Typography & Graphic Communication

Join us today for our BA Degree Show ! 🎓✨

Come and explore the work of our third year students from 5–8pm. We’d love to see you there.

Our last Open Afternoon of the academic year on is *Thursday 18 June, 2-4pm*
Come and see the MA Communication Design exhibition of work, discuss your interests with our pathway leads, and learn about our specialist pathways

Sign up link in bio

This week we welcomed , information and visual data designer, for the final Baseline Shift session of the year.
Valentina shared insights into transforming complex information into engaging and meaningful visual stories.
Throughout the session, Valentina reflected on a range of projects, including her poppy field data instillation, a visual tribute OddityViz to David Bowie’s career, and the Britannica’s Encyclopedia Infographica, a publication that reimagines how information can be organised and experienced through design. Through these examples, she demonstrated how data visualisation can move beyond presenting facts to create narratives that are both informative and emotionally engaging.
The session highlighted the importance of curiosity, storytelling and critical thinking within information design, offering valuable insights into the process of turning research into compelling visual communication.
A big thank you to Valentina for taking the time to share her work, experience and perspectives with us. It was an inspiring conclusion to this year’s Baseline Shift series and a fascinating exploration of the power of data and information design.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog post!

This week we welcomed James Dunford, Design Director at Applied Information Group, for a Baseline Shift session exploring the role of graphic design in shaping how people navigate and experience the world around them.

James shared a behind the scenes look at wayfinding and information design, discussing projects including Legible London, work for the NHS, and navigation systems for the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Through these projects, he demonstrated how large-scale information systems are developed, tested and refined to help people move through complex environments with confidence.

The session explored everything from creating design frameworks and information hierarchies to user testing and map orientation, highlighting the research and strategic thinking that sits behind effective wayfinding.

A big thank you to James for taking the time to share his work, experience and insights with us. It was a fascinating look at a side of graphic design that often goes unnoticed, but impacts how we experience places every day.

Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog post!

Exploring how information is built, broken, and rebuilt.
MA Communication Design 2025/26 engages with Integrated Content, Complex Texts, Transforming Information, Unfolding Narratives, Wayfinding, and Type Design.
Launching June 2026.

We’re looking forward to welcoming James Dunford, Design Director at Applied Information Group, for our next Baseline Shift session.

James works across wayfinding and identity design, building systems that help people move through and understand complex places, from transport networks to public and cultural spaces. His work combines both clarity and experience, where graphic design meets the real world.

He’ll be talking through how these projects actually come together in practice, what it’s like working at that scale, and how you approach designing for in person use rather than just screens.

This week we welcomed back Reading alumni Emily Collard, Matt Perks, Claire Hodgson and Hanorah Murphy. Working across the industry in roles spanning digital product design, branding, and freelancing.

Emily talked through running Collard Design Studio alongside her role at Whistlejacket, sharing projects from Wild Summit UK to Ebbsfleet Garden City, and offering a clear look at balancing freelance, studio work, and building a personal practice.

Matt shared his experience working across entertainment and campaign visuals, walking through how ideas develop into final outcomes across different formats.

Claire reflected on her role at Brand Potential, focusing on brand identity projects and the thinking behind shaping work for clients.

Hanorah spoke about designing for NOW at Sky, giving insight into building UI systems and creating work used by large audiences day to day.

Across the session, they spoke honestly about the shift from university into industry and how their work has changed, what clients actually expect, and how to build a portfolio that opens real opportunities.

A big thank you to all our speakers for taking the time to share their work and experience with us.