Our FDA Design for Graphic Communication is renowned for its practical approach to graphic design.

Active and enthusiastic professionals from a wide range of design and communication disciplines deliver the course, which helps to create a climate of debate, analysis and innovation.

You will be provided with a rigorous introduction to a wide range of graphic design areas including:

• Typography
• Image making
• Illustration
• Packaging
• Screen-based design
• Information design
• Publicity and promotion

The course builds from basic design exercises to fully comprehensive projects where you will take initial ideas all the way through to printed artwork or functioning screen-based environments.

We seek to produce graduates who will be confident and proactive participants in an increasingly diverse design community. During your time on the course you will be guided through a range of practical and theoretical experiences, informed by subject expertise, contextual, professional and social awareness.

There is a strong emphasis on practical skills, conceptual tools, research methodologies, teamwork and on acquiring life-long skills, achieved through a variety of teaching methods including workshops, group projects and individual tutorials.

The specialist units within the course aim to equip you with appropriate skills to later follow two routes: further academic study at BA Honours degree level or progress into the graphic design industry.

This course is taught within the School of Design.

Course leaflet (PDF 101KB)

Further information

For further details telephone +44 (0) 20 7514 6569
Email: info@lcc.arts.ac.uk

Year 1

• Graphic Design Fundamentals
• Graphic Design Applications 1
• Major Project 1 (WBL)
• Visual & Cultural Theory 1
• Personal and Professional Development 1

Year 1 will orientate you to the course and faculty, its facilities, staff, philosophy and ethos as well as raising your awareness of a range of design principles and media associated with the subject, both practically and theoretically. These include research methodology, image and narrative, typography and developmental and presentation skills.

Besides studio-based activities you will also be introduced to printmaking, photography, letterpress and relevant aspects of IT including health and safety aspects of each resource.

By the end of the first year you will have been expected to arrange and undertake a work placement. There will be plenty of guidance and help for this within PPD sessions.

You can begin this placement in Week 9 of the summer term of the first year or at any time during the summer vacation. This will be assessed on your return to the University when you hand in a WBL report in the autumn term of the second year.
Studio, Visual Culture and Theory and Personal and Professional Development units all relate to each other and give you a broad context in which to place your work.

First year studio modules build from the basic exploration of design principles through to more complex visual communication problems where form, function and audience are considered in both print and screen based media. Work based learning forms an important part of the first year, with opportunities for students to meet practicing designers and review their work in a professional context.

You will be introduced to Blackboard which is University wide educational software and enables you to contact staff and fellow students, exchange ideas and access notices and project briefs and documents from outside the College.

The College has also established a wireless network, which will allow you web access virtually anywhere in the building.

Normally assessment will take place at the end of each Term.

Year 2

• Research Methods, context & ideas
• Graphic Design Applications 2
• Major Project 2 (WBL)
• Visual & Cultural Theory 2
• Personal and Professional Development 2
• Option Unit

Year 2 offers the opportunity to utilise transferable skills and focus on subjects and select an area of study as the subject basis for your major project. You will be able to access relevant facilities and resources introduced in the first year.

You will have much more experience of working independently and collaboratively in the studio and in the VCT and PPD units.

The mentorship scheme, which is optional for all second year students, allows prolonged access to industry to facilitate increased work based learning opportunities. This is in addition to the placement undertaken in Year 1.

Work based learning is increased to allow development and practice of skills in specific related industry fields. Towards the end of the year you will be introduced to, and prepare, for possible entry into the third year of the BA course when you will be required to generate your own proposals for the dissertation and self initiated project.

During the year you will also undertake an Option Unit. During the second year the opportunity to work as part of a design team will increase, as working on group projects from concept through to a final pitch and/or client presentation becomes more relevant to your skills level with your team.

Through a series of negotiations with relevant staff, your final major project will be orientated towards either: employment within the design industry or further study at BA.

Our students have a wide variety of options available when they leave college. A significant percentage seek employment in the design industry either in the UK or abroad. Additionally a number of students progress to the second or third years of BA Honours Graphic and Media Design, or occasionally progress straight to postgraduate study at MA level. Students can also complete the Diploma in Industrial Studies (a year out in industry) after finishing the FdA.

You should have one A-level plus three GCSEs (grades A-C) a BTEC ND, Foundation Diploma or an Access Award. A portfolio is also required to demonstrate your ability to succeed in art and design.

International and EU students: 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.

A portfolio to demonstrate your ability to succeed in art and design is required.

What should I put in my portfolio?

• Concepts, ideas and research in sketchbooks.
• Evidence of the process you use for developing an idea, again usually in sketchbooks.
• An awareness of graphic design and, more importantly, the pathway you intend progressing to. This can take the form of practical project work or essays and written assignments.
• Self-initiated work as well as course work. This is important as it reveals your engagement and commitment to the subject outside of the course.
• Evidence of any other interests you have that may or may not be subject related.
  
  

Please apply through UCAS.

If you are a UK or EU student and you have an admissions enquiry please call +44(0)20 7514 6569 or email ugadmissions@lcc.arts.ac.uk. If your are a none-EU international student and you are unsure about how to apply, admission enquiries should be made through the International Office (call +44 (0)20 7514 8138).

Please Note: This course will not be recruiting students for October 2013 but some aspects of the course may be incorporated into the new LCC Course Portfolio. Decisions on the content of the new course portfolio will be taken by the end of April 2012.

For more information about course changes at LCC visit the LCC New Developments page.