Graphic Design

Graphic design is the practice of visual communication: using type, image, colour and layout to convey ideas, shape perceptions and solve problems for audiences and clients. It sits at the heart of how brands present themselves, how information is made legible, how campaigns persuade, and how products and environments are experienced. Contemporary graphic design has expanded well beyond print to encompass motion graphics, interactive design, digital experiences and spatial communication, making it a discipline that demands both creative vision and technical adaptability.

At the University of Sunderland you will study graphic design on a part-time basis, developing as a creative visual thinker and communicator across a programme that gives you space to build and refine a distinctive body of work. You will study visual communication in its broadest sense, including motion design, visual effects and experience design, developing the conceptual skills to generate original ideas alongside the technical proficiency to realise them across different media. The programme includes a sandwich year and opportunities for a year abroad, both of which deepen your professional experience and broaden your creative perspective.

Work placement is integrated into the programme, connecting your academic development to the realities of professional practice in the creative industries. You will graduate with a portfolio that evidences your creative development and positions you well in a competitive jobs market.

Graphic design graduates work in design studios, advertising agencies, in-house brand teams, publishing, digital media, film and television production, and the public and voluntary sectors. Many develop portfolio careers, combining employed work with freelance projects or eventually establishing their own studios. The skills developed through this programme, particularly in motion design and experience design, are increasingly in demand as organisations invest in digital communication and brand environments.

Some graduates go on to postgraduate study in graphic design, communication design or related creative fields.