Course Summary

From the images we pass in the street, or see in print, to the communication devices we use, there is no escaping the influence of design and communications media. Design for Communication takes a critical approach to visual problem-solving and creative expression in this important aspect of society. Experimentation and creative research are of paramount importance in the teaching and learning philosophy.

The course places particular emphasis on the social and environmental impact of design and explores the role of the artist and designer.

You will be engaged primarily in resolving practical design problems in the studio. This work is underpinned by theoretical seminars, lectures and workshops. Whichever course you choose, our aim is to provide you with a range of fundamental research and analytical skills, such as using industry-standard software packages and production techniques. You will be taught the relevant historical and critical frameworks to help you develop your creative identity.

Stages one and two promote visual communication skills with studio activities and seminars, giving you a solid grounding in core practical and theoretical skills. You will also develop your creativity and significant specialist skills and knowledge within your chosen

BA course.

As you progress through the course to stages two and three, you will increasingly focus on your chosen specialism. You will gain experience in professional practice, including how to market yourself in readiness for careers in independent and commercial graphic communication.

This course focuses on applied image making and illustration within the context of a rapidly developing multicultural and technology-influenced society. Working alongside Graphic Design students you will build the key skills of a designer and engage with different types of illustration, including illustration for books, editorial applications and various forms of sequential narrative.

You will also develop drawing skills that can then be applied in projects shared between the animation and graphics courses to help you develop work in the field that is most relevant to your interests and strengths.

This combination of disciplines allows students to develop the skills to use illustration in a wide range of media such as video games, films, animation, advertising and publishing.

Why choose this course?

Key features

• Focuses on personal creative development
• Practical experience of industry standard technologies and software
• Opportunities to use cutting-edge techniques in areas such as design for mobile and new communication technologies, motion graphics, digital and hand-drawn animation
• Work with industry authored briefs
• Support to participate in national competitions
• Strong emphasis on environmentally and ecologically aware design
• This course invites practising artists and designers to the University as visiting tutors, and promotes professional practice for employability

Areas of study include:

• Sequential illustration
• Creative typography
• Visual communication using drawing, photography and software such as Photoshop and InDesign
• Contextual studies
• Professional practice
• Printmaking and book binding

We strive to deliver the most exciting art and design courses in HE with a number of new and innovative ideas. We also run an Art & Design blog with the latest news and events, you can find that here: wecreatetogether.net

Colin Davies, Head of Art and Division

BAILL-S

Assessment

Assessment for this course is conceived to emanate naturally from the teaching and learning and you, provided you have engaged in the course, should be able to meet the demands of assessment in your stride. The requirements for assessment range through the types listed below.

Practical Projects are at the heart of learning activities and are a key learning and assessment tool within the course. Formative and summative assessments of practical assignments are seen as an important method of ensuring your understanding, the development of relevant cognitive and practical skills and personal progress.

Continuous appraisal by both the students themselves and their tutors is a feature of the course and although there are no end-point examinations, formative assessment is carried out in relation to all the assignments that are an integral part of the course. An accumulation of the work that is done in response to learning activities is assessed summatively at the end of each unit.

The following are examples of the various assessment methods used:

• Coursework to include examples of illustration, graphic design, motion graphics and drawing, research, notebooks, essays, contextual writing


• Assessments based on individual and group presentations


• Portfolio reviews are a key means of assessing but they are also important for collating work for a professional portfolio. This instils in students the right attitudes towards professional work whereby you can use your portfolio to promote yourself in professional contexts


• Essays and reports feature in developing students writing skills, helping you to express ideas in a variety of ways and styles and to develop academic writing skills that are of particular benefit in producing the final year contextual rationale for your major project

Key Skills are embedded in the teaching and learning of the course and will be taken into account in all assessments.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

Demonstrate learning outcomes in relation to knowledge and understanding.

1. Apply processes and techniques of creative production using aesthetic values / visual conventions to articulate ideas in forms appropriate to Illustration. These will include image making, narrative and book illustration, story-boarding, time based and interactive media design.

2. Understand critical concepts, ideas / perspectives and paradigms of contemporary art and design practice in relation to artistic / cultural / creative production in general and Illustration in particular.

3. Understand, through practical experience the nature of professional practice in Illustration, through self-marketing, presentation skills and industry-authored briefs.

Demonstrate learning outcomes in relation to intellectual and cognitive skills:

4. Using methods of visual and contextual research relevant but not exclusive to Illustration, interpret creative ideas through processes and methods that are relevant to Illustration in which there is a relationship between form, content and processes / techniques.

5. Apply analytical and synthetical thinking to propose solutions to creative problems and the communication of ideas that will be manifest in outcomes relevant to Illustration.

6. Evaluate and reflect on the outcomes of courses of action and creative outputs and demonstrate the ability to adapt knowledge and production means in order to suit particular Illustration purposes whilst acknowledging alternatives.

Demonstrate learning outcomes in relation to practical skills:

7. Communicate ideas effectively using visual language concepts both general and more appositely related to Illustration and by means of visual skills, (ideas presented verbally and visually including writing, drawing, notating, collating, appropriate use of imaging software).

8. Use equipment, materials, processes and methods effectively. These may be directly associated with Illustration or moving image or images in general (e.g. workshop equipment, lens based media, silkscreen processes, computers and peripherals, processes, software and techniques).

9. Initiate, plan, manage and develop your own creative projects, including those in which you may be involved through work related study or experiential learning.

External Benchmarking

Art and Design

Educational Aims

The course aims for BA (Hons) Illustration are:

• To offer through studio practice and engagement with relevant critical contexts a high quality course of study in Illustration providing the skills, knowledge and creative experience as well as insights into professional levels of practice that will prepare students for the world of work and employment in relevant creative industries


• To provide a course with the intellectual challenges that would qualify students for further specialist study at postgraduate level


• To provide an academic and practical course of study with opportunities, methods, means and critical insights for students to learn how to give visual articulation to creative ideas through Illustration


• To engage students in analytical and reflective thinking with a consideration of the artistic, critical and cultural contexts associated with Illustration so that they might understand the value of their work and make independent assessments of its progress and the learning in which they are involved


• To provide students with an understanding of relevant critical and artistic contexts so that they might acquire an understanding of aesthetic values associated with cultural, creative and artistic production as well as gaining an insight into the ways in which these values are changing in response to the development of digital media and to a changing world


• To provide the necessary skills and experience to communicate effectively by visual means


• To promote professional practice, including self-marketing techniques, presentation skills and working in an inter-disciplinary team, so that students gain insights into professional levels of practice that will prepare them for the world of work and employment


• To provide a degree course that, not only equips students with appropriate knowledge, experience and understanding to take a productive and critical place in a world that is increasingly affected by developments in digital and moving imaging technologies, but also provides students with the means by which to engage in further learning throughout their lives

Student support

A full course of induction week activities is offered for all new students in the Division of Art and Design.

Over the first eight weeks of the course there will also be a more specialised induction unit, which will introduce students to the teaching and learning strategy for the Illustration course. It will also familiarise you with the study support and resources for the course.

The unit will involve an assessment early in the course so that students will, through the feedback, be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses.

Each student will be allocated a personal tutor and will meet with their tutor regularly throughout the year. Other tutorial appointments are available via a booking system for students to meet with academic staff and discuss aspects of their work and academic progression.

A supportive Course Manager offers both academic advice and advice about professional practice. The role of the Course Manager is pro-active, enabling issues of concern to be identified at an early stage, and to assist in the retention of students who may be encountering particular difficulties.

The Subject Librarian at the University of Bedfordshire is pro-active in assisting art and design students, and contributes study support elements where required.

Team working

Most units include group work of some kind. Team working skills are developed through some group project work incorporated within both the practice and theory units.

Moreover there will be a level two unit involving work related learning, which will involve working with others either through consultation or collaboration.

Towards the end of level 5 you will be involved in an experiential learning project, which will be based on teamwork. You will be expected to contribute your own particular skills to a collective effort in the realisation of a project.

You will produce creative and realistic solutions to complex problems including time management, monitoring progress to work to deadlines, evaluating your group and individual strategies to achieve the desired outcome. Much of the teaching and learning involves group discussion and the group crit is a significant feature of the learning experience and you will be expected to participate and contribute to this effectively.

Career Management Skills

Careers development is integrated into the course and the course seeks to provide you with an awareness of the real world context of the creative industries in general and Illustration in particular. You will be helped to develop a strategy for obtaining appropriate employment at the end of your course.

Professional practice will be emphasised as part of all learning units but a work-related learning unit especially will help you to become more focused on managing your career.

You will be helped with the preparation of a professional portfolio as well as a CV (curriculum vitae) and material so that you can market yourself.

Career/Further study opportunities

Our graduates have successfully progressed into design in publishing, advertising, corporate design, exhibition design, public or community arts participation, design consultancy, museum and exhibition work, television, video and computer games, graphics, arts education and freelance creative practice. Many of our students have

found careers in animation, working in feature and short-format entertainment motion. Graphic design for TV and video or for web and interactive design is another productive career path. Your specialist skills are also transferable to other disciplines, such as film and illustration.

Various roles within arts and the creative industries magazine and book publishing, multi-media / web design, animation, television and video, advertising, public or community arts participation, design consultancies, museum and exhibition work, arts education and freelance creative practice, teaching.

Further study:

Specialist Postgraduate courses in Illustration, Graphic Design, Animation, Digital Media and Motion Graphics.

Entry

Additional:

Students will be expected to attend a portfolio interview.

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.
• Students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa cannot apply for our foundation courses. For these courses the University of Bedfordshire is not able to sponsor Tier 4 Student Visa applications.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Postgraduate taught courses

Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the  standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.

• UK/EU students application form
• International (non-EU) students application form
  

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University Of Bedfordshire

Teaching Strategy

An essential feature of the learning and teaching will be your involvement in practical learning activities that confront visual problems and ideas relevant to Illustration. At the same time learning activities will take professional and work related practices into consideration. From an early stage in the course, you will be encouraged to work independently, taking ownership of your creativity and its outcomes, whilst at the same time developing an understanding of range of contexts that affect Illustration. The course aims to build a close relationship between practice and theory.

At the end of the course you should be able to realise a creative project of your own devising and be able to demonstrate your own particular insights into the critical, cultural and professional contexts in which your own work is placed.

To help you to learn independently and take responsibility for your own learning, the whole curriculum is organised to promote the progressive acquisition and entrenchment of the necessary concepts, skills, attitudes and knowledge associated with Illustration. The course will offer a degree of choice and is flexible in its approach to student learning with an underlying educational philosophy of self directed learning managed and supervised through close contact with you, the student.

Teaching and learning strategies include practical workshop sessions, personal study involving sustained practice in the studio or workshop, some work related learning opportunities, one to one tutorials / supervision, seminars, demonstrations, and importantly the use of a reflective/contextual journal as a means of understanding and documenting your individual learning.

Contextual journals are also important and are seen as a means of continuous development, enabling you to work as a reflective practitioner and review your own performance and learning.

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

N/A

Students with disabilities

The Division of Art and Design recognises that a relatively high proportion of art and design students encounter difficulties with dyslexia, and special arrangements are in place to offer flexibility and learning support in the preparation and submission of written work, where a need is identified.

Students with visual impairment may encounter difficulties with aspects of the course, and there would be a need for prior assessment of requirements and capabilities for this type of student.

The philosophy of the Division is to support and facilitate all students regardless of disability in their chosen field of study whenever practicable.

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

Be involved with oral communication that will be practised and tested in presentations and individual critiques. Written and verbal communication skills will be developed and assessed as part of the contextual studies units. You will be asked to produce work of different lengths and formats that should be properly referenced. Visual and verbal communication skills will be taught through all the practice units.

In the work-related units you could be engaged in activities that include working with clients and recording their communications in a variety of documents.

You will assess the quality of your own oral and visual communication and identify areas for improvement and deliver written or presentation assignments which succeed in communicating a series of points effectively.

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

Use a range of computer software as an integral part of the course and these skills are embedded in the practice based units but especially in the visual communications units at levels one and two. Information technology skills development for generic purposes such as research and data analysis and presentation will be incorporated into the contextual studies units.

You will be able to complete a complex search using appropriate primary and secondary sources, and draw accurate conclusions independently using the subject methodology.

Searching and evaluating internet sources is taught and you will analyse the information found using appropriate techniques. You will be introduced to the services of the Learning Resources Centre where specialist staff will be able to disseminate best practice on this.

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

Have to decide on action plans and implement these effectively in order to complete work. You will have to clearly identify criteria for success and evaluate your own performance against those criteria. The importance of action plans, strategies and success criteria will be measured for both your individual work and any group work that you may be involved in.

You will have the opportunity to work in teams and, through your own records or progress and from feedback, you will monitor the groups progress and evaluate its individual effectiveness to achieve its aims. Working individually, you have to set your own tasks to achieve your research goals, drawing on previous learning experience to achieve creative solutions to common problems.

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

Be involved with a series of practical learning activities at the heart of which will be the development of solutions to visual problems or ideas associated primarily with Illustration although not exclusively so. An essential feature of the contextual studies strand of the course will be to help you to relate your practice to relevant theory and to help you to construct relevant contexts for your work. This will provide you with a framework and means to reflect on your creative work throughout the course. You will be required to maintain a contextual/reflective journal, the purpose of which is to monitor and reflect on your own learning. It will ultimately inform the rationale for your final major project.

You will be encouraged to become self-reliant and you will have to decide on action plans and implement these effectively in order to complete work. You will produce creative and realistic solutions to complex problems that will include time management, monitoring your progress in working to deadlines. You will have to clearly identify criteria for success and evaluate your own performance against those criteria. The importance of action plans, strategies and success criteria will be measured for both individual work and group work.

Improving learning and performance

Throughout the course you will be involved with reflective practice, which will require you to maintain a contextual / reflective learning journal, the purpose of which is to monitor and document your personal learning journey.

The learning journal will be key in acting as an aid in improving your performance. Through records that you keep about the development of your work and from feedback you will receive from your tutors, you will be able to monitor your progress and evaluate your own individual effectiveness in achieving your aims.

Working individually, you will have to set your own tasks to achieve your research goals, drawing on previous learning experience to achieve creative solutions to problems and to develop creative ideas. Sometimes you will work in groups and you need to be able to measure your own performance in relation to the group.

Progress files

For the purpose of documenting personal progress, you will be expected to maintain a reflective learning journal throughout the duration of the course. The documentation will include a record of assessment feedback, personal reflection on and evaluation of the way in which you have engaged in learning activities as well as the efficacy of your learning.

You will be expected to reflect on and evaluate each stage of your learning and this will be used as part of some summative assessments as well as the basis for discussion about progress and the mapping of courses of action. During the early stages of the course you will engage in an evaluation of your current position together with an audit of your personal skills. This will be used as the basis for writing and maintaining a frequently updated and relevant curriculum vitae.

Professional standards

The essential aims of the course are to develop the students professionalism and to enhance your potential for employment within specific sectors of the creative industries. To this end the course will aim to promote professional attitudes and behaviour as well as to provide specific insights into professional ways of working. Your engagement in the course should reflect professional standards and failing to do so may affect assessments outcomes.

Professional standards include:

• Expectations of punctuality, regular attendance, contactability and reliability


• Appropriate means of interpersonal behaviour, address, communication and presentation skills


• Personal organisation that will include being able to draw in an effective way, on experience, learned attitudes and skills


• Maintaining the fitness to practice and having an understanding of the Criminal Records Bureau, particularly in circumstances where you may wish ultimately to work with young people


• The creative industries are competitive and by their nature can have their own specific ways of working; they often demand that its professionals are able to work to tight schedules and rapid turnaround. The course will make students aware of these demands and seek to inculcate an attitude of effective, prompt and reliable working


• The creative industries are frequently involved with such things as communication, branding and the promotion of identities and sometimes there is necessarily a need to deal with contentious issues and material as well as a need to take creative risks. It is therefore essential that students acquire an awareness of good and ethical practices, which avoid negative discrimination and exploitation


• Team working and the evaluation of outcomes


• The ability to engage in further learning

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

Since the purpose of the course is essentially aimed at helping you to gain employment in the Illustration industry specifically and the creative sector more generally, the strategy for embedding the professional standards of a critical and creative practitioner will be manifest in all the learning activities and assessments. You will be advised about correct procedures, protocols and ethics as well as enabled through a habit of self-reflection and evaluation to apply learned skills and attitudes to professional contexts.

You will be expected to engage with the course respecting professional standards and your attitude in this regard may be taken into account when assessing your work.

There will be a unit of learning that will be significantly work-related at level five. This, together with an emphasis on professional practice at level six, will give you experience of and insights into professional working practices.

Wherever possible, there will be input into the course by relevant practicing professionals.