Graphic Design

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Undergraduate Major

Faculty of Science and Information Technology

Description

The Bachelor of Visual Communication graphic and illustration design is constructed to meet the growing demand for the practice of design in all aspects of the visual communication industry. Visual communication graduates are involved in the development of design for advertising material for print, film, theatre, television and in the making of digital media, illustration, corporate graphics, publishing, packaging, signage and event promotions. Graphic designers produce art and layouts of wording for reproduction in print and electronic media such as magazines, newspapers, books and websites, and for corporate identity programs, exhibitions and advertising.

Graphic designers may specialise in a number of fields including television, film and computer graphics; set and exhibition design; corporate design; book and magazine design; and advertising and illustration. They may progress to positions as design directors, art directors or creative directors.

Illustrators create drawings and designs for books, magazines, advertisements, films, television and multimedia. Illustrators work on paper, celluloid, and two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) models. They may use a combination of traditional and computer-based techniques, or work on screen only. Illustrators can specialise in illustrations for children's books, scientific work, technical manuals, fashion, websites or product packaging. Many work as freelancers.

Work Experience:

As Graphic Design is a competitive industry, students may require industry experience in order to expand their portfolio and gain employment upon graduating. This experience can be undertaken during your degree in the form of vocational placement, vacation employment, part-time or voluntary work. Note: due to the Fair Work Act, 2009, there are conditions placed upon how unpaid experience can be gained and with what type of organisation.

For more information about Graphic Design, visit the School of Design, Communication and Information Technology site.

View our Bachelor of Visual Communication Design in the Program Handbook and the online prospectus What Can I Study?.

Academic advice: view Study Pathways for this major »

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Honours:

Some jobs require additional qualifications at Honours level. Honours is a one year stand-alone program, completed after successfully fulfilling the requirements of the undergraduate degree. For more information view Bachelor of Visual Communication Design (Honours).

Postgraduate Study

Some occupations require a higher level of completed study than an undergraduate degree, and for this reason it is worthwhile considering the range of postgraduate study options available. Postgraduate study may also be useful for specialising in a particular area, or to stimulate career change. Some of the postgraduate study options include:

Research

Masters
PhD

Coursework

Postgraduate coursework programs can add further specialisations in areas including business, safety, quality assurance and teaching. To explore such options please visit the Postgraduate Handbook at http://www.newcastle.edu.au/program/postgraduate/    

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Sample Jobs

The sample job titles listed include a range of opportunities for graduates at degree, honours, and postgraduate study and experience levels. Some of these roles may require you to take a double major in your undergraduate degree. Click on the job title for a description.

Getting the Edge

Most employers seek to recruit people who have relevant work experience and an appreciation for their industry. Here is a check list of ideas about gaining experience and industry knowledge.

  1. Check the type of experience most employers in your field of interest expect. Don’t overlook the part time work you may be currently doing. Most employers understand that the skills are transferrable even if the work is not in their industry.
  2. Check your academic program for any courses that involve a placement or the opportunity to undertake an industry based project.
  3. Check your school for Summer Scholarships for research opportunities.
  4. Check vacancy sites for advertised traineeships, part time employment and vacation work opportunities in your field.
  5. Source and approach organisations directly about possible work shadowing or information interview opportunities.
  6. Source and approach organisations directly for paid work opportunities.
  7. Consider volunteering.

Note: Gaining experience may be important but not at the expense of your studies. Make sure you do not overload your timetable with unrealistic work commitments.

 

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Sample Employers

Visual communication (graphic design) employment opportunities exist in a wide range of industries within small, medium, and large organisations, including advertising, marketing, publishing and entertainment. Below are some examples of major organisations who recruit visual communication (graphic design) graduates.

Recruitment Timing

Some large organisations have specific graduate recruitment programs designed to employ the pick of graduates each year. You must be in your final year of study or recently completed to apply for these programs. The timing of these recruitment drives varies and may occur at any point in the academic year, in some cases starting as early as the first few weeks of the first semester or trimester.

Find out if employers in your area/s of interest have graduate programs, when they typically recruit and what recruitment methods they use. Check with the Careers Service .

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Societies and Associations

Associations and societies often provide relevant and up to date information about a variety of issues relating to specific industry sectors. These can be a good starting point to learn more about occupations through profiles, industry news, links to academic journals and information on research developments. Many also offer student membership, conference and professional development activities, newsletters and the opportunity to participate in projects.


Don’t overlook student societies and associations. As well as student chapters of professional associations, some faculties or schools have discipline based student associations. Check your school or faculty web site; perhaps you might start one if one doesn’t exist.

Some academic disciplines run Seminar Programs that involve regular seminars presented by University of Newcastle academics, visiting academics and postgraduate students. Check your schools website for the timetable.

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Job Search Sites

Searching job sites is a good way to gain an understanding of: industries recruiting professionals in this field; types of roles and the requirements or expectations of employers for these roles. There are many online job search sites, here are a few to start with:

Australian and International

  • CareerHub: the University of Newcastle Careers Service careers and job search site for enrolled students and graduates.

Australian

  • CareerOne: Australia wide job listings, all levels and industries including executive positions
  • MyCareer: Australian and international listings
  • Seek: comprehensive Australian job listings, also includes New Zealand and UK listings
  • The Big Chair: Management and Executive Jobs

International

Graduate Attributes and Employability

Graduate attributes for the Bachelor of Visual Communication Design are the skills, abilities and knowledge sets that are highly sought after in the digital design industry. Below is the complete list of attributes that graduates will have demonstrated upon the completion of the degree.

Graduate Attributes

On completion of the Bachelor of Visual Communication Design degree, a graduate will be able to:

  • Display visual literacy applied to conceptualisation and production of design.
  • Use visual communication process to solve design problems.
  • Acquire, synthesise and apply a range of theoretical and practical design knowledge to the production of design.
  • Use oral, written and visual presentation skills effectively to communicate with clients, employers and colleagues in the business of design production.
  • Apply problem solving and critical creative thinking and evaluation skills to the solution of a range of design problems.
  • Demonstrate competent research techniques through written, oral and visual design publications/exhibitions.
  • Demonstrate competence with and understanding of the core design skills: drawing, typography and photography.
  • Demonstrate expertise in one or more of the specialist disciplines of digital, graphic or illustration design.
  • Work collaboratively and independently in the production of design.
  • Display an understanding of the business of design with a sense of responsibility for cultural, legal, environmental and ethical issues including copyright.
  • Demonstrate competence in the use of design industry technology to produce graphic, digital and illustration design from concept to finished

You will recognise these attributes in the selection criteria listed in the following job ads.

Sample Job Ads & Tips

Job ads provide useful information about the job and the required skills, experience and qualifications. Information like this is useful in career planning. Below is a small sample of job ads with tips on planning and job applications; explore further to gather more useful information for your planning.

Please note, the job ads listed on this page are not current and were sourced from a variety of websites in 2010.

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