Digital Media and Extended Reality (XR)

This module will guide you through the practical and conceptual aspects of web design and development. Moving one step at the time, we will learn how to develop ideas from initial sketches to functional, fully testable web prototypes, exploring the expressive potential of this medium.

This module will allow you to explore the context of risk taking and innovation in your digital design process. It will build a foundation to assess the pros and cons within a project's design and production journey, developing a culture of experimentation, innovation and collaboration.

This module introduces you to the fundamental principles of design. Through a series of short projects, you will be guided to acquire a grounded understanding of visual communication, composition, color, typography, and motion design.

Building from the foundational skills acquired in the previous semester, in this module we will develop proficiency on advanced web design and development techniques. This semester will focus on responsive web design, web apps, animation and the implementation of advanced online interactions.

You will develop your understanding and technical proficiency using the tools and techniques for three-dimensional production. Working with industry-standard applications, you will develop your skills in 3d modelling, materials, texturing, lighting and rendering.

Digital designers very rarely work alone. In the complex digital landscape we live today, designers and developers almost never work in isolation from other professionals. This module will provide you with the opportunity to work with students from other programmes in industry-led briefs, developing your understanding of project management and professional communication.

This module will revise digital cultural contexts focusing on the key issues that have determined its evolution to its present forms, encouraging a critical view of their impact in society as a whole. We will review and discuss critical topics and apply theoretical perspectives to analyse digital media products. Also, and perhaps most importantly, you will have the opportunity to develop your academic research and writing skills, which will play a crucial part in future modules within this programme.

In this module, you will explore the exciting innovations for extended reality development. Through a series of guided projects, you will hone your skills for the design and production of virtual, augmented and mixed reality applications, developing a grounded understanding of the current state and future of these technologies.

You will be introduced into and design techniques and principles for using the moving image as a mean of creative expression and communication. You will learn about and apply principles for storytelling, animation and filming techniques for the production of motion graphic pieces including but not limited to opening sequences, instructional videos and music videos.

This module will set the foundation of your dissertation project in the final year. Here you will define a topic of interest and conduct preliminary research, leading to defining your research questions and practice-based methodology. You will also examine in detail the ethical issues involved in your project, pursuing approval from the University ethics panel if deemed necessary.

What does make a website or application to be understandable, memorable or fun to interact with? Why do we spend hours with a mobile application and we delete others after just a brief interaction? In this module, you will explore these questions by developing a mobile UX project from initial ideas to a functional and testable prototype.

On this module, you will learn about gamification and the design of virtual interfaces for multiple design contexts, such as advertising, education and training.

This module is designed to hone your practice-based skills. Digital design solutions almost never simply materialise out of the blue by some sort of “genius” inspiration. More often, good design arises from a thorough and empathic comprehension of our design audiences, their expectations and specific problems. All this knowledge is grounded in good creative research methods and practices. Throughout this module, you will learn about practice-based research methods and how to use them effectively as part of your creative process.

This module provides you with the opportunity to direct your areas of specialism as a digital designer by engaging with an external brief with real-world constraints. Following a negotiation with tutors, you will define a brief which will provide you with the opportunity to work with an external partner, collaborate with projects within the university, develop a live project or take part in national or international design competitions.

This module will provide you with an understanding of the planning and management tools and techniques currently used by the creative industries. You will learn how to manage teams under time and budget constraints, successfully leading projects to completion.

This module provides you with the space to develop your emerging specialism as a digital designer. Developing a project in your area(s) of specialism, you will demonstrate advanced skills as a creative and reflective practitioner, able to take informed design decisions and guide a project from conceptualisation to final stages of prototyping and testing. You will engage in design critique at an advanced level, encouraging a positive culture of collaboration with tutors and peers.

This module is designed to help you build a professional identity and develop skills in networking and professional communication. You will create a visual personal brand that will feed across a suit of professional communication components such as personal website, portfolio, business card, CV, etc. You will also work with your tutors in developing a coherent strategy for a successful start of your career.

Watch this video to hear what students say about the module.