Digital Design

Digital design is concerned with creating effective, engaging and usable experiences and products for digital platforms, from websites and mobile applications to smart devices, virtual reality and AI-assisted interfaces. It combines the visual and conceptual skills of graphic design with the technical understanding of how digital products are built and how users interact with them, spanning interface design, user experience, visual communication, data visualisation and emerging design paradigms. As digital products have become central to how people work, communicate and access services, the discipline has grown in both scope and professional importance.

At the University of Northumbria at Newcastle this four-year, extended degree programme provides a strong foundation in industry-standard design tools and practices for developing digital experiences across a range of platforms and devices. You will explore the full range of digital design methods, from visual communication and interface design through to user experience, data visualisation, AI-led design and design for virtual or mixed reality. The programme includes a sandwich year in professional practice and a year abroad, giving you extended industry experience and international exposure.

Your placement year is particularly important in digital design, where studio experience and a professional portfolio are central to how employers assess candidates.

Digital design graduates work as UI designers, UX designers, product designers, interaction designers, digital art directors, motion graphics designers and digital creative directors. Technology companies, digital agencies, in-house design teams at major brands, public sector organisations and media companies all employ digital designers in significant numbers. The pace of change in digital platforms creates continuing demand for designers who can work across new technologies and adapt to evolving user expectations.

Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in interaction design, digital media, user experience research or related fields, developing specialist expertise in fast-moving areas of the discipline.