Nigel Ball
Head of Arts
- Phone
- +44 (0)1473 338819
- n.ball@uos.ac.uk
- School/Directorate
- School of Technology, Business and Arts
- Nigel Ball ORCID
-
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Nigel is a Senior Lecturer with over 20 years’ experience as a design educator. Since joining the University of Suffolk he has held various roles including as Course Leader for BA (Hons) Graphic Design and Student Experience Lead for Arts & Humanities. Nigel is currently Head of Arts within the School of Technology, Business & Arts, and he lectures on the school’s undergraduate Graphic Design and Illustration courses.
Alongside teaching, Nigel writes about graphic design, visual culture and creative education. He has been published by Eye: The International Review of Graphic Design, Bloomsbury Visual Arts and Unit Editions, and he has contributed to design education reports by Creative Review, amongst others. He is an External Examiner for the undergraduate Graphic Design courses at the University of Hertfordshire, and he has a BA (Hons) Graphic Design and Illustration, a PGCE in post-compulsory education, and an MA in Arts Practice.
Nigel’s creative practice grew out of the ‘do it yourself’ culture of punk in the late 1980s, spanning graphic design, photography and moving image. His video work has been screened internationally and his photography published in print and online. As a graphic designer he has worked in design studios and run his own freelance practice, dedicating his services to NGOs and clients from the cultural, public and voluntary sectors. Nigel continues to take on graphic design commissions and provide design consultancy services in-between his academic work and writing.
Nigel is passionate about creative education and its ability to empower self-development. He currently leads the final year Graphic Design and Graphic Illustration Portfolio Development modules, he is the Level 6 PAC tutor, and he organises the Life After Lectures series of design talks by industry professionals.
He has previously taught modules in Ideas Generation, Contextual Studies, Visual Identity, Applied Ideas, Conceptual Projects, Applying Critical Perspectives, Professional Practice, Dissertation, and Critical Review, and has lectured on Photography, Digital Film Production and Education courses.
Underpinning much of Nigel’s research and writing is an interest in the societal impact of graphic design. He has a specific interest in the visual culture of public space and how this influences environmental ambiences and human behaviour. He relates this research to wider studies in urbanism and visual sociology, exploring these contexts through self-published photographic and essay-based research projects.
Nigel has written for, and been interviewed by, Eye: The International Review of Graphic Design, the graphic design publishing house Unit Editions, and Creative Review magazine, amongst others, and he is the revision author for the second edition of The Fundamentals of Graphic Design, (2019, Bloomsbury).
Since 2018 Nigel has been the University of Suffolk’s representative on the Ipswich Conservation and Design Panel, and in 2021 he was a founding contributor to The Outside Directory, a listings website for the creative industries outside London that seeks to address regional imbalances within the UK.
In 2022 Nigel co-curated the exhibition Picture Books For All with University of Suffolk colleagues Rob Ramsden and Dr Vassiliki Tzomaka, and in collaboration with Suffolk Archives. The exhibition was the first of its kind to showcase the pioneering Ipswich printer W. S. Cowell Ltd. Picture Books For All was exhibited at Ipswich’s The Hold from 20 October 2022–8 January 2023.
Visit Nigel’s website at nigelball.co.uk
Published writing
Ball, N. (2024) Definitive enough for now. Eye: The International Review of Graphic Design (v. 27, no. 106). Eye: London
Ball, N. (2023) For the love of creative education. Ipswich.Love: Ipswich
Ball, N. (2023) Patriotic rubbish. Eye: London
Ball, N. (2022) Reader Recommends: How To Be An Artist. Unit Editions: London
Ball, N. (2020) Virtually speaking. Eye: London
Ball, N. (2020) A lockdown reading list. Unit Editions: London
Ball, N. (2020) The Graphic Design Process: How to be Successful in Design School. Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education (v.19, no.1). Intellect: Oxford
Ambrose, G. Ball, N. and Harris, P. (2019) The Fundamentals of Graphic Design, second edition. Bloomsbury: London
Ball, N. (2019) The Aesthetics of Convenience. Field Readings: Ipswich
Ball, N. (2019) The People’s History Museum. Mainly Museums: Ontario
Ball, N. (2018) Ending the war on wildlife. Eye: London
Ball, N. (2017) Proposing the Graphic Commons. Field Readings: Ipswich
Ball, N. (2016) Survival guide. Eye: London
Ball, N. (2016) Graphic Interruptions. Dubdog: Ipswich
Ball, N. (2016) Gutter press. Eye: London
Ball, N. (2015) Graphic language. EngLangBlog: London
Ball, N. (2014) Design for life. Eye: London
Ball, N. (2013) Back when the future looked bright. Eye: London
Ball, N. (2011) McJunk. Dubdog: Ipswich
Interviews and contributions
House of Common Affairs. (2023) Architecture Fringe Festival 2023, ‘CGI Fridays: urban identities through the lens of urban and graphic design. In: Minelgaite, P and Syrek, I. (ed) (2023) House of Common Affairs 3: Preventing the next blandemic. House of Common Affairs: London
Clayton, D. (2022) Still swimming against the mainstream. Media Magazine 81 English & Media Centre: London
Clayton, D. (2022) Swimming against the mainstream. Media Magazine 80 English & Media Centre: London
Suffolk Archives. (2022) Transforming the archives service for the 21st century. Suffolk Archives: Ipswich
Lilley, S. (2022) Picture Books for All. The Sarah Lilley Show (offline). BBC Radio Suffolk: Ipswich
Wright, J. (2019) Creative education. Tuesday takeover with Jon Wright, Angela and the unicorners. (offline) BBC Radio Suffolk: Ipswich
Creative Review and Dropbox. (2018) Creative Collaboration, a report. Creative Review / Dropbox: London
Stevens, R. (2013) Bridging the gap. Creative Review: London
Ecob, A. (2011) I’m leaving it. Eye: London
Eatock, D. (2008) Imprint. Princeton Architectural Press: New York