Arts, Design & Architecture

Design

Visualisation Expanded Perception & Interaction Centre UNSW Art&Design, Paddington. Associate Professor Tomasz Bednarz and his team at the centre. Photography by Quentin Jones. 25 July 2018.

Why study 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. 

Studio specialisations

Throughout design, you’ll utilise world-class facilities, workshops and equipment to make and exhibit your work. You’ll be able to experience design studio work in at least two of the following specialisations.

  • Delve into the computer-generated world of 3D visualisation and explore a variety of methods used to generate virtual environments. Through live, hands-on experiences, you’ll use key technologies such as virtual reality systems to develop a suite of design practices and skills that enable you to contribute to a growing digital industry.

  • The Crafted Object Studio brings together ceramic, furniture and jewellery design in an engaging exploration of materiality, form and practice. Through hands-on experiences and experimentation, you’ll refine your design practice and become exposed to a variety of craft and design-related industries.

  • The Experience Design Studio explores the way people experience and interact with space, connecting this with ideas of the body, materiality, culture and spectacle. You’ll learn to design spatial, time-based and atmospheric conditions that affect engagement with the built world. You'll be prepared to design for fields such as exhibitions, events and performing arts.

  • In the Graphic Design Studio, we develop and build upon the fundamental skills required for the manipulation of image and type. You’ll engage with briefs ranging from publication design and visual identity to more complex issues of graphic design for 3D and digital spaces.

  • In the Interaction Design Studio, you’ll work within a future-focused discipline that is transforming modern life. You’ll learn to design interactive experiences associated with digital systems, products, websites, environments and services. Engaging with the practical application of concepts and theories, you'll be prepared for a career in User Experience (UX), and wider interaction design.

  • In the Textile Design Studio, you’ll investigate the rich cultural and social histories of textiles and expand on them to form experimental and future-oriented design practice and thinking. You’ll engage with textile practitioners in preparation for your contribution to diverse industries spanning textile design, textile art, interior textiles and fashion textiles.

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 50 universities*. Our graduates are highly sought after across a broad range of professional design disciplines in global institutions, major corporations, bespoke agencies, and studios.

Your career opportunities include:

  • graphic design and digital media production

  • visual communication, brand identity and advertising

  • packaging, illustration, and publishing

  • 3D visualisation and virtual reality

  • interactive design and user experience (UX) design

  • environmental, spatial, interior, and architectural design practices

  • object, furniture, and lighting design

  • jewellery, wearables, fashion, and textile design

  • film, television, and mobile production

  • design for exhibitions, festivals, galleries, and museums

  • costume, stage and set design

  • design writing, education, and training

  • design management and strategy

  • social innovation, entrepreneurship, creative consultancies, and design-led business.

* QS World University Rankings 2021

Learn from experienced industry leaders through our internship program

Our educators include renowned practitioners, researchers and thinkers spanning contemporary visual arts, creativity and culture, design, and innovation in Australia and worldwide. Not only can you benefit from their insightful experience, but you’ll also have opportunities to make your own connections among our industry partners – those who ensure our intensive and rigorous design courses align with real-world industry demands.

Our design degrees build valued skills in digital and physical production, critical thinking, emerging technologies, design research, management, and entrepreneurship. You’ll learn by experiencing professional practice in design studio-based environments. Theoretical studies and fascinating coursework electives complement these hands-on skills to develop your design thinking, innovation, and contextual awareness. You’ll be empowered to seek new solutions and challenge the conventional use of materials, systems, processes, and technologies. 

Study