Spatial and Interior Design - BA (Hons)

On this module students will be introduced to a range of 2D & 3D design techniques, processes, essential skills, and understanding to enable them to quickly and confidently communicate their own design concepts and solutions in response to creative exercises and briefs. The skills taught on this module will be required, developed and deployed on many other modules throughout the programme, and should be considered essential core skills. Spatial and Interior Design students will work in an open studio, in order to establish early an ethos, where design is studied and seen to operate in the digital realm, on the page and spatially and environmentally in the physical realm.

This module will provide a broad introduction to the important key design movement, people and ideas in the development of design culture from pre twentieth century to the present day. This will include an exploration of designers, artists and media processes that have been significant in transforming our seeing and thinking in Spatial and Interior Design.

On this module students will be introduced to the fundamental principles of material and media. Both media and materiality collectively form a key pillar of knowledge for spatial and interior designers, whose role usually entails and relies on an understanding of media and materiality to make their creative designs tangible, presentable and built – in a form true to original concept. This module introduces students to the process of material selection (including an evaluation of the inherent qualities of materials and finishes through development of a critical approach), material specification (the process of how to accurately assign a material or finish within a spatial / interior design project), alongside the process of how media and materials are deployed and managed – including building an awareness of suppliers and the basic approach to constructing a physical or virtual material library. Students will learn more about media and materiality through lectures and workshops, but will also be expected to conduct and share research into both within the module, for the benefit of all peers.

The story or narrative is at the core of the majority of advertising and marketing campaigns as well as   discrete design outcomes. This module will introduce the identification of narrative elements from a range of sources, understanding narrative structures with particular emphasis on narrative and emotional arc, often a combination of both. Exploring the hand drawn, collage and photomontage, utilising a rich range of techniques. Final projects can take experimental adventurous interpretations of a storyboard, including 2D & 3D comics, graphic novel book form, 3D structures and performance space (including live action/animation of space). Knowledge and skills gained on this module will be transferable to creative projects across the programmes.

This module focuses on embedding employability within a design curriculum in a seamless and meaningful way within the context of students’ future working environments. Students will identify their own strengths and talents, form their own creative agencies and plan their own career trajectory. The aim of this module is to evaluate critically and develop a focused understanding of the practice concerns of the creative business sector. It is anticipated that students will understand the changing creative job market and be well placed to make appropriate careers decisions accordingly. The module will also have a design project that engages with the city and the urban environment.  Several external talks and visits will focus on design jobs within the design sector and will provide a useful contact network for future internships and work experience.

This module will provide a broad introduction to the important key people and ideas in the development of sustainability culture from the twentieth century to the present day. This will include an exploration of designers, artists and philosophers that have been significant in transforming our seeing and thinking.  Key concept includes circular design, circular economy, system mapping, system design and system thinking.

This module will provide a broad introduction to the important key people and ideas in the development of sustainability culture from the twentieth century to the present day. This will include an exploration of designers, artists and philosophers that have been significant in transforming our seeing and thinking.  Key concept includes circular design, circular economy, system mapping, system design and system thinking.

Non-permanent architectural structures have a long history, form and function changing with technological developments and shifting societal needs and desires. In this module students will investigate this development through lectures and seminars and practice based exercises.  Nomadic tent structures, market stalls, festival stages and stadium shows that arrive in a dozen articulated wagons will be investigated in terms of social context, habitation and transportation. The structural geometry of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes and tensegrity will inform student’s work with an emphasis on craft and simple engineering. This will involve hands on exploration of materials, structures, construction techniques, fixings and function. Finding out how structures remain stable, students will engage in thinking and learning through making. Multiple re-use and environmental sustainability will be an important consideration.

Students will design and develop modular systems that can have various functions and applications. For example; exhibition stands, display units, pop up retail units. The modular system will be experimental and may be realised in a combination of materials at different scales.