6 | UG 2015

A STUDENT OF COMMUNICATION DESIGN CAN

GRADUATE WITH THE FOLLOWING AWARDS
BA (hons)
BA (HONS) COMMUNICATION DESIGN
Communication BA (HONS) COMMUNICATION DESIGN (GRAPHICS)
Design BA (HONS) COMMUNICATION DESIGN (PHOTOGRAPHY)
BA (HONS) COMMUNICATION DESIGN (ILLUSTRATION)

The course enables the development of the Guests @ Gray’s

creative, critical and technical skills necessary
to pursue a career within today’s ever evolving In addition to our course lecture programme,
communication design disciplines across a wide we also have our Guests @ Gray’s lecture
range of industry sectors. The structure of the programme. Here, we invite national and
course is flexible enough to allow students to international artists and designers to the
undertake a broad cross-disciplinary path of School to speak about their work. We have
study or alternatively specialise in graphics, had a phenomenal list of speakers that
illustration or photography. have visited the school in the last few years.
Why  not visit our blogsite to review them.
Our philosophy is student centred and aimed at www. graysartschoolaberdeen.com/
supporting creativity and independent thought category/guests-grays/
within a studio environment where emphasis
is placed on critical thinking, professionalism,
team working and the development of core
practical and technical skills. This is facilitated
via design projects that explore narrative
and the communication of central, social and
current affairs that often shape our perceptions
of modern culture.

Fig 15 Caterina Bianchini. 2014


Course Structure and Content
Year 1 enables students to develop
competency in the fundamental elements of
the creative process including research, ideas
generation and development, resolution and
reflection. Students develop a broad range of
core skills and knowledge that enable informed
choices and decisions to be made as the
curriculum progresses.
Projects are directed by staff, and students
work within prescribed parameters. Design
briefs are delivered through a combination
of studio and workshop activity. Students are
introduced to new ideas, concepts and working
approaches through seminars, critiques,
discussion forums and tutorials.
Year 2 curriculum provides students with the
ability to understand and apply knowledge of
key theoretical principles through the provision
of integrated projects; these include a broad
range of practical and technical skills associated
with the communication disciplines.
Projects are predominantly directed by staff,
and design briefs are delivered through a
combination of studio and contextual and
critical study activity that enable focus on
outputs that connect with personal interests.
Subjects  include: design principles, processes
and methods; drawing and visualisation;
graphics, illustration and photography;
typography and print; editorial, book and
advertising design; branding; packaging; 3D
visualisation; information and motion graphics;
video; moving image and web  design.
UG 2015 | 7
CCS
CRITICAL AND CONTEXTUAL
STUDIES
Year 3 challenges students to consider their Studio practice is underpinned at all stages by
own creative direction and personal voice a contextual and critical studies programme.
within studio. Students further develop This  allows students to critically engage with
their insight into their professional context, history, theory and contemporary practice
considering external opportunities and within each studio specialism. The CCS
potential career pathways. Students explore programme is delivered through blended
the requirements of new business start-up learning, including lectures, seminars and
and explore the skills to pursue a career as an group tutorials. Students engage with
independent practitioner. research, analytical critical thinking and are
offered various models of communication for
Students undertake increasing levels of assessment, from essays to multimedia digital
self-directed study and studio project work submissions. In Year 4 students propose their
enabling a greater focus on developing own topic that leads to the submission of a
specialist interests in preparation for professionally presented body of research.
Year  4. Opportunities to participate in a
range of external collaborative projects
and placement activities develop students’
professional a  ptitudes.
Year 4 provides the opportunity to undertake
a sustained period of independent self-directed
study at the threshold of professional practice.
Students develop their own design brief in
response to personal interests, researching
subjects, themes and design questions that will
underpin their study and final design outcomes.
Students will apply their critical design skills
to a range of projects while collaborative
design briefs and competitions will provide an
opportunity to promote work externally at a
national and international level.
Honours year is largely characterised by
externally facing and socially engaged practice
and the further development of individual
specialism in line with career aspirations.
Fig 16 Jennifer Humphreys. Illustration. 2014 Fig 17 Calligraphy/typography class
8 | UG 2015

Fig 18 Eilidh Dunsire. Illustration /Animation. 2014

Student Placements
External Engagement
Fig 19 Michael Traquair. Illustration. 2014 Fig 20 Michael Traquair. Illustration. 2014

Students have the opportunity to participate

in a diverse range of external activities
throughout the duration of the course
including international field study trips, national
competitions and live collaborative projects
with a wide variety of external partners.
We  offer the opportunity to participate in
the Erasmus European Exchange Programme
and industry-based placements with leading
companies and designers. There are also a
number of university clubs and societies and
local creative collectives including Offset 57
(student business initiative) that offer a range of
extra-curricular activities.

Fig 18

Fig 19 Fig 20

What our graduates go on to do
The course has a strong employment record;
graduates are employed in a variety of
professional roles across all sectors, many
employed by local companies while others
work nationally and internationally for leading
design agencies.
Graduates develop careers in graphics,
illustration, photography, publishing, web
design and advertising with a number
establishing their own design consultancies
or working as freelance illustrators and
photographers for prominent publications.
Postgraduate study provides further
opportunities for specialisation and
diversification of graduates’ portfolios;
our  students have been successful in securing
places on a range of prestigious post-
graduate  courses.
Recent graduates can apply to our Graduate
in Residence (GiR) scheme that supports the
next stage of the professional journey whether
this involves setting up a business, applying
for post-grad or building a portfolio. GiR’s
input into the course curriculum and will gain
valuable experience of teaching and learning.
UG 2015 | 9
A CASE STUDY OF ALUMNI
Scott Alistair Henderson | Digital Creative |
Location: Edinburgh, UK
“I work as a digital creative for the Leith
Agency in Edinburgh. I’ve worked with clients
including; Tennants, The Scottish Government
and the Cello Group creating Web Design;
Touchscreen Applications & Motion Graphics.
Fig 21 Rory Davenport. Photography/Graphic Design. 2014 I thoroughly enjoyed my four years at Gray’s
School of Art and I knew instantly I would miss
it the second I left. For me, the most important
thing during my time at Gray’s was the freedom
to hone my skills as a designer, especially with
regard to my understanding of aesthetics.
The  lecturers on the Communication Design
course have wide ranging experience across
many disciplines; making it easy for me to
receive the advice and critical feedback that
I needed to improve. If I was to give current
applicants one piece of advice it would be,
consistently drive yourself to be better, step
outside of your comfort zone and you will reap
the rewards”.