Getting to grips with the principles and practice of branding, visual identity and graphic design.

Look around you and you will see examples of the power of brands - on the High Street, within organisations and in the media. From Coca Cola to Virgin, the most successful brands are worth billions.

This MA course focuses on the role of visual identity within branding. The aim is to produce versatile and creative practitioners who understand design within a business, social and cultural context.

It addresses the subject from a broad perspective, covering individual, group, cultural, national, international, corporate and commercial identities. You will be encouraged to look critically at the graphic elements which make up a contemporary visual identity. The emphasis is on practical design, supported by theoretical components and the application of clear research methodologies. As well as developing a deeper knowledge of branding and graphic design, you will gain an understanding of how to develop brand strategies and propositions. An important part of the course involves developing an independent personal project that investigates these principles and their application.

Learning at this level will be about research, intellectual engagement, discovery, interaction and change. The final product for us is not in itself the goal - it is the research, exploration, evaluation and intellectual understanding of branding and identity that makes this MA distinctive.

This course is taught within the School of Design

Phase 1

• Unit 1.1 Design Literacy
• Unit 1.2 Research Methods (Visual Research)
• Unit 1.3 Major Project Proposal

Phase 1 involves a process of reflection on the design process itself, through a practical project exploring the fundamental principles of design literacy and visual grammar alongside a series of lectures and seminars reflecting upon research methodologies in theory and practice and the wider contextual framework for contemporary graphic branding.

In addition to this, you will undertake a scoping and profiling project in order to establish a working rationale and focus for your Major Project Proposal, which you will continue to develop and refine during the rest of the academic year, through a Major Project Definition in Phase 2 and toward a final Major Project Resolution in Phase 3. You will develop an appreciation of current debates that are shaping the future of the subject and gain an informed view of your own practice. The skills and knowledge developed during this phase will provide you with a firm foundation from which to undertake design research and are a platform for your personal graphic design practice.

Phase 2

• Unit 2.1 Workshop Options Project
• Unit 2.2 Design + Rhetoric
• Unit 2.3 Research Methods: Major Project Definition
• Postgraduate Diploma (Exit Award)

Phase 2 of the course moves your Major Project Proposal forward through a series of practical and contextual stages toward a clearly defined and evaluated research question for the final Major Project in Phase 3. At this stage, you will also be able to undertake a Workshop Options project, providing the opportunity for you to pursue studies that complement your specialist interests and to acquire skills and knowledge that will inform your personal direction. Postgraduate Graphic Design options are common across the PGGD Programme, and are based around a number of practice-based workshops that are intended to provide new dimensions to your specialist focus of study, and can be opportunities to test and develop practical aspects and themes for your Major Project.

Phase 3

• Unit 3.1 Major Project Resolution: Practical and Report
  or
• Unit 3.2 Major Project Resolution: Thesis

The MA Major Project undertaken during Phase 3 builds on the knowledge and skills acquired during the earlier phases, together with the defined and tested rationale developed in the Major Project Proposal and Definition stages of the course, and applies these in the creation of an original design research project. This involves the completion of an independent major project on the basis of extensive research and a firm methodological approach. You will develop a programme of investigation and analysis that supports you in the further development of your personal research project. As you move towards the submission of your final major project, you will be required to qualify and evidence your design development; exploring the context of your project as well as identifying key issues in the work such as appropriate discourses, your strategic thinking, branding ‘touch points’, materials and media through which you can effectively communicate your branding ideas.

All students leaving the course find their possibilities in the workplace have widened and are more focused on the area of communication they wish to pursue.

An Honours degree in a relevant subject, or a professional or academic qualification recognised as equivalent to an Honours degree. If you do not have the required qualifications, but do have professional experience, you may be eligible to gain credit for previous learning and experience through the AP(E)L system. Your experience is assessed as a learning process and tutors will evaluate that experience for currency, validity, quality and sufficiency.

International and EU students: If your first language is not English you should check you have achieved the correct IELTS level in English.

Portfolio advice

Your portfolio should cover your most recent commercial or academic activity, showing your aptitude and ability in design. This can be supported with documents showing your working processes and research (i.e. sketchbooks). Also include any other projects that indicate your personal areas of interest in the field of communication.

Important information: All applicants will be expected to submit an electronic portfolio on CD or via a website with their application form. This should include a maximum of six projects and supporting material as described above. These should be clearly annotated and organised.

Application route

You need to apply to this course through the College. UK and EU students should download this application form (PDF 4MB).International students should use the international postgraduate application form which is available to download on the International Office's web pages. Applications should be sent to Postgraduate Admissions, Central Administration Office, 5th Floor Tower Block, London College of Communication, Elephant and Castle, London, SE1 6SB

Admissions Enquiries

For enquiries about admissions please call the postgraduate admissions team on +44(0)20 7514 6569 or email pgadmissions@lcc.arts.ac.uk (for UK and EU student enquiries) or v.gavulic@lcc.arts.ac.uk (for international enquiries).

Home/EU student fee discounts

If you have successfully completed a UAL undergraduate degree, PgDip or PgCert you will qualify for a £1000 discount from your tuition fees. For further information please contact pgadmissions@lcc.arts.ac.uk

Scholarships

Find out about AHRC scholarships.