TG1PD: Professional Development 1

Module code: TG1PD

Module provider: Typography; School of Arts and Comm Design

Credits: 20

Level: 4

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1 / 2

Module convenor: Mr James Lloyd , email: j.c.lloyd@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 11 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Design careers are varied and exciting. This module fulfils several roles in helping you imagine and achieve your career goals. Specifically, it aims to: 

• Nurture your personal creative process, which is a designer’s most marketable skill 
• Develop good habits of self-directed technical learning 
• Expose you to a range of design-related roles though a vibrant, diverse, student-curated series of guest lectures from people in early, mid and late career roles in design or related industries 
• Begin to build your personal network of industry contacts 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Challenge the obvious: Create, explore and analyse alternative solutions to solve design problems through a wide range of graphic styles, platforms and formats.
2. Evidence design decisions: Explain and justify design concepts and proposals through a range of written, oral and graphic media.
3. Employ technologies appropriately: Select and harness traditional, current and emerging technologies and crafts. 
4. Seek and assimilate new knowledge: Assess and incorporate contemporary discourse into design thinking.

Module content

The module contains distinct strands to support different areas of personal growth. 

• Workshops build skills and approaches to ideation, design process, and effective recording and reflection on practical projects 
• A guest lecture series provides the basis for reflective writing about industry and personal aspirations 
• Opportunities to engage with the University Careers team 
• A guided approach to online software learning helps you identify, undertake, and then reflect on tutorials that you choose for yourself. This provides the opportunity to be rewarded for effectively shaping and exploring your own set of design priorities. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The module will be delivered through a series of workshops, guest lectures, online content and in-person check-in sessions. Classes may involve group work, some of which may be assessed. 

Study hours

At least 54 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.