Design is a discipline of study which prepares students for entry to a range of different areas of the design profession, including: graphic design, media design, film, television production and post-production, illustration, publications, interiors, theatre, exhibitions, display, festivals and furnishings, ceramics, textiles, jewellery and product design.

It is also possible to combine the study of Design with that of Art Education, enabling students to teach in secondary schools, primary schools, community organisations, museums and galleries and to work as curriculum development officers.

At UNSW, there are five major areas of study within the discipline of Design Studies: ceramics, environments and spatial design, graphics, jewellery and textiles.

Ceramics studio engages the theoretical and practical bodies of knowledge that inform ceramic practice. Studio projects provide for thorough investigation of processes, techniques and methodologies; and the exploration and translation of ideas through ceramic and associated media. The ceramic studio encourages interdisciplinary approaches, exploration and experimentation within a context of research, critical analysis and reflection. Accordingly, the acquisition of skills is framed by theoretical and contextual studies that examine the historical, social and cultural settings of ceramics.

Environments/Spatial Design aims to integrate critical and independent thinking, practical skills, processes and methodologies associated with the world we inhabit. Environment studio practice addresses the investigation of space through form, scale/proportion, light, ordering/patterning, organisation and movement in the following contexts; Historical, Sociological, Ecological, Philosophical, Political and Psychological. The outcomes of these investigations will be documented in both 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional format using sketches, working drawings, diagrams and models.

Graphics/Media is concerned with the theory, process and practice of visual communication in print and digital media. Design studio practice provides for the investigation of graphic media, typography, colour, computer technology, material culture and the exploration of concepts in the design process. The design process in studio is complemented by research and analysis of contextual studies in contemporary issues and historical precedents. Graphic/media projects cover a broad range of design applications including editorial design, packaging design, corporate identity, environmental graphics, information design and interactive and interface design for the digital environment.

Jewellery studio is concerned with the theory, process and practice of contemporary jewellery design. The jewellery studio integrates critical and independent thinking with practical skills, processes and methodologies to produce a wide range of forms relating to the human body. Jewellery practice examines making processes using metals, natural and non-metallic materials combined with relevant and new technologies. Technical knowledge is extended through experimentation and research to produce works that range from the personal and conceptual to the material and functional. These approaches within Jewellery studio are complemented by the exploration and analysis of contextual studies in contemporary and historical jewellery practice.

Textiles studio is a broadly based, multi-disciplinary approach to making, learning and research into contemporary textiles. The emphasis is on textiles as an expressive medium in design and students are encouraged to develop a strong conceptual and experimental basis for their work. Textiles studio introduces the cultural, historical and social context for textiles. The methodologies and structures of embroidery, weaving and the surface design techniques of dyed and printed textiles are introduced in technical and theoretical lectures, demonstrations and studio projects. Personal approaches to making including conceptual, formal, material and functional are explored in relation to traditional and contemporary practice and relevant new technologies. Textiles study can lead to individual studio practice or employment in design, art, craft and education industries.

Studying Design at UNSW

The College of Fine Arts (www.cofa.unsw.edu.au) offers undergraduate programs in Design and Design/Art Education. Honours study and various postgraduate programs of study are also available to high achieving students.