Higher National Diploma in Design (Visual Communications)

The Higher National Diploma in Graphic Design at Ballyfermot College of Further Education is an intense, rigorous and professional programme, which aims to mould learners into confident and skilled graphic design practitioners. This Higher National Diploma has been running with great success for nearly thirteen years and has developed an outstanding reputation for both the quality of the programme and its graduates. The course has been designed to give learners a unique and professional portfolio of work, coupled with the technical and creative skills to go straight into industry or apply for advanced entry to either 2nd or 3rd year of an honours degree programme in Ireland or the United Kingdom.

Students explore a wide range of visual communication techniques, with a particular emphasis placed on strong conceptual thinking and innovative design solutions. This design process is enhanced further with intense practical software and digital technology classes. Students may have no previous computer experience before beginning this programme, but upon completion of the course students will have a comprehensive understanding of how to effectively and appropriately apply technology in the design process.

Learners use Apple Mac computers in class and receive full training in the operating system, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, QuarkXPress, Flash and Dreamweaver. Topics introduced to students on this course include image manipulation, web design, typography, ideas generation, illustration, corporate identity, packaging, advertising among others.

The ability to draw well lies at the heart of all art and design programmes and so plays an important part on the HND in Graphic Design; we encourage learners to integrate traditional art & design techniques with digital media wherever appropriate in the design process. Students are given classes in traditional illustration techniques and traditional design craft skills.