C10324v1 Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation

Overview

The Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication offers a practice-based approach to learning visual communication. Throughout the course, the creation of new design solutions is driven by rigorous and critical exploration of methods, materiality and technology, and understanding the influence of globalisation, digitisation, complexity and interactivity.

Taking a trans-disciplinary approach, the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation utilises multiple perspectives from diverse fields, integrating a range of industry experiences, real-world projects and self-initiated proposals, equipping graduates to address the wicked problems, complex challenges and untapped opportunities in today's world.

The course aims to foster a creative and exploratory attitude toward the design process, where research and practice are consolidated in design outcomes. Teaching is centred around design studios that integrate practice-orientated learning through tasks that parallel the processes that professionals undertake in industry. Solutions are driven by the rigorous and critical exploration of methods, materiality and technology. A combination of interdisciplinary subjects, industry projects, internships, competitions and international studios, develop both flexibility and confidence in working across the diverse environments that constitute contemporary design practice. Students are required to undertake the Professional Experience Program that includes a mandatory 160-hour industry work placement.

The course is structured to allow students to focus on areas of specialisation. Throughout all stages, the course requires students to develop an understanding of their own individual design language and theoretical position in relationship to historic and contemporary contexts.

By focusing on the high-level conceptual thinking and problem-solving practices that lead to the development of innovative, creative and entrepreneurial outcomes, students of the combined degree also gain leading edge capabilities that are highly valued in the globalised world, including dealing with critical and creative thinking, invention, complexity, innovation, future scenario building and entrepreneurship, and the ability to work on their own, across and between other disciplines. These creative intelligence competencies enable graduates to navigate across a rapidly accelerating world of change.

Course aims

The course aims to support and foster a creative and explorative attitude toward the design process where research and practice are consolidated in design outcomes. It cultivates a collaborative and global vision of design. Through a variety of interdisciplinary subjects, industry projects and international studios, students develop the flexibility and confidence to work in the divergent and novel environments of contemporary visual communication practice.

Throughout the degree students progress through studies and skills development in the area of form, content, context and concept. First year introduces the key formal concerns of visual communication, including image, typography, composition and hierarchy. Second-year subjects engage more closely with content and the interdependencies of form and content. A contextual understanding of design as an outwardly focused activity is developed in third year, with closer studies of audience, society, ethics and industry.

Course intended learning outcomes

Career options

Career options include design roles in graphic design, publishing, advertising, animation, film, television, exhibitions, government agencies and not-for-profit and corporate sectors.

By being creative thinkers, initiators of new ideas, scenario planners, global strategists, open network designers or sustainable futures innovators within their chosen field of study, graduates maximise the potential of their chosen profession, making them highly sought after graduates with the ability to identify and develop solutions to some of the most complex issues that face their disciplines and society.

Course duration and attendance

The course is offered on a four-year, full-time basis.

Course structure

Students must complete 240 credit points, comprising 144 credit points in visual communication and 96 credit points in creative intelligence and innovation. The creative intelligence and innovation subjects are undertaken in accelerated form within July and Summer sessions during the first three years of study, and through one full year of study after completion of the professional degree. The Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation is not offered as a separate degree, but is completed only in combination with the professional degree program.

Course program

A typical program is shown below.

Professional recognition

Graduates are eligible for membership of the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) and the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA).

Other information

Further information is available from: