Words by Glen Robinson, Senior Lecturer

The BA (Hons) Design for Publishing students create compelling, effective and beautifully-designed print and digital products using typography, image and surface design, underpinned by thorough research. Students are taught the fundamentals of typographic detail, layout, and structure, readability, and the simplification of complex information to create effective communication.

It is also driven by and informed by working with compelling content (written and visual) and through experimentation and innovation we encourages students to explore the idea of curating and delivering content using traditional and innovative (technological) formats (books, magazines, online, social media, moving image, sound, spatial design) to create immersive narratives and stories.

Profile shot of Design for Publishing senior lecturer Glen Robinson standing on a staircase wearing a dark blue shirt.
Over the past three years we have encouraged and watched twenty–three students’ natural curiosity emerge and flourish when they have become immersed in the subject matter being designed for – the red pill – they inevitably fall into the rabbit hole and make amazing discoveries; this is the power of content–led graphic design and it brings purpose and meaning to any communication.
BA Design for Publishing work by Nina Avery showing an opening magazine spread titled Obsessed With Muay Thai, with an image of a high intensity Muay Thai sparring session.

2020–2021 has been emotionally charged for obvious reasons but content themes remain balanced by the ephemeral nature of time. In the past 12 months Design for Publishing students have examined the life of Billie Holiday, what lies in the dark mind of H.P. Lovecraft, the importance of Female Pleasure, Spomeniks, and Life after Death to name just a few.

Design for Life. Design for Love. Design for Publishing.

A newspaper style publication with collages of other newspapers and various dystopian sounding headlines like ‘schools out, exams axed, deaths soar and army in’

All the graphics courses at NUA benefit from very close relationships with industry in the form of talks and agency-led projects, collaborations and competitions. This year we have had the pleasure in welcoming the following guests from industry: Phil Carter (Carter Studio), Lyam Bewry (Mucho, San Francisco), Olivia Beresford Evans & Mark Nichols (Taxi Studio), Tom Tapper (Nice and Serious), Marta Andren (Here Design), Christian Bird (Pearlfisher, New York), Alex Bride (Dragon Rouge)…

BA(Hons) Design for Publishing work by Sofia Cassy showing 6 colourful overprinted designs

Rachel Price (lettering artist), Sean Thomas (JKR), Liza Enebeis (Studio Dumbar, Rotterdam), Brett Cloke (Lego), Chris Ribet (Williams, Murray Hamm), Jack Renwick and Jon Newman (Jack Renwick Studio), Masie Benson (B&B Studio), Simon Esterson (Simon Esterson Associates), Matt Willey (Pentagram, New York), Amber Meadows, Max Elkins, Helen Harlow & Naomi Winter (Foolproof).

BA Design for Publishing work by Abi Hood showing a reversible split record cardboard sleeves, one red, one blue, featuring abstract art and hand-rendered type which were inspired by Billie Holiday’s autobiography Lady Sings The Blues.
Two spreads about Miley Cyrus. Two collages were made using found images of the singer.