Architecture, Product and Sculpture Design – Level 3 UAL Diploma – September Start

To enrol in this course, candidates must meet the following criteria:

Educational Qualifications: Four GCSEs at grades 9-4/A*-C, or a related Level 2 vocational course at Merit or higher including English and maths. Equivalence of these qualifications will be considered.

Art Portfolio: A portfolio containing recent examples of artwork, sketchbooks, photography, or any other creative work. This may include both coursework and personal projects.

References: A satisfactory reference may also be requested.

This course provides a robust foundation art and design, equipping students with the essential skills, knowledge, and experience to thrive in their creative careers.

Students will be required to pay for the use of some specialised materials provided by the college. These materials will be available at cost rate, ensuring that students only cover the actual expense of the resources used during their studies.

In the second year, the course becomes more specialised, encouraging students to develop individual portfolios focused on their specific interests within the design/ craft industry. Additionally, you will explore pathways for career progression by researching a specialist industry practice, to help you refine your expertise and advance in your chosen field.

Course units
Unit 1: The Creative Process
Dive into the fundamentals of creativity. This unit explores the stages of ideation, concept development, and problem-solving techniques to nurture your ability to innovate. Understand how to harness inspiration and refine your ideas from initial sparks to polished concepts.

Unit 2: Developing Creative Practice
Transform your ideas into tangible work through continuous experimentation with materials, techniques and processes. You’ll learn to cultivate a personal design process while refining techniques and mastering the art of self-expression. This unit is all about finding your individual style and pushing the boundaries of your creativity.

Unit 3: Responding to a Set Brief
In this unit, you’ll tackle real-world design challenges, learning to effectively interpret client briefs, work within constraints, and deliver creative solutions on time. You’ll develop essential project management and collaboration skills that are vital for any design career.

Unit 4: Researching a Specialist Industry Practice
Gain insight into a specific creative industry. Whether it’s product design, or architecture, this unit equips you with the tools to conduct thorough research into industry trends, consumer needs, and emerging technologies. This deep dive into market and industry practices will help guide your professional direction.

Unit 5: Specialist Technical Skills Development
Sharpen your technical skills by engaging with cutting-edge tools and techniques in your chosen field. We have a range of equipped workshops dedicated to different specialism to support you with developing your technical skills. This unit focuses on mastering the hands-on, technical side of design, from software to materials, ensuring you’re equipped to bring your creative ideas to life.

Unit 6: Specialist Creative Outcome
Put everything you’ve learned into action by creating a high-quality, professional design outcome. Whether you’re crafting a prototype, building a model, or designing a product, this final project will showcase your technical ability, creativity, and attention to detail.

This course cultivates the skills and mindset needed for a successful professional career or further academic study. The qualification will support students to develop a portfolio of work enabling them to make applications to appropriate entry level roles, training programmes, apprenticeships or selfemployment.

You can explore a range of HE courses upon completion such as Fashion, Graphics, Architecture, Interior Design, Visual Communication and Textiles. Career progression can range from product designer, furniture designer, architectural designer, model maker, set designer or jewellery designer.