Graphic Design

• Type and typography
• Editorial design
• Ideas and concepts
• Design innovation
• Information design and data visualisation
• Service design and creative coding
• Graphic design for promotion.

If you are studying the BA (Hons) Graphic Design with Integrated Foundation Year version of this course, key topics of your integrated foundation year will include:

• Fundamental design principles: typography, colour, hierarchy, layout, and imagery
• Developing clear visual narratives, identities, and design systems
• Crafting effective visual storytelling through sequencing, pace, and tone
• Conducting research with cultural, social, and ethical awareness
• Mastery of industry-standard software (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Animate, After Effects, Acrobat, Premiere Pro)
• Managing production workflows from pre-production to post-production
• Critically evaluating design work using relevant criteria
• Creating professional portfolios, slide decks, and pitch presentations

Our first year explores the fundamentals of graphic design, looking in depth at ideas, tools and approaches, working together, digital skills, users and audiences, design and technology in culture, the future of workspaces, and utilising serious play. You are treated as a design professional from day one.

Modules include:

• Fundamentals of Graphic Design 1
• Fundamentals of Graphic Design 2
• Message 1
• Message 2
• Professional Life Practice: "Developing your Practice"
• Professional Life Practice: "Exploring your Practice"

The second year of the Graphic Design degree expands your design horizons, giving you a thorough grasp of the current settings for work, helping you to specialise and focusing your ambitions by offering you live briefs, collaborations, external partnerships, and work-based learning opportunities.

Modules may include:

• Collaborate
• Specialism
• Elective
• Professional Life Practice: "Applying your Practice"
• Work-based learning

The final year refines your design voice and prepares you to join the design community, by constructing your portfolio, refining your chosen direction, building professional readiness, a future-facing showcase and your own design identity.

Modules include:

• Design Voice
• Professional Life Practice: "Situating your Practice"
• Major Project
• Showtime

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry onto our courses, whilst also considering the context in which they were achieved. For this course, we would usually require a GCSE Grade 4 or above in English in addition to any of the below;

• Two A Levels at grade CC or above
• BTEC Extended Diploma at grade MPP
• UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma
• T Level (pass or above)
• Access to Higher Education Diploma
• International Baccalaureate at grade 24 or above
• Other/Mixed qualifications equivalent to 64 UCAS Tariff points

At Ravensbourne we take a flexible approach to admissions, as we want you to know exactly what you need to achieve in your exams to guarantee a place on the course. We still think exams are important and look forward to hearing about your successes, but we place just as much importance on the work you will share with us as part of our portfolio process.

Selection criteria:

Students should ideally have a background in art, creative media or design. Admission onto this course is also subject to successful completion of a portfolio (or showreel). 

We may also consider a combination of portfolio and academic qualifications and take into consideration progress made during studies and/or relevant work experience.

If you wish to study our BA (Hons) Graphic Design course, we will need to see examples of previous work that showcases your suitability for the course. 

Your portfolio

Bring along your portfolio and don’t forget your sketchbooks, which will demonstrate your creative processes and how you think.

We are interested in seeing your completed projects, including final outcomes, but it's always good to include any personal work you're proud of too.

We will be looking out for original and innovative experiments as well as relevant visual research and idea development.

Examples of work can include (but not restricted to):

• Posters and other printed matter
• Editorial layouts, including books and magazines
• Typographic experiments
• Information graphics
• Other forms of design including digital examples.

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry onto our courses, whilst also considering the context in which they were achieved. For this course, we would usually require a GCSE Grade 4 or above in English in addition to any of the below;

• Two A Levels at grade DD or above
• BTEC Extended Diploma at grade PPP
• Other/Mixed qualifications equivalent to 48 UCAS Tariff points

At Ravensbourne we take a flexible approach to admissions, as we want you to know exactly what you need to achieve in your exams to guarantee a place on the course. 

Selection criteria:

Students should ideally have a background in art, creative media or design. 

There are no interview or portfolio requirements for this course.