Ghadeer Dashti
MA Visual Communication
Ghadeer wanted to further her skills and career by studying a postgraduate degree. Visual Communication combined her love for design, research and connecting with others.
I chose Visual Communication because I’m interested in how design shapes the way people think, feel, and understand the world. I like turning complex ideas into clear, visual stories that people can actually connect with. I am a dedicated learner and was always interested in deepening my knowledge after my undergraduate degree, and I choose BCU because of a recommendation from one of my lecturers at my previous university. I then applied for a Ministry of Higher Education Scholarship and met the requirements to have my master’s fully funded!
Another part of wanting to do a master’s was that I wanted to conduct more research and develop my skills to progress in my career, using my strengths to develop more skills which gives me a higher ground when I come to apply for jobs.I wanted to explore more mediums and have the space to visually experiment more, rather than doing set briefs with no space to grow. I heard the visual communication course would let me freely explore and develop so I knew that is where I am meant to be.
The course has built my confidence in myself and in my work. It has helped me grow a group of networkers and clients from the people I have connected with since joining. I have completed live projects that translated into published books being sold, giving me publicity, and getting my name out there. I designed a published photography book “Black Country Type: Ay It” with the photographer and artist in residence Tom Hicks, which has been sold in Waterstones and Ikon Gallery. I was also involved in the published book “The Printing Types/Redone” by Dr. Beck Howson, where I created my own visual response as a contributor among other artists and students.
The change I experienced during the course was gradual but very substantial. I learned to introduce combinations of cultural and historical aspects into my concepts through visual language. Bringing in my bilingual side and being half English and half Kuwaiti, I got to introduce this using letter forms and focusing on typography creating groundbreaking typographic conventions with the help of Dr Beck in each step of my journey. Not only has the course given me endless opportunities, but it has also given me a strong platform to take into my career path.
It has been brilliant to learn new ways of visual expression and encouragement to think outside the box and shift my perspectives through lecture presentations. There are also many workshops to participate in that help build creativity. I would say it’s the place to discover yourself freely, whether you know what you want to do or not, this course will allow you to explore it all. The staff will guide you in the right direction.
As for my own personal career goals, I currently am applying for my PhD studies and focusing on growing my typographic conventions and continuing that conversation further into higher education. In the future I aim to build my own agency where creativity, community, culture and working with intention comes together.
My advice for those considering studying MA Visual Communication is don’t obsess over making everything perfect. The course is really about experimentation, reflection and growth. Always be open for adaptation and changing your ways for the better. Be ready to unlearn old practices and introduce new methodologies into your practice. Come in with an open mind and an open heart and you will find your strengths and weaknesses within this space.