Opening up a world of design career opportunities with AOD’s Design Foundation programme
View(s):The field of design is vast, with several branches of specialisations; and while creatively-inclined high school graduates may have a cursory understanding of the diversity of the creative industry, not many are aware of the dearth of career opportunities a design degree opens up to them.
Career options for design graduates are aplenty, but before enrolling in a specialised undergraduate degree, potential creatives are better positioned if they first explore the career pathways associated with each design discipline, and then equip themselves with a design foundation that will help develop strong capabilities and knowledge and also discover their own individual expertise.
The Design Foundation Programme is, in essence, a pre-degree programme of instruction which introduces students to the industry and its processes. As the name suggests, the Design Foundation Programme prepares creatives-to-be for their undergraduate programmes by laying the ‘foundation’ for the functional creative process. Here, students will be equipped with the tools and education to first explore the various design disciplines, develop creative skill sets across a wide range of mediums, create superior content for their design portfolios, execute complex design challenges, and eventually make informed decisions on their next level of study with greater insight. The design foundation programme leading to BA (Hons) Design Degree programmes opens up many pathways for students.
With a fashion design degree for instance, graduates can choose to either specialise further with an MA, launch their own label, or seek employment. Fashion industry employers range from top designers in well-established studios to high street retail outlets, supermarket clothing labels and manufacturing operations; and the various roles could be that of a retail buyer/manager/merchandiser, stylist, textile designer, visual merchandiser, and so much more.
With user experiences now at the forefront of business priorities, designers have become the most ‘in-demand’ of creative professionals, and graphic designers even more so. Equipped with the skillset to work as web, multimedia, and design professionals, employers hiring graphic design graduates now include advertising firms, branding specialists, design consultancies, media and communication companies, PR agencies, packaging companies, publishing companies, etc. Roles can include that of an advertising art director, animator, concept artist, exhibition designer, graphic designer, illustrator, UX designer, web designer, etc.; with the additional flexibility of working freelance or associated with a firm.
Probably the most underestimated design degree is that of an interior designer. An interior design degree equips students with specialist skills in drawing techniques, concept development, computer visualisation, multimedia, graphic design, and model-making, giving graduates the skillset to operate both independently, as part of an interior design/architecture firm, or employed by a consultancy offering various design services. Roles could include that of an interior and spatial designer, exhibition designer, production designer, theatre/TV/film, visual merchandiser, etc.
With an eye always on trends of the digitally-driven future, motion graphics and animation degree holders have developed creative and technical skills suitable for film and many other creative and digital careers. Graduates go on to become animators, concept artists, games developers, illustrators, VFX artists, multimedia specialists, TV/video/film production designers, and so much more. Aside from commercial studios, animation skills are also in demand in other areas, such as computer systems design, software publishing, advertising, marketing, data visualisation, and even medical, architectural or crime scene animation.
With a world of job opportunities at their fingertips, it makes sense then that students choose to inaugurate their design pathway with an all-encompassing core curriculum from which to both form the base of their design education, and also to aim and chart out their academic and career goals.
Before embarking on a tertiary education of choice, future creatives can get a head start on their design learning with the Academy of Design’s Design Foundation programme: an immersive experience designed for students looking to explore the many disciplines of art and design.
The course’s carefully curated curriculum will feature six modules, providing students with a strong knowledge and skill base through which to stimulate creative thinking, cultivate their curiosity, develop their own portfolios, and more importantly, identify where their design interests and strengths best lie.
After which, and now equipped with greater clarity –and more certainty even- on which direction they want their design education to take them, Design Foundation graduates will be able to gain easy access, and also have a broad spectrum of degree options to opt for, from within the university’s own portfolio.
For prospective fashion designers there’s the BA (Hons) Fashion & Textile Design Programme and the BA (Hons) in Fashion Design & Marketing programmes to choose from. For those with a passion for creating aesthetic and functional indoor spaces there’s the BA (Hons) Interior Design Programme. Then there’s the BA (Hons) in Graphics & Visual Communication Design, or a BA (Hons) in Motion Graphics and Animation Design, for creatives that are more digitally-inclined. Furthermore, all 3-year BA programmes are affiliated with the Northumbria University in the UK – globally recognised as one of the world’s top design institutions.
Additionally, by enrolling in AOD’s Design Foundation Programme right after their O/Ls, students will have also signed up for the advantage of finishing up their BA (Hons) Degree after just 3 years of study – as a result, earning for themselves a head start also on their MA degrees or careers.
The Design Foundation programme awards its students the same unrivalled benefits as those given to its diverse undergraduate and post-graduate student body. Namely, an address at Colombo Innovation Tower -the country’s most inspiring workspace-, an experienced faculty of internationally-qualified tutors, world-class facilities and infrastructure, as well as the many opportunities to engage with, learn from, get exposed to, and work alongside influential design personalities and industry titans -owing to the academy’s numerous local and international partnerships and connections.
For a world so steeped in design and innovation, and a future increasingly dependent on creative skills, a design education appears to be the most future-proof choice.
AOD invites O/L students and Sri Lanka’s young design aspirants to learn more about its Design Foundation programme, and the windows of career pathways it opens up to secure their successful futures. For more information, contact AOD on 0775727772, email info@aod.lk or walk in between 9am and 4pm Monday to Friday – Colombo Innovation Tower, No 477, R. A De Mel Mawatha, Colombo www.aod.lk
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