Graduate Diploma in Design (Communication Design)

If you are interested in communication design and want to develop your research skills this graduate diploma is a great choice.

Our teaching staff are professional designers, so the curriculum is industry-relevant and mostly practical in nature. You will also work alongside world-class researchers in communication design1 so you can be assured that by studying this graduate diploma at UniSA you will take away industry-relevant skills and knowledge.

1 Results in Design Practice and Management - 2018 Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA)

To be an effective communication designer you need to be able to identify problems, and to examine and develop strategies and approaches to overcome them. This qualification addresses design issues that you may be faced with in the workplace such as socio-cultural change, economic constraints, and environmental impacts.

This graduate diploma comprises design research studio classes, advanced research skills and a choice of electives. You will develop an advanced understanding of communication design principles and graduate with the ability to develop and design effective communications for a range of audiences. You will also acquire the cognitive skills needed to review and analyse research.

Creativity, patience, motivation, commitment - and of course excellent communication skills - are all qualities of a successful communication designer. This industry is expecting strong growth in long-term employment prospects with the number of job openings in Australia over the next few years, until November 2019, expected to be above average1. Careers to consider:

• animation and motion designer: use graphic software to create animated images
• art director: responsible for the visual aspects of a publication, campaign or other published material; a chief liaison between the client and designers
• graphic designer: create visual concepts to inspire, inform and captivate an audience
• communications designer: specialised graphic designer that uses software applications to create visual design elements for publishers, web developers and multimedia companies
• illustrator: produce still drawings for use in advertisements, magazines, on packaging, greeting cards and in newspapers
• typographer: create the typeface that graphically reflects a client's brief
• web designer: create and maintain websites, this may include the design, layout and coding

1Australian Government Department of Employment, Occupational Employment Projections 2015