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 several ways. Through a process of selection informed by appropriate research you will experiment with both creative visual thinking and a variety of digital products to identify a suitable visual solution.

You will be addressing many aspects of the design process, which will include semiotics and communicating to diverse target audiences 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 design fundamentals, exploration and moving image 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.

Assessment 1: Artefact / Portfolio

Finished visuals, design development in the form of notebooks and digitally annotated sketchbooks that provide evidence of your ability to work through the design process including visual research, evaluation with reflection of your development. Your research folder will contain appropriate annotation into a diverse range of traditional and digital and moving image making techniques.

It should include:

- Primary and secondary research, analysis and visual investigation
- Design development that evidence ability to identify, research and analysis of a communication problems and generate a range of creative proposal and showcase in appropriate visual forms
- Finished projects to use a range of digital media applications in Adobe suite; Figma, After Effects
- Concept and design development (e.g. Mood boards, sketches, samples)
- Product or outcome development (e.g. Campaign development, promotional materials)
- Ongoing annotations explaining and justifying creative and technical decisions
- Final resolved outcomes appropriate to the project focus (e.g. campaigns, editorial, posters, moving image)

Assessment 2: Reflection

- You will produce a written or multimedia professional development that articulates your project focus
- Informed by ethical primary and secondary research, you will explain how research, theory and professional context have shaped your creative, technical and strategic decision-making.
- You will reflect on your strengths, limitations and skills development, and set realistic, professionally relevant goals for both your project and future academic or career progression.

This can be submitted as:

Option 1: Written reflection with supporting visuals – word count 1800
Option 2: Audio recording with image folder – 6-8 mins
Option 3: Video reflection with supporting visuals – 6-8 mins

Formative Assessment:

Midway formative feedback will be embedded within practical sessions, providing structured opportunities for feedback on work-in-progress to support student development and progression.

Individual and group project work will integrate practical (technical and aesthetic) and theoretical aspects of visual communication understanding.

- Seminars
- Technical, experimental print and academic workshops including technical instruction sessions and library, design collection and design museum/exhibition-based activities
- Group peer-based learning tutorials - Formative assessments
- Independent study in support of your practical work

1. Apply knowledge and skills to produce a creative project that responds to contemporary issues within Graphic design.

Knowledge and understanding

2. Solve discipline-specific problems using evidence-based approaches through visual analysis and appropriate audience language.

Application and problem solving

3. Apply digital tools to support professional-standard creative workflows in graphic design.

Digital literacy

4. Reflect critically on your development as an emerging professional in graphic design.

Reflection

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University Careers https://staffs.careercentre.me/Members
University Library https://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/library
Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment will support this module where relevant
Specialist spaces
- Smart Zone
- Media Lab resources
- CAD Labs
- Photography resources; studio and technical specialists
- Print Bureau and experimental print photography resources and technical specialists including screen print, Riso, Dry etch
- Betty Smithers Design Collection
- Immersive Technology suite
- Adobe Creative suite technical instruction
- Figma technical instruction

Eyal, N. (2019) Hooked: How to build habit-forming products. London: Penguin.

Freyer, C. (2010) Digital by design: Crafting technology for products and environments. Reprint edn. London: Thames & Hudson.

Monteiro, M. (2017) ‘A designer’s code of ethics’. Available at: https://muledesign.com/2017/01/30/a-designers-code-of-ethics/ (Accessed: 14 January 2026).

Unger, R. and Chandler, C. (2012) A project guide to UX design: For user experience designers in the field or in the making. 2nd edn. Hoboken, NJ: Pearson Education.

Where older texts are included, they are retained as foundational texts within the discipline, remaining relevant where no more recent equivalent texts are available.

How are emerging digital technologies reshaping the way we communicate visually? In this module, you’ll explore how digital and emerging technologies influence contemporary visual communication. Through practical, research-informed projects, you’ll tackle visual problems in multiple ways, experimenting with creative thinking, digital tools, and screen-based media. You’ll consider design fundamentals, semiotics, and audience communication to develop professional visual solutions. Building on skills from Level 4, the module supports your progression towards confident, industry-aware visual communication practice.