Initial Research

The main schools I looked into in relation to Communication/ Graphic Design were Glasgow School of Art, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, and Central St Martins in London. Each of these schools vary greatly in their approach to this course and prioritise different aspects of the subject area. First off, the Communication Design course at Glasgow is very open- the course covers graphic design, photography, and illustration, although students are expected to specialise in one of these fairly early on. This course model allows for more general briefs that are up to interpretation by the student. The GSA website has less information about specific modules etc in each year of the course, but overall, the course focuses on each student’s individual development. However, there is less focus on industry placement than other courses. There is also opportunity to study abroad at one of GSA’s international partners. 

The graphic design course at Central St Martins also has a focus on allowing the student to experience many different areas of design. The graphic design course includes many different specific areas within the broader term, and students are encouraged to work with each other and students from other courses to create new and interesting work. the course is outlined very thoroughly on the website and appears to cover a broad range of specialisms. In first year each student studies three of five areas of design- including Narrative and Voice, Strategy and Identity, Time and Movement, Information and Systems, and Experience and Environment. This would allow each student room to explore different areas, while also staying focused on their specific interest. The course also seems to place emphasis on making sure students are prepared to work in the industry, as it includes projects allowing students to work directly with companies, and much of the course criteria includes reference to current industry standards. 

In Dundee the graphic design course is only three years long but is normally accessed through the general foundation course. In the general foundation you get the chance to explore many different areas of art and decide which of these you would be best suited to. In second year, you would then move into your specific course. Duncan of Jordanstone offers different courses from the foundation, such as Graphic Design, Illustration and many more. They also have a couple of vourses that don’t include the foundation- such as interior and environmental design, and digital interaction design. The graphic design course seems to have a focus on preparing students for work in the industry, something which doesn’t seem to be a huge priority at GSA. In third year there are a range of different modules to choose from, such as communication in moving image, and creative values issues and ethics. This seems to make the course more personalised, which seems really interesting. There is also opportunity to study abroad at Dundee.

To conclude, the idea of having a foundation year to explore and experiment with different subject areas sounds pretty appealing, but maybe my opinion on that will have changed by the time next year comes around. The content of all of these courses sounds very interesting, so I will have to figure out which one, or one not included here, will be right for me. 

-M

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