Illustration and Design

Illustration and design are disciplines that share a concern with communicating visually, but they have distinct traditions, practices, and audiences. Illustration tells stories, interprets ideas, and gives visual form to concepts that words alone cannot carry, working across publishing, editorial, advertising, animation, and digital media. Graphic design structures communication, shaping how information is organised, branded, and presented across screens, print, and physical environments.

Studying both together gives you an unusually broad creative and technical range.

At the University of Sunderland, you will push the boundaries of illustration using a blend of traditional and digital techniques, developing your own visual style and releasing your personal creativity under the guidance of experienced academics. The programme encourages you to perfect your craft while building the professional awareness and industry readiness that a creative career demands. You will work alongside like-minded peers, benefiting from collaborative studio culture as well as individual development.

The programme includes a sandwich placement year, a year abroad, and a work placement, providing real professional and international experience as part of your studies. It is studied part-time.

Graduates of illustration and design programmes work as illustrators, graphic designers, art directors, visual communicators, animators, and brand designers in publishing, advertising, digital agencies, and as independent practitioners. The combination of traditional craft and digital competency makes graduates versatile in a creative market that values both. Many develop portfolio careers that span client work, exhibition, and teaching, while others pursue postgraduate study in illustration, visual communication, or design to develop a more specialised practice.