Graphic Design
Discover the best information, whether you’re a new Graphic Design student starting your first assignment, or delving into a research project.
Library essentials
Reading Lists
These are set up by your tutors to guide you to good quality, relevant and useful materials to help you with your studies. They're a great starting point before doing your own research.
Library Search
Did you know? The citation tool in Library Search can help you create references! Learn how to make the most of Library Search through our short, interactive guide: Use Library Search to find academic information for your assessments.
Subject specific resources
Key resources for graphic design students
Databases
Databases are searchable collections of good quality, academic material, particularly journal articles. They can be small subject specific or large collections covering a wide range of subject areas. Most databases provide access to full-text items.
| Arts databases that can be accessed via ProQuest. | |
| Hundreds of magazines and journal on all aspects of art and humanities. | |
| A collection of books covering Fashion and Textiles, Design and Illustration, Photography, Film and Animation, and more. These provide inspirational images, and practical advice on research techniques, and portfolio development. | |
| Covers a huge range of subjects and provides access to peer reviewed journals, videos, and podcasts. | |
| Facts, figures, definitions, and translations found in dictionary, language reference, and subject reference works published by Oxford University Press. | |
| Journals, newspapers, working papers, reports and dissertations on a wide range of business topics. | |
| A great place to start a search on most subjects, providing access to both books and journal articles. | |
| Millions of quality, peer-reviewed articles covering a wide range of topics in the sciences and humanities. |
Digital Archives
Digital Archives predominantly contain digitised primary sources.
These are original documents and objects that give first-hand accounts of a topic or event. They're created by people who had a direct connection with the topic or event. These can be:
- government
- company or personal papers
- newspapers
- books or magazines
- films
- works of art.
| A collection of art and architecture magazines dating from 1895 - 2005. The issues are presented as full-colour page images. | |
| A range of primary sources covering the social, political, and cultural shifts during the period of 1950 to 1975. | |
| A collection of primary sources exploring 100 years of youth culture from Rave, Punk, Rockabilly to Grime. | |
| The Women's Wear Daily Archive preserves one of the fashion industry's most influential reads. | |
| Archive of American Vogue, from the first issue in 1892 to the current month. Each issue is reproduced in full, including advertisements, covers and fold-outs. | |
| The complete run of Vogue Italia – one of the most influential and renowned international editions of Vogue – from its launch in 1964 to the present day. |
Industry Resources
Industry resources provide practical information and updates related to a specific sector or type of business.
They can be valuable resources for staying informed about:
- industry trends
- accessing research materials
- organisations and industry professionals.
| Information about artists and exhibitions, research reports, reviews and campaigns. A really useful way to keep up-to-date on what's going on in the visual arts. | |
| An inspiring selection of images, free for use in education, from a huge variety of art and design collections. | |
| Helps designers understand markets and consumer attitudes, behaviours, and decisions. As well as being visually interesting and inspiring. | |
| Market research reports on a range of UK sectors. Also includes access to Mintel Trends which provides evidence-backed insights on how today's consumer thinks, feels and acts. | |
| Predicts consumer, lifestyle and product design trends. It’s a key industry resource for designers working in a wide range of areas, from fashion, beauty and home interiors to hospitality, travel, finance and more. |
Magazines
The library subscribes to many high-quality physical and digital magazines which you can use to strengthen your assessments. Magazines are a unique source of information, containing state-of-the-art professional perspectives, practitioner insight and creative works.
For guidance finding and using magazines in the library, look at the Magazines webpage.
Here are magazines for your subject area:
| A digital library that lets you read thousands of global newspapers and magazines using your local library membership. It provides full-content access to over 7,000 publications from more than 120 countries. | |
| Photography magazine featuring both historical and contemporary photographic work and essays. | |
| International art magazine that covers contemporary global artists, cultural trends and artists through discussions and features. | |
| A bimonthly print magazine and website. The magazine focuses on commercial creativity, covering design, advertising, photography, branding, digital products, film, and gaming. | |
| A bi-monthly British lifestyle magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. | |
| Graphic design magazine offering perspectives on visual design trends and developments. | |
| A leading magazine of contemporary art and culture. | |
| Internationally recognized design and architecture magazine with a strong focus on ethics, innovation and sustainability. | |
| The world's only international journal of Outsider Art, the art of “unknown geniuses” who are untrained, unschooled and uninfluenced by the art world. | |
| An independent, quarterly contemporary art magazine known for its bold visual style and unconventional, argumentative criticism covering art and culture. | |
| Independent magazine covering fashion, art, culture, politics, and architecture through in-depth interviews and features under the motto "Elitism for All." |
Newspapers
Newspapers are a great source for reviews and comment on:
- film
- television
- theatre
- performances.
The Library gives students and researchers access to wide-range of Newspapers.
LinkedIn Learning
LinkedIn Learning offers more than 9,000 professionally produced online courses covering a wide range of technical, creative and professional skills.
Always use our institutional link to log in. You'll need your University email address and password. The first time that you log in, you'll be taken through a setup process to discover courses tailored to your interests.
Print Books
You can borrow print books from the Library. The location details below are a guide. It's best to search Library Search for exact location of items:
| Classmark | Subject Area |
| 741 | Graphic design |
Inclusive Collections
Expand your research with diverse voices and perspectives using our Inclusive Collections initiative. Explore school-based collections to find high-quality, inclusive resources.
Develop your skills
Finding information skills
Developing information skills saves time and gives you stronger sources for your assessments. Finding information covers everything you need to learn how to search for resources effectively.
Further support
The Skills website has eLearning to help you achieve your study goals. We cover:
- academic writing support
- referencing guidance
- help with presentation skills
- using generative AI
- time management and much more
You can also attend our academic skills workshops. Contact the Academic Skills Team to ask a question or request a one-to-one appointment.