This module is concerned with Digital Emerging Technology and the influence on contemporary Visual Communication in its many forms. Through practical projects you will explore a problem visually, tackling them in a number of ways. Through a process of selection informed by appropriate research you will experiment with both creative visual thinking and a variety of digital products in order to identify a suitable visual solution. You will be addressing many aspects of the design process, which will include semiotics and communicating to diverse audiences in order to resolve a problem in an appropriate manner and media and to place your work in a professional context.

This module also aims to build upon and develop existing skills in typography and ideas generation gained at level 4. Through projects you will explore how digital, screen based, and emerging technology can be used to effectively communicate to an identified audience.

You will present for assessment a body of work as outlined in the module information pack.
This is likely to include:
Finished visuals, together with showing research containing appropriate annotation into a diverse range of traditional and digital image making techniques as well as practicing artists and designers (Learning Outcome: 1). A BLOG of design development work, providing evidence of your ability to: identify, research and analyse a visual communication problem, generate a range of creative proposals and select and present solutions in appropriate visual forms. [Learning Outcomes 2, 4, 5 ,6]
Produce and select solutions that demonstrate a developing aesthetic judgment based on sound research and observation, [Learning Outcomes 1,5,6]


KEY INFORMATION SETS
100% coursework

Project work will provide the framework through which learning will take place, it will integrate the practical with the theoretical and the technical aspects of communication. There will be studio work, including introductory seminars/lectures, followed by group tutorials and crits to present findings/visuals. There will also be group instruction in the use of image manipulation software and the use of relevant (typographic)software

KEY INFORMATION SETS
24% scheduled L&T activities
76% guided independent learning

1. MAKE APPROPRIATE CREATIVE DECISIONS WHILST WORKING THROUGH THE VARIOUS STAGES OF THE DESIGN PROCESS AND IN THE IDENTIFICATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SPECIFIC VISUAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS.

Reflection

2. CONVEY INFORMATION AND MEANING EFFECTIVELY IN ITS MANY DIFFERENT FORMS USING A RANGE OF TYPOGRAPHIC AND CREATIVE TECHNIQUES AND APPROACHES.

Communication

3. CREATIVELY APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS GAINED THROUGH RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENTATION WITH A VARIETY OF MEDIA IN THE PRODUCTION OF AN APPROPRIATE SOLUTION SUPPORTED BY CLEAR DEVELOPMENT AND PREPARATION WORK.

Application

4. GENERATE AND EVALUATE THE APPROPRIATENESS OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES THROUGH EXPLORATION AND EXPERIMENTATION, USING A RANGE OF ALTERNATIVE MEDIA TECHNIQUES TO ARRIVE AT A RELEVANT SOLUTION TO A VISUAL COMMUNICATION PROBLEM.

Problem Solving

5. APPLY APPROPRIATE CREATIVE THINKING TO SOLVE A GRAPHIC DESIGN PROBLEM, BASED ON CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROJECT BRIEF, RESEARCH AND AUDIENCE CRITERIA.

Analysis

6. EFFECTIVELY RESEARCH AND GATHER INFORMATION IN THE SUPPORT AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SOLUTION TO A DESIGN BRIEF.

Enquiry

Studio workspace and seminar room with presentation and projection facilities.

Computer Workshops

Specific skills modulettes will be assigned to this module.

Library

Internet access

Design studio

Experimental workshop resources for mixed media experimentation

University Digital Smart Zone

Macs throughout studio, campus and Henrion building

Software: Adobe CC Illustrator, Photoshop, Indesign, i-movie

Colour Printer (computer workshops)

Animation Workshops

Ambrose G & Harris P. (2003) The Fundamentals of Creative Design AVA publishing

Crow D. (2003) Visible Signs. AVA Publishing

Drate S. & Salavetz J. (2001) Extreme Design How Design Books

Haslam. A & Baines P. (2002) Type and Typography

Johnson M. (2002) Problem Solved Phaidon

Jury D. (2002) About Face Reviving the Rules of Typography Roto Vision

Odling-Smee A. (2002) The new handmade graphics RotoVision

Philip B. Meggs (1992) Type & Image: The Language of Graphic Design. Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Samara T. (2003) Making & Breaking the Grid. Rockport Publishers

Street R. & Lewis F. (2003) Touch Graphics The Power of Tactile Design Rockport

Williams.J (May 1st 2012) Type Matters! Merrell Publishers

Eyal, N., 2019. Hooked, how to build habit forming products. Penguin

Monterio, M., 2017. (online) ‘A designers code of Ethics’

Design and Digital Interfaces By Ben Stopher, John Fass, Tobias Revell, Eva Verhoeven 2021

A Project Guide to UX Design: For User Experience Designers in the Field Or in the Making by Carolyn Chandler and Russ Unger (2019)

Digital by Design: Crafting Technology for Products and Environments Thames and Hudson Ltd; Reprint edition (2 Aug. 2010) Conny Freyer


Journals:
Design Week
Marketing Week
Creative Review.com

Itsnicethat.co.uk

Manchester UX Community

Creative Boom.com

This module is concerned with Digital Emerging Technology and the influence on contemporary Visual Communication in its many forms. Through practical projects you will explore a problem visually, tackling them in a number of ways. Through a process of selection informed by appropriate research you will experiment with both creative visual thinking and a variety of digital products in order to identify a suitable visual solution. You will be addressing many aspects of the design process, which will include semiotics and communicating to diverse audiences in order to resolve a problem in an appropriate manner and media and to place your work in a professional context.

This module also aims to build upon and develop existing skills in typography and ideas generation gained at level 4. Through projects you will explore how digital, screen based, and emerging technology can be used to effectively communicate to an identified audience.