Cape Peninsula University of Technology

Visual Communication Design

Are you artistic, imaginative and would like to work in a creative field?

Are you always looking to come up with and playing with new design ideas?

Diploma in Visual Communication Design

A visual communication designer is someone who develops creative concepts and then designs them into reality by hand and digital means. They communicate ideas to inspire, inform and captivate people’s attention across a wide range of target markets. From glossy magazines, logo's, posters, and animation to websites and app design, the field of Visual Communication Design is both exciting
and diverse.

In this course you will learn how to draw on your creative imagination, and develop design skills in preparation for entry into the dynamic design industry.

If you enjoy playing with graphics and words to make eye-catching design communication, then a career in Visual Communication Design awaits you.

Subjects

First Year

• Visual Communication Design Essentials
• Media Innovation for Visual Communication 1
• Visualisation 1
• Academic and Professional Literacies
• Business Skills for Design 1
• History and Theory of Design 1

Second Year

• Visual Communication Design Core 2
• Media Innovation for Visual Communication 2
• Visualisation 2
• Design Specialisation 2
• Business Skills for Design 2
• History and Theory of Design 2

Third Year

• Visual Communication Design Core 3
• Media Innovation for Visual Communication 3
• Visualisation 3
• Design Specialisation 3
• Business Skills for Design 3
• History and Theory of Design 3

Advanced Diploma: Visual Communication Design

This one-year full-time course is an advancement on the Visual Communication Design Diploma and prepares students for entry into the creative industry. Students develop the skills and knowledge of the Diploma by applying these within a specialised body of work that addresses a particular visual communication design challenge.

Students will develop their competency and deepen their understanding of the visual communication design profession within and across the following fields; brand strategy and development, integrated advertising campaigns, design for social or sustainability awareness, user-experience design and the sub-fields of image generation i.e. photography, illustration and printmaking. This will be supported thorough contextual research into economic and social issues, and through the innovative application of technology. A graduating student will have developed the skills to conceptualise, and design a well-researched visual communication design campaign, as well as a written research report that details and justifies the research at an appropriately academic level.

The kinds of positions a graduate could hold in industry fall into the following areas: Graphic design, Advertising & Branding, Publication design, Web design, Animation, Illustration, and Photography.

This course has five subjects, all of which integrate into the core visual communication design output.

Subjects

• Visual Communication Design 4
• Conceptualisation for Design 4
• Visual Communication Technology 4
• Business Skills for Design 4
• Research for Report Writing 4

Career Opportunities

• Graphic Designer
• Art Director
• Publication Designer
• Photographer
• Illustrator
• Freelance Graphic Designer
• Web Designer
• Mobile Applications Designer
• User Interface/Experience Designer

Admission Requirements

Admission into Diploma in Visual Communication Design:

• Minimum APS score of 28
• English Home Language or First Additional Language 4
• Mathematics 3 or Technical Maths 4 or Maths Literacy 5

Admission into Advanced Diploma (One of the following criteria):

1. Successful completion of the three-year Visual Communication Design or Graphic Design Diploma with a 60% pass rate including a portfolio of work and possibly an interview.
2. A student with the above pass rate in the National Diploma Visual Communication Design or Graphic Design or an equivalent NQF 6 qualification in Visual Communication Design or Graphic Design Diploma from another institution would also be eligible to apply.
3. Candidates may also apply for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for access into the Advanced Diploma

Venue of Offering

Third Floor, Design Building, District 6 Campus, Cape Town

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