The studio focus is visual language. Visual and material metaphor will be explored as devices for visual communication in various media and applied to convey literary themes on book covers in at least one of the key assessments. The wider field of inquiry is the intersection of graphic design and narrative in communication design practice. The studio suits those interested in the art of graphic design, graphic design history, illustration, photography and typography.

Visual and material literacies will be investigated. You will research historical examples of book cover design practice to decipher and interpret techniques to gain an understanding of the significance of materiality in postdigital graphic design. Research will also be made of your practice as it develops in this field and your findings will inform the design of the final SKO project.

As the studio progresses you will learn to apply the communication techniques mentioned above to translate abstract, literary and other non-visual concepts to an audience. You will also be introduced to series design and programmatic strategies to extend a single idea into a suite of related designs, for example a series of book cover designs.

You will design:
a series of visual/material metaphors that communicate non-visual concepts a series of book covers and visual expressions of literary themes outside of the book, for example, in an urban or natural landscape.

The assignments are
1) a series of visual metaphors based on a theme (eg. music)
2) a series of book cover designs
3) SKO: The design of the SKO will interpret what you have learnt about communicating with visual languages.

'Visuality; thinking in terms of images' from 'Some virtues of design' Gui Bonsiepe, 1997