BA (Hons) Design for Publishing
The year in review
Words  by Martin Schooley, Course Leader
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.
Over the past two years we have watched thirty 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 brings purpose to communication.
2020 has been emotionally charged for obvious reasons but themes remain balanced by the ephemeral nature of time; and are far ranging as Pandemics (started back in November!!) and Billie Eilish, Environmental Robots (they are coming to save us) and the Berlin Wall, Digital Camouflage and Smelfies to name a few. Conscious consumption and responsibility for our climate was a frequent area of exploration and is at the forefront of student minds.
This led to the creation of several thoughtful apps for making good choices easier, an innovative post-apocalyptic magazine along with terrifying fake adverts and hybrid publications that made connections between science and art.
Design for Change. Design for Love. Design for Publishing.
All the graphics courses at NUA benefit from very close relationships with industry in the form of talks and agency-led projects and collaborations. This year we have had the pleasure in welcoming the following guests from: Studio Sutherl&, Dutchscot, Together Design, Superunion, Pate on Toast, Naomi Games, Tom Ashton Booth, Chris Wormell, Marion Deuchars, Monotype, Pentagram, Magpie Studio, Socio Design, Mucho, Interabang Conran Design Group, Socio Design, CNN, Little, Brown Books and Craig Oldham.
