7 Week Online Elective Course

Graphics and Contemporary Society concerns meaning-making in graphic design within global and national contexts, and complements theoretical and practical studies in art and design. During the last two decades of the 20th century computers, digitisation and information technology have contributed to significant changes in graphic design. Parallel to these changes are the cultural, socio-economic and political perspectives on graphics and the representation of national experience. These profound changes affect the way knowledge is produced and consumed just as the invention of printing transformed the dissemination of information in Renaissance Europe. Although the digital revolution has transformed the roles, working methods, project management and production processes for designers and printers, the digitisation of text and pictures has also exerted a compelling influence on the aesthetics and designing of the graphic image in print and electronic media for a global audience.

Graphic design is a social activity in which the digital reconfiguration of the image engenders new forms of visual experiences. The course content addresses theoretical and methodological issues in the production and consumption of graphics, in particular cross-cultural significance in contemporary society, including form and function in global communication design; pictorial and narrative structures in visual communication; systems of icons and symbols as a global visual language, and the influence of technology on aesthetics and visual experience.

This fully online course comprises a series of lectures, learning activities and assessment tasks delivered via the Internet using an engaging interface that specifically supports textual and visual communication. Your assessment tasks will include individual and team projects to encourage group participation and collaboration, complemented by regular tutor and peer student feedback to enhance your understanding and critical analysis of graphics within global and social contexts.

NOTE: This course is conducted via the Omnium system (omnium.edu.au). Students will receive log in instructions via their UNSW email account prior to the commencement of the course.