MA Graphic Design and Branding

University of Hertfordshire

This module enables students to address and explore current themes including creative, social, ethical and/or commercial within the creative industries. Students focus on the impact of these themes on their own practice: IAD, Graphic Design and Illustration - and how it affects the end-user. Students are encouraged to progress through a series of experimental design investigations and the development of a theoretical framework to inform the development of their project proposal.

This module provides students with a range of research skills that enables them to analyse complex design issues, rigorously review existing works and formulate a project strategy based on findings. The module enables students to break down a design issue into smaller parts, analyse their relationships and generate a strategy to address it; to conduct a robust and rigorous research process by using established methods and documenting all the logic steps undertaken in their work. Students become aware of the importance of reproducibility of experiments, honesty and integrity in research, and the value of innovation and knowledge advancement, with specific focus on design. Key skills in this module include research strategy and management, research methods, data collection and analysis, the notions of result validation and limitations, academic conventions, and principles of research impact and dissemination

Students develop their knowledge and understanding of current processes, techniques, and methods within their own discipline. Through seminars, lectures and demonstrations, students are encouraged to develop their independence and own critical stance as designers. Students are enabled to develop their own voice or style, exploring the particular issues, processes and ideas that interest them. Students are expected to document their creative work, reflect and become aware of their personal creative methodologies as a part of their design process.

This module enables students to improve and expand their design skills (including working methods, design approaches and concepts) within the context of their specialism, while articulating their thinking to audiences outside of their discipline. This module encourages students to work on their communication skills, exploring new ways of approaching design. Students develop their project addressing a number of relevant and timely themes in response to external drivers, including budget constraints, regulatory framework, business-driven and strategic decision making, and cultural issues.

This module provides students with an opportunity to engage with professional aspects of their chosen field of specialization. The module consists of a series of lectures, workshops and seminars where students are enabled to develop the necessary critical and contextual skills required to pursue a self-initiated study of professional, entrepreneurial and ethical considerations central to their field of study. Students are encouraged to craft their own journey of exploration and investigation through discussions with their tutor to agree a suitable delivery method for their findings, whether practice-based or written.

This module enables students to develop a self-driven body of work that demonstrates professional awareness, expertise, professional skills together with creativity and originality. Students need to demonstrate to be able to produce design solutions where they apply the research methods and key skills acquired in the Programme to explore contemporary relevant issues, including sustainability, value engineering, and health and safety. Students will need to produce a final presentation on Graphic Design and Branding. They will build upon ideas established and explored in earlier parts of the Programme, bringing together practical, theoretical, commercial, social and ethical concerns into a sustained body of original and innovative practice. Their work should demonstrate autonomy, personal responsibility, originality and critical self-awareness. This module provides the students with an opportunity to evaluate and reflect upon personal strengths and independently identified goals for continuing their professional development.