Graphic Design

Graphic design is the discipline of visual communication, using typography, image-making, colour, layout, and the full vocabulary of visual language to convey ideas, build identities, guide attention, and make information accessible and compelling. It is everywhere: in the books you read, the apps you use, the packaging on everyday products, the signage of public spaces, and the brand identities of organisations of every kind. Good graphic design is often invisible precisely because it works, communicating exactly what needs to be communicated without drawing attention to itself.

At Kent you will study this three-year full-time programme, developing core graphic design skills spanning typography, image-making, editorial design, user experience and interface design, and motion graphics. The programme also gives you the freedom to explore emerging trends and techniques, recognising that the discipline is evolving rapidly as digital platforms, immersive media, and new technologies create new design challenges and opportunities. You will develop both your practical craft and your critical understanding of what design is and what it does, situating your own work within the history and contemporary practice of graphic communication.

Graphic design graduates work across an enormous range of industries. Design agencies, advertising companies, publishers, broadcasters, technology companies, and the in-house creative departments of brands and organisations are all major employers. Roles include graphic designer, brand designer, art director, editorial designer, UX designer, motion designer, and creative director.

The digital orientation of contemporary graphic design means graduates are well positioned for roles in digital product design, web design, and the growing field of interactive and experience design. Many graduates also work as freelancers or establish their own studios. Postgraduate study in graphic design, communication design, or interaction design is a natural route for those who wish to develop advanced specialism or move into research.