COURSE CURRICULUM

The Design Crafts program provides a comprehensive and hands-on learning experience focused on material exploration, design thinking, and professional development. In year one, students begin with Craft Skills, where they are introduced to a range of core and subsidiary materials such as fine metals, ceramics, glass, textiles, and digital making. They learn key hand, machine, and digital techniques while considering sustainability and ethical material choices. In Design and Make, students respond to briefs using drawing, CAD, and practical experimentation to develop ideas. Craft Projects builds on this by encouraging students to explore how objects interact with users and environments, focusing on both decorative and functional aspects. Craft in Context combines practical and theoretical work, where students produce a finished artefact while studying historical influences, research methods, and current craft movements.In year two, Live Projects allows students to work individually or in groups on external briefs, gaining experience with competitions or commercial projects. They develop skills in CAD, market research, and communication through mood boards, models, and visualisations. Craft Skills 2 focuses on digital tools like 3D modelling and rapid prototyping, integrating traditional and modern processes. Craft Cultures deepens students’ critical understanding of craft in a global context, exploring topics like sustainability, gender, and technology. Creative Practice supports students in developing a personal direction and culminates in a professional exhibition, while also building career-related skills such as creating CVs and marketing materials.In year three, Craft Practice and Craft Contexts run alongside each other, allowing students to refine their creative voice while responding to wider cultural and commercial issues. Craft Connections supports independent research through an extended essay or design statement. Design Crafts Projects further develops technical and conceptual work through prototyping and planning for the final showcase. The course concludes with Personal Projects, where students create a professional body of work for public exhibition, supported by branding, pricing, and market research to help launch their careers in the design crafts industry.