, please visit our International Applications page for further details regarding International Admissions.

Study Abroad applicants

International undergraduate students can apply to join this BA course for a period of up to three terms as a Study Abroad student. Please visit the Study Abroad website for details on how to apply or contact the Study Abroad office:

T: +44 (0)20 7514 2249
E: studyabroad@arts.ac.uk

Deferred entry

For Home/EU applicants, the Course Leader will determine whether deferred places are available for the course. If you wish to defer your place, it is advisable to indicate this on your application form and/or discuss this with the admissions team and course leader before/after applying at the earliest opportunity. In all cases, deferred places will only be held for one year.

International applicants are normally permitted to defer entry to any programme of study for one year only, after which they will be asked to re-apply.

Admission procedures

The selection procedures for the course adhere to the Equal Opportunities policy of the University of the Arts London.

Applications are normally made through UCAS. Applications for this course are assessed on the basis of qualifications and the personal statement. If more information is required, a member of the course team may contact the applicant and in some cases, may request the candidate to attend an interview.

Student selection criteria - what what do we look for?

All applications will be considered by the course team and offers will be made based upon the following selection criteria.

The team will consider three key elements when making a decision on your suitability to join the course:

1. Firstly they will look at your qualifications (or projected results).
2. Secondly, they will review your academic or personal reference.
3. Then they will scrutinise your personal statement and Portfolio.

The personal statement is a very important part of your application and should demonstrate to the team that you are interested in Interaction and Moving Image and that you have thought very carefully about why you want to study on this course.

You should take great care when writing your personal statement to ensure that it is well written, clear and free of any spelling mistakes. It is your biggest chance to impress the team by demonstrating your appreciation of what the course can offer you and how you feel it might help you in the future. It is also an opportunity for you to state what you feel you would bring to the course. Through their personal statement, applicants should show a strong interest in Interaction and Moving Image. This can be demonstrated through work experience, studying and personal experience and their ambitions for personal development as a student at the LCC.

Portfolio advice

All students are required to present a portfolio of work which must evidence the following:

• Visual vocabulary: Quality of compositional skills and use of line, shape, form, scale, space, light, colour, texture and time
• Ideas generation: Quality of ideas and expression of conceptual thinking
• Research and its application (including sketchbooks): Systematic identification and investigation of appropriate resources
• Materials and media exploration and experimentation: Experimentation and testing of materials in realisation of concepts
• Contextual awareness and its influence on the portfolio: Understanding & application subject knowledge and context

Interview advice

Occasionally an applicant will be invited for interview who has either requested to discuss their application with the course director or who the course director feels would benefit from discussing their application prior to final consideration.

If you are invited for interview you can prepare yourself in advance by thinking of questions that you may have for the course director and also re-familiarising yourself with your UCAS personal statement- from which the course director’s questions will probably arise. The interview will be relatively informal and will take place, normally, at the LCC.

Students are admitted to the course having fulfilled the necessary entry requirements and on the basis of their potential to benefit from the programme.

Minimum UAL entry requirements

Find out more about the University's Regulations on Admissions.

 UK/EU Applicants

You will need to apply through the UCAS online application system.

You can find London College of Communication (LCC) courses listed under University of the Arts London on the UCAS website. All LCC UCAS course codes can be found on the course ‘Facts’ tab (at the bottom) or on the UCAS website.

Our University code is U65

There is no 'Campus Code' for London College of Communication

If you are a UK or EU student and you have an admissions enquiry please use the Online Course Enquiry Form selecting LCC as the College you are interested in. For additional enquiries please use the contact information as below:

T: +44(0)20 7514 6599

International Applicant Enquiries

If you are a non-EU international student admission enquiries should be made through the International Office. For additional enquiries please use the contact information as below:

T: +44 (0)20 7514 8138
E: international@lcc.arts.ac.uk

Study Abroad Applicants

International undergraduate students can apply to join this BA course for a period of up to three terms as a Study Abroad student. Please visit the Study Abroad web page for details on how to apply or contact the Study Abroad office on the details below:

T: +44 (0) 207 514 2249
E: studyabroad@arts.ac.uk