Graphic Design and Branding

Alex Komlosy
Alex Komlosy has been in the design industry for 25 years, working with SME’s, blue chip & public sector clients such as National Express, Manchester Council and The Home Office with experience in a range of roles from art-working through to creative directing and client facing.

Teaching passions include developing students’ visual proficiency, bringing current thinking on how to create and communicate commercial design and advertising solutions and running application workshops.

Paolo Feroleto
Practicing freelance graphic designer with 20 years’ experience working at a variety of small to larger design agencies with clients such as M&S, CocaCola, Tesco, Powergen, FHP City Living, Metropolitan Housing Trust, Budweiser, Commerzbank and Sanctuary records. Paolo currently runs specialist services in Design, Live illustration Recording & Spatial Graphics.

Alexandra Jackson
During my fourteen years as a tutor in the creative media department at The Manchester College/UCEN I have worked across a variety of courses such as Graphic Design, Animation, Film and TV and New Media, teaching fundamental design skills, contextual studies and importantly assisting learners as they bridge the gap between academic and vocational practice.

Ideas Generation, visual communication, mark-making, character design and storytelling are pivotal to my teaching practice ensuring I develop material that keeps my learners engaged, challenged and on point as they begin to make creative waves in the world of design and motion graphics.

• Students that have passed a recognised Access programme will also be considered

• 64 UCAS Tariff Points

• GCSE English Language and Mathematics A* to C or 9 to 4 where numeric grades are being awarded

• Applicants who do not meet the standard entry criteria but have previous learning towards a university-level qualification, or relevant industry or life experience, will be considered on an individual basis and may be invited to interview.

Mature applicants (aged 21 or over) who are able to demonstrate relevant skills or knowledge gained in employment or vocational activity will be considered and may be invited to interview.
Your suitability for Foundation Degree study may be assessed by interview.

Year 1: Advertising (30 credits)
Learn the differences between designing and advertising, deconstructing a product/service, presenting its benefits in a persuasive manner, and creating engaging and persuasive scamps and copywriting – all before any work on aesthetics even begins!

Year 1: Branding (30 credits)
With industry input, pitches and feedback this unit Identify the key features that drive an identity and how they are represented across print and screen media… Think beyond the logo.

Year 1: Contextual Studies 1 (20 credits)

Year 1: Exploring Typography (20 credits)

Year 1: Visual Literacy (30 credits)
Explore the design principles and skills that provide the structure around graphic design, focusing on design process, content differentiation, layout fundamentals and the anatomy of typography, exploring the relationship between them. design process, content differentiation, layout fundamentals and the anatomy of typography, exploring the relationship between them.

Level 4
80% Coursework / Practical
20% Essays / Reports

Level 5
80% Coursework / Practical
20% Essays / Reports

Level 6
70% Coursework / Practical
30% Essays / Reports

All of the books required for the course are available either from the library or as e-books. However, many students choose to buy some of the core textbooks for the course and/or a laptop. You may also need to print assignments and other documents. Campus printing costs start from 5p per page. Estimated course costs are:

Equipment list: £150-£200
Printing: 1st yr £150 – 3rd yr £300
Optional Software: Creative Cloud £16 p/m (equipped on all campus Macs)
Optional trip: £300+