Design Degrees Online

This programme builds on the School of Design’s long established and successful record of producing graduates for the automotive, marine, rail and aviation industries.

The programme aims to produce professional design graduates for employment in vehicle manufacturing and other transport related industries. Its work embraces design for both high and low volume production as well as that intended for prototype or custom manufacture. In addition, this degree will encompass the design of performance products for sports, recreational and entertainment activities.

The programme culminates in a major design project, which combines the range of taught practical skills and techniques with the application of academic and theoretical knowledge.

Projects vary in scope and content and require the use of design and presentation techniques ranging from sketching and illustration to 3D computer generated imagery, and CAD modelling from scale appearance models to full size working prototypes developed in our workshop facilities. Final year work is exhibited nationally and internationally.

Industrial placements, which are undertaken during the third year of study, are valuable and rewarding components to the programme since they provide the opportunity to work on real projects within a professional working environment. The programme has an enviable 100% track record in providing placements to students, most of which are based in Europe.

We aim to teach and inspire students to think, design and act professionally in any working environment they face. On successful completion of the degree, students will be able to produce creative and technically proficient architectural designs, which can be communicated through both computer technology and traditional media. Students will also be required to pursue research, apply knowledge of building technology, and organise, manage and operate interior architectural projects within the regulatory frameworks that govern design, architecture and construction. Like the Honours Degree, this programme has been created in consultation with the profession and is staffed by practising designers and subject specialists.

Following a comprehensive review in 2003, the course has been updated. It now covers the important subjects of computer-aided design, freehand drawing, building technology, contemporary interior design and professional management.

The course is structured to support you through a journey from the challenges of interdisciplinary and multicultural interaction in the seminars and open discussions of Unit 1 to the identification and realisation of your own MA research project in Unit 3. You will be exposed to questions which are designed to stretch and develop your ability to identify and solve beyond the comfort zone of tradition.

While the course promotes future thinking, it is concerned with supporting a wide variety of student research interests and typically enables students to define and research what is personally important to them. Artefacts act as an illustrated hypothesis and are constructed using your existing practical skills or those of others on the course or in your own working environment outside college, enabling those of you without a background in practical design to engage in, understand and use the creative process as part of research.

Unit 1
The point of departure, Unit One, ‘Feeding the Imagination’, emphasises collaborative and multidisciplinary learning and explores the relationship between locating sources of useful data* and applying the information to define and achieve a given end. The Unit is designed to broaden and deepen your understanding of the nature, practice and potential of research and provides you with research tools that will enable you to survive and maximise the discovery and reorientation potential of the journey.
During this Unit of the course you travel together in teams, working together to match, challenge and extend your individual and collective abilities to source, analyse and articulate a position.
The Unit begins with the distribution of a range of indicative reading and/or viewing materials, that relate to the theory and practice of management, marketing, branding, social, cultural and technical contexts and analytical technique, framed by specific or general questions. It concludes with the assessment of a team presentation based on the completion of a research task. This task requires you to locate and invite speakers to contribute to the Wednesday evening Visiting Speaker programme, facilitate a discussion and then prepare and lead a related session the following week offering an alternative or opposite view to your invited speaker’s presentation. This programme runs throughout the Unit, and underpins your learning, offering an opportunity for you to raise questions to inform your research.
* Data is used to mean information, often in the form of both facts and figures obtained from experiments or surveys, used as a basis for making calculations or drawing conclusions

Unit 2
Unit Two, ‘Applying the Imagination’, emphasises diagnostic and negotiated learning. It works in synergy with Unit One and has two priorities: applying your imagination and enabling you to discover more about your personal agendas. Through a series of short projects based on contemporary reality that enable you to develop external relationships with business/cultural groupings/professional organisations, the Unit encourages you to apply your research skills to identify and evolve a creative resolution to a business and /or social opportunity.

The projects develop three key themes:
mixing and contrasting cultural and professional differences

challenging conventional wisdom and practises in project management and presentation

extending your conceptual and theoretical landscape by presenting you with new things to think about and new ways of thinking about what youalready know.

You work collectively in teams to evolve a conceptual response to a scenario of your own choosing, informed by criteria revealed in the project brief, but verify your personal potential individually and in pairs. Your personal agendas are questioned and evolved, enabling you to step outside of your own experience and confirm your contemporary passions, priorities, skills set and portfolio strengths and weaknesses. Outcomes are considered at a one-day symposium, in which you have the opportunity to both make an oral presentation and be involved in open-debate.

Unit 3
The final stage of the journey, Unit Three: ‘Testing the Imagination’, emphasises independent learning and takes on the metaphor of a personal odyssey. It is concerned with facilitating, extending and evaluating your ability to manage and achieve a major independent project, based on your personal research interests and learning agenda. Having identified personal aspirations, motivations and methodologies, you draw a route map of the terrain you intend to investigate and potentially consolidate. You are given freedom to identify your choice of project against a set of criteria that stress the need for evidence of the clarification of motive, method and anticipated outcomes. You keep a diary that informs, charts and analyses this part of your journey, and which contributes to your assessment evidence and exhibition at the end of the Unit. While this final stage of the journey is about independent goals, the culture of the course is designed to be supportive with group and individual tutorials happening on a regular basis.

A combination of practical shop and stage work partnered with conceptual work in the design studio creates a unique opportunity for professional growth in the Wig and Makeup Design emphasis.

Students selecting this emphasis develop skills in design, costume construction, shop practices and rendering techniques. Additional design and conceptual experience are offered in a student’s third and fourth years, both in the studio and in actual production work.

Webster University is one of the few undergraduate institutions requiring all productions to be designed by students, allowing them to gain valuable experience and professional samples for their portfolio.

The on-campus presence of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Dance St. Louis provides students with a professional working environment.

A combination of practical shop and stage work partnered with conceptual work in the design studio creates a unique opportunity for professional growth in the Sound Design emphasis.

Students selecting this emphasis develop skills in recording, mixing and computer design. Additional design and conceptual experience are offered in a student’s third and fourth years, both in the studio and in actual production work.

Webster University is one of the few undergraduate institutions requiring all productions to be designed by students, allowing them to gain valuable experience and professional samples for their portfolio.

The on-campus presence of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Dance St. Louis provides students with a professional working environment.

Partnerships with World-Class
Cultural Institutions:
• Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis are located on campus and perform in the Loretto-Hilton Center for the Performing Arts.
• The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and Dance St. Louis collaborate with Webster on curriculum as well as productions.
• Webster is the only American university that has a partnership with the internationally-acclaimed Vienna Academy of Fine Art.

A combination of practical shop and stage work partnered with conceptual work in the design studio creates a unique opportunity for professional growth in the Scene Design emphasis.

Students selecting this emphasis develop skills in design, costume construction, shop practices and rendering techniques. Additional design and conceptual experience are offered in a student’s third and fourth years, both in the studio and in actual production work.

Webster University is one of the few undergraduate institutions requiring all productions to be designed by students, allowing them to gain valuable experience and professional samples for their portfolio.

The on-campus presence of the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Dance St. Louis provides students with a professional working environment.

THE MASTER

The rapid development of communication technologies and new business structures that change the work habits, mobility and organizational layering have a decisive influence on the current working environment causing significant changes in the design of work spaces.

The need for a corporate identity applied to domestic firms that currently do require increasing the figure of a Design Advisor to optimize workplace and managed, in a homogeneous way, interior design, furniture and lighting of these new business scenarios.
The master addresses the wide range of multidisciplinary approaches and solutions for equipment, office space, ephemeral architecture, organization and event space and business services among others.

The Communication Art & Design department reflects the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary communications and provides a creative and energetic working environment for the exploration, development and cross-fertilisation of ideas. It has an unrivalled track record, and for many years graduates from the disciplines have been at the forefront of contemporary art and design.

Open Day

Open Days for 2009/10 applicants have now finished. Please check back later in the year for Open Day details for 2010/11 applicants.
Enquiries

+44 (0)20 7590 4304
caad@rca.ac.uk
Publications

Click here to see Making the Unbelievable, Believable: Magical & Fictional Worlds in Visual Art, a discussion convened by Hayley Potter and Marcela Alejandra, with guest speakers Michael Foreman, Marina Warner, Ben Norland and staff and students in Communication Art & Design at the RCA.

This programme builds on the School of Design’s long established and successful record of producing graduates for the automotive, marine, rail and aviation industries.

The programme aims to produce professional design graduates for employment in vehicle manufacturing and other transport related industries. Its work embraces design for both high and low volume production as well as that intended for prototype or custom manufacture. In addition, this degree will encompass the design of performance products for sports, recreational and entertainment activities.

The programme culminates in a major design project, which combines the range of taught practical skills and techniques with the application of academic and theoretical knowledge.

Projects vary in scope and content and require the use of design and presentation techniques ranging from sketching and illustration to 3D computer generated imagery, and CAD modelling from scale appearance models to full size working prototypes developed in our workshop facilities. Final year work is exhibited nationally and internationally.

Industrial placements, which are undertaken during the third year of study, are valuable and rewarding components to the programme since they provide the opportunity to work on real projects within a professional working environment. The programme has an enviable 100% track record in providing placements to students, most of which are based in Europe.

“Throughout the 3 years of the course I enjoyed sharing an environment with fellow students that allowed me to grow and mature as a designer. Giving me the freedom to work as an individual or in a group. Tutors were also very supportive through ups and downs at University, giving me help whenever I needed it and helping me to achieve many of my goals. I couldn’t of asked for a better experience.”

Our cluster of Graphic Design awards attempt to reflect the multidisciplinary nature of contemporary visual communication. With an emphasis on creative visual thinking, we encourage diverse approaches to working with both digital and craft-based media. We provide you with a creative working environment for the exploration, development and cross-fertilisation of ideas, spanning a broad spectrum of disciplines from: typography, illustration, advertising and art direction, to editorial/magazine design. Our aim is to develop and harness your own capacity to think creatively through communication problems towards fresh and innovative solutions, encouraging collaboration and a strong sense of self-directed purpose.

Graphic Design students are encouraged to experiment creatively and critically generate ideas for a wide range of projects including; brand identity, packaging, advertising, typography design and image making. There are also opportunities to develop skills in web design, animation and printmaking.Students will also explore historical and contemporary issues in art and design enabling the production of graphic design that has meaning and relevant content. Illustration students are encouraged to view themselves as thinkers as well as image makers, bringing life and a visual form to text or a message. Students will be strong visualisers and possess the ability to draw and innovate. Experimentation with mark making techniques will be encouraged through projects in collage, painting, print, photography, 3D materials and digital media. Students will also examine the history and future direction of illustration.

An excellent feature of this course is its strong links with the design industry including visiting lecturers from top design companies such as; Jonathan Barnbrook,, Glorious Creative, The Chase; membership and direct involvement with organisations such as D&AD, visits to design and advertising agencies and trips to cultural centres such as London, New York and Barcelona. Individual and experimental approaches are nurtured throughout the programme in order for you to discover your own unique talents and to find your own voice.

In order that you can tailor the course to your own pathway and skills, your chosen programme will be supported by a flexibly structured series of option choices taught by a range of specialist staff and will comprise: set-projects, competitions, lectures, seminars and workshops. At the centre of this activity lies a structure of group tutorials, critiques and personal tutorials.

In Level 1 you will be encouraged and inspired to think differently and to become more visually aware. Through a series of individual and team-based projects you will explore the interplay between word and image through experimentation in a wide range of media approaches in both two and three dimensions. Workshops in wood, metal, plastics, screen-printing, typography, and industry standard software packages are all offered at this level.
To compliment and enhance the core programme you are able to select from options in: photography, animation, 3D modelling, advertising and brand management, surface pattern, multimedia design, image making, design theory and cultural studies. The introduction of working methods, rules and parameters in Level 1 paves the way for more freedom and personal expression in Level 2.

Level 2 builds on your skills and knowledge acquired and looks in more depth at the breadth of graphic communication: taking into account such elements as promotion, corporate identity, editorial design, visual storytelling and typographic design to name a few. We have a number of option modules for you to choose from including: web design, digital illustration, advertising and packaging, photography and art direction, and an optional work placement module. The emphasis of the second year is on experimentation and professionalism, so you will explore a variety of media and learn to how to apply them appropriately within your projects.

In order to give you an understanding of the design industry there are opportunities to attend educational visits to top agencies in both New York and London. We also encourage you to enter into National Design competitions such as the MPA Roses and D&AD awards.
In preparation for Level 3 the final semester culminates in a personal project, where you can put to use all the skills you have acquired and to examine in more depth your individual interests within illustration/publication/graphic design.

The final year focuses on you and your own creative ambitions. You are grouped according to your area of interest and focus. Tutors act as facilitators encouraging you to discuss and debate subjects of social and cultural interest and to develop exciting visual communication solutions within your self negotiated programme of study. Design Futures is a distinctive Level 3 module which builds on the agency visits in Level 2, enabling you to research into your possible future, forging deeper links with industry and broadening your employment potential after graduation.

Our ‘real world’ focus has enabled graduates to succeed in a broad range of career pathways with students gaining employment in top creative companies such as The Chase, Elmwood, Love Creative, Channel 4 and True North, Lambie Nairn, Future Publishing and Hallmark. The course boasts many awards in D&AD, Roses, and RSA competitions.

We have an excellent reputation in the industry because of our emphasis on transferable skills, such as problem solving through exploration and lateral thinking, team work, communication skills and managing projects from concepts through to final presentations.

Student Success

Two of our L3 graphics students (Cass Fergurson and Chris McKee) have won another award!

The Shelf is an awards scheme and programme aimed at young creative graduates who have an amibition to work in the integrated creative industry. The students were initially short listed by entering a set creative brief earlier in the semester, they were then required to attend a presentation evening in London last week where they had the opportunity to present their work in a display and in their portfolios, the challenge for them was to impress the judges all creative directors from major design/advertising agencies by their presentations on the night.

The two students were voted the overall winners of the competition and secured a total of 6 work placements at major London agencies as a result. This is the first time our students have entered this competition, so we are all pretty happy that once again our students and the course are getting recognition from industry.

We are proud to announce that six students achieved success with their entries to the 2007 D&AD awards; a highly prestigious design competition attracting 3600 entries from 41 different countries.

Nine current students from years 2 and 3 were successful in being short listed for the Roses design competition; a very popular competition for students studying graphic design outside the M25 region. All briefs are set and judged by industry practitioners.

Graduate Success

Kerry White
“I really enjoyed my three years at Staffordshire university, I have learnt so much about design and after graduating with a First Class Honours it hasn’t stopped there. Since leaving University I haven’t stopped, its been placement after placement and its great!
I have been to some of Londons top agencies including The Partners, HGV, The Chase, Radford Wallis and Turner Duckworth. I love working in design and have met so many lovely people on the way who have taught me so much.”

Robert Sherwood
“I have been very lucky as shortly after the D&AD exhibition I was contacted by Andy‚ from Roundel as he saw Utopia and loved its aesthetics. He invited me in to see my portfolio, offered me a months placement; this was then extended to two months and mid-way through the second month, interviews were held for a Junior Designer’s position. After a couple more interviews I got the job!It‚s a really great company run by two fantastic guys Mike Denny (ex-vice president of D&AD) and Simon John who joined about a year ago from Ergo ID.

There is quite a lot of really creative briefs in, like paper promotions and stamps for the Royal Mail and also a lot of really good practice, hardcore graphics that we do for the some rail services like maps, pictograms and information posters.”

Robert Leah
“I am currently for working for Roundel, a London based design and identity agency headed up by the sagacious Mike Denny and Simon John. Staffs ensured that I had the skills, ability and essentially the confidence, attain this fantastic job.
The course endowed me with strong craft and typography skills and taught me the importance of simplicity and clarity in visual communication. Roundel has helped to build on these foundations and I have continued to learn surrounded by great designers and working on some great projects for clients such as the Royal Mail, Zanders and D&AD.”