Digital Design & Communication Level 3 Extended Diploma
BackCourse Information
What does the course involve?
The L3 Extended Diploma in Digital Design & Communication is a qualification for students looking to pursue a specialist career in the creative industries. This course is centred around digital design practices and is a focussed pathway drawn from the UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Creative Practice: Art, Design, and Communication specification.
This course will provide students with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to access training programmes or apprenticeships in the creative sector, or to apply for progression to higher education courses.
This course aims to develop your digital design and communication skills in a range of digital disciplines including Graphic Design, Photography, and UX, equipping you with creative, conceptual, technical and critical skills needed for a 21st century design sector. You will explore and experiment with a wide range of media and contexts, working on projects that concentrate on visual ideas and brand communication.
The first year of the course will introduce you to a wide range of skills, exploring both traditional forms of communication design such as design for print, along with emerging digital technologies and methods of publication and distribution. Your knowledge and skills will grow in branding, identity, advertising, motion graphics, interaction/UX design, whilst developing strong skills in creative thinking and ideas-led communication. The briefs that you will work on will be based on real world design issues and live briefs allowing you to develop the skills needed to understand and meet the needs of clients.
In the second year you will specialise in a particular discipline allowing you to develop the specific skills and portfolio needed to access the next stage of your career.
You will be taught by passionate and experienced lecturers and have the opportunity to meet a range of creative practitioners. The course encourages creative thinking to solve design problems and looks to build a collaborative environment cultivated from a wide variety of individual backgrounds and cultural experiences, combined with individual areas of study.
Projects will include:
Advertising
Marketing an object. You will investigate target audience, take studio product photography, design a billboard and a web banner.
Cross Platform Advertising
You will create the advertising campaign for a music festival. This will include design for print, logo design and brand identity, subversive advertising, and web design.
Illustration
You will conduct market research before illustrating and designing product packaging.
UX
You will conduct a social media audit for an existing brand.
You will create user interfaces for this brand with front end app and web design.
Branding
You will design a logo, strapline, house style and social media presence for yourself.
You will design a website for your online portfolio.
You will collaborate to create an online exhibition catalogue for your group.
This course is the ideal route into a wide range of apprenticeships or creative degrees at university, in subjects such as: Graphic Communication; Digital Arts, Advertising & Marketing, Illustration. Animation or 3D Design. Students who wish to enter employment directly, could work in a design-related industry, such as Advertising, Graphic Design or Illustration.
Can I take additional qualifications?
This course is equivalent to three A Levels and does not need to be supplemented by other qualifications.
How will I be assessed?
Throughout the two-year course, students will complete a range of projects and assignments which will be internally assessed via portfolios of work. An overall grade is awarded at the end of the course and is externally moderated. Student will receive regular feedback regarding their progress.
What are the costs?
There is a small £20 fee to study on this course. This goes toward materials used throughout the two-year program of study. Through our online College shop Art Packs are available, these provide sufficient sketchbooks, portfolios, and other supplies at cost price, we aim to keep this below £15. Students will also receive a small amount of printing credit, this may need to be topped up throughout the year. Students should budget for trips to galleries and museums in order to gain maximum benefit from this course. These will take place once a term and we aim to keep costs below £15 for each trip. Students in receipt of bursary payments can use these funds to pay the materials fee, and in the online College shop.
What is the duration?
This is a two-year course.
Entry Requirements
5 GCSEs at 4 or above, preferably including GCSE Art or Photography at grade 4 or above; or its equivalent vocational qualification at Merit or Distinction. You will need to present a broad selection of artwork and sketchbooks at interview.
*We do consider students who have not studied Art at GCSE if they provide a strong personal portfolio of work at interview/enrolment.
