MA MA Design for Visual Communication

Offers will be made based on the following selection criteria, which applicants are expected to demonstrate:

• Sufficient prior knowledge and experience of and/or potential in a specialist subject area to be able to successfully complete the programme of study and have an academic or professional background in a relevant subject.
• A willingness to work as a team player, good language skills in reading, writing and speaking, the ability to work independently and be self-motivated.
• Critical knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject area and capacity for research-informed practical design, intellectual inquiry, and reflective thought through contextual awareness (professional, cultural, social, historical); evidence of research, analysis, development and evaluation (from previous academic study and employment) and a grounded understanding of diverse practices for accessible and inclusive visual communication.
• In the project proposal a description of the area of interest, field of study and the particular focus of their intended project. This should include an overview of how you intend to go about producing the project and the methodology.
• Your portfolio should be conceptual and research-based, you must show your thinking and making process and a curious nature to explore, test and experiment.
• Whilst candidates are not expected to demonstrate particular software skills their suitability will be evaluated on evidence of a diverse use of medium to communicate with different audiences (portfolio) and evidence of project management demonstrating ability to take responsibility for deliverables (CV).

Students have gone on to find employment within high profile agencies, they have progressed to work as art directors, senior designers, creative directors in areas such as interaction, branding, exhibition, editorial and information design.

Graduates of the course have gone on to work at:

• Signal Noise
• Browns
• SEA Design
• Interbrand
• Pentagram

We are committed to ensuring that your skills are set within an ethical framework, and we have worked to embed UAL’s Principles for Climate, Racial and Social Justice.

As part of this initiative, we’ve shaped our courses around social and environmental sustainability principles that ensure learning outcomes reflect the urgent need to equip you with the understanding, skills, and values to foster a more sustainable planet. Our aim is to change the way our students think, and to empower you to work towards a sustainable future.

MA Design for Visual Communication comprises four units totalling 180 credits. These units are delivered over three 15-week Blocks.
 

Unit 1: Defining and Positioning (60 Credits):

This unit introduces postgraduate studies and critical and reflective practice methodologies and invites you to explore the field of visual communication. With an acknowledgement of the requirements of designing for our multifaceted world you will utilise visual communication frameworks based on research and experimentation to achieve greater clarity. 

A series of workshops and lectures will focus on typography, typographic hierarchies, visual language and visual grammar and colour, providing context in the four main areas of visual communication. You will develop a series of outcomes building a portfolio of work responding to these four main elements and hone your skills in each area.  

In course-specific lectures you will explore various research methods, learn how to position a project for a defined audience and to contextualise your practice within the broader subject area. 

You will be introduced to a graphic design history, international design methods and discourses around responsible and sustainable practices. In line with UAL's guiding principles for Climate, Racial and Social Justice, you will focus your research practice around designing inclusive visual systems and future thinking. 

Your project outcome will focus on responsible uses of resources, accessible and inclusive communication and achieving a professional degree in the craft. It builds upon the collaborative aspects of the profession and encourages you to explore research methods and practical application cooperatively with your fellow students.

Unit 2: Collaborative Unit (20 credits):