Design
What is design?
Design combines independent thinking and creativity with practical and technical skills to shape useful and aesthetic solutions to people’s needs. When grounded in a deep reflection on diverse historical, social, and cultural values, design can change society.
Discover how to create the change you seek with our globally accomplished practitioners, makers, and thinkers. Learn real-world skills alongside like-minded people within a supportive and inclusive culture.
Explore a diverse array of design disciplines at UNSW. Our comprehensive suite of design disciplines empowers students to unleash their creativity, foster innovation, and develop the skills necessary to shape the world through impactful and visionary design solutions.
Computational Design
When studying computational design, you will gain unique and in-demand skills across architecture, design, computer science and engineering. You will learn to think critically and creatively as you bring your design solutions to life in our studio-based classes.
Integrated Design
Integrated design is a unique specialisation that takes an interdisciplinary approach to solving design challenges. It equips students with valuable knowledge and skills across multiple design disciplines. Disciplines in Integrated design include:
- Graphic
- Object
- Textiles
- Experience
- Interaction
- 3D Visualisation
- Fashion
Industrial Design
Impact and influence the way we live by designing the products, systems and services we use daily. Gain the experience and confidence to turn your innovative thinking into strategic solutions that are functional, emotionally engaging and fulfill a genuine demand or societal need.
Why study design at UNSW?
Our educators at UNSW are distinguished practitioners, researchers, and visionaries in contemporary visual arts, creativity, culture, design, and innovation, representing both Australian expertise and global perspectives. Through their guidance, you'll not only gain invaluable insights but also forge connections within our industry partnerships, ensuring our rigorous design courses meet real-world industry demands.
Our design degrees foster essential proficiencies in digital and physical production, critical thinking, emerging technologies, design research, management, and entrepreneurship. Engage in professional practice within design studio-based environments, complemented by theoretical studies and captivating elective coursework, cultivating your design thinking, innovation, and contextual awareness. Empowered to challenge norms, you'll seek inventive solutions, transforming the use of materials, systems, processes, and technologies.
Located amidst Sydney's vibrant cultural and creative industry hub, UNSW's dedicated Art & Design campus in Paddington provides exceptional facilities such as museum-standard galleries, a state-of-the-art making centre, open studios, private workspaces, a cutting-edge 3Dx lab, student lounges, and collaborative spaces, fostering an environment conducive to exploration and creativity.
Design your future career
Study design with UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture and become part of the most diverse faculty at one of the world’s top 20 universities*. Our graduates are highly sought after across a broad range of professional design disciplines in global institutions, major corporations, bespoke agencies, and studios.
* QS World University Rankings 2024
Here are some examples of jobs in design across a range of industries:
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- Graphic Designer
- Illustrator
- User Experience (UX) Designer
- Object Designer
- Textile Designer
- Jewellery Designer
- Animator
- Industrial and Product Designer
- Service Designer
- Lighting Designer
- Exhibition and Event Designer
- Design Critic or Theorist
- Colour, Materials and Finishes (CMF) designer
- Product branding, product development, and marketing strategist
- Packaging design technologist
- User experience and interaction (UX/UI) designer
- Ergonomist or human factors engineering specialist
- Service designer
- Systems designer
- Industrial design manager
- Technical product manager
- Chief design officer
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- Digital Marketer
- Digital Media Producer
- Social Media Creator
- Advertising Creative
- Visual Communicator
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- Software solutions developer
- Gaming environment developer
- Design technology manager
- 3D product modeler, renderer, or visualiser
- Web Designer
- System Designer
- Digital Fabrication Designer
- User Interface Designer
- Game Development Specialist
- App Designer
- Virtual Reality Designer
- 3D Visualisation Specialist
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- Computer-Aided Design (CAD) draftsperson
- Architectural and urban design specialist
- Smart cities consultant
- Urban data analyst
- Digital fabrication and smart-manufacturing specialist
- Building information model implementer
UNSW Design Alumni
School of Art & Design alumni secure careers in the cultural and creative industries across Australia and internationally. You can view find out more about our UNSW Art & Design graduates here.
For me, the most valuable gift from my time at UNSW are the relationships I built with mentors, friends and now industry peers.
Learn more
Study
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We offer the below undergraduate courses with a specialisation in integrated design, industrial design and computational design:
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Design / Education (Secondary)
- Bachelor of Design / Media
- Bachelor of Commerce / Design
In addition to the above courses, we offer the below undergraduate single degrees with a minor in integrated design, industrial design and computational design:
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Honours is an extra year of study that offers you a chance to develop your research and professional skills guided by staff who are passionate about research and the development of new researchers.
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You can develop further expertise in design through the following postgraduate programs
- Graduate certificate in Design
- Graduate diploma in Design
- Master of Design
- Graduate certificate in Visualisation, Simulation & Immersive Design
- Master of Visualisation, Simulation & Immersive Design
Design is a key component in a range of postgraduate programs, including the Master of Architecture, the Master of City Planning, and the Master of Landscape Architecture. For the full list of opportunities, search ‘design’ in our Degree Finder.
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Postgraduate research through a PhD or Master of Philosophy (MPhil) will deepen your expertise and help you develop a broad intellectual sophistication, research, and professional skills that are prized by employers. You’ll have access to first-rate facilities and world-class supervisors at the forefront of their fields in fine arts. Find out more.