Welcome to your Product, Furniture, Ceramics course

Welcome to BA (Hons) Product, Furniture, Ceramics.

You are about to join a highly successful, multi-award winning and long-standing course. We pride ourselves in success and nurturing young talent in becoming the next generation of successful designer makers. This course will not only enable you to Design innovative objects but also Make your ideas through taught skills gaining high levels in craftsmanship.

We hope you are enjoying your summer and look forward to meeting you all in Welcome Week.

Your staff team

We want to make sure you know some of our team before you arrive. Hopefully this will help you recognise us and ensure you know who you can contact if you need any additional help and guidance.

Dan Lewis

Course Director

Dan is the Design Course Director and Course Leader for Automotive & Transport Design. Dan is also the Co-Course Leader for Product, Furniture, Ceramics. His Background in Product and Furniture Design feeds into his Emotional Design PhD and research.

Dan's profile

Timothy Forrester

Senior Lecturer

Tim Forrester is one of Britain's most innovative designers. He achieved great success whilst working in Milan before returning to the UK to design and manufacture his high quality, inspirational and versatile furniture ranges.

Timothy's profile

Nigel Turner

Senior Lecturer

Senior Lecturer for Automotive & Transport Design, and Product, Furniture, Ceramics, with 20 years’ experience as a luxury designer for Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Viners, Aspreys, and 10 years as a product development manager at Michelin Lifestyle.

Nigel's profile

Keeley Marshall

Senior Lecturer

Keeley is an expert in all aspects of industrial ceramic design and production, specializing in 3D design and decorative processes and currently exploring 3d printing in eco PLA’s and ceramics.

Keeley's profile

Richard Gilmartin

Lecturer

I’m an automotive designer with 25 years of industry experience. I have worked for major international OEMs on production and show car programmes. I’m a lecturer in Transport Design and an active vehicle designer.

Richard's profile

Timothy Potts

P/T Lecturer (Hrly) - Design & Fine Art

Course delivery

The course will utilise a range of teaching strategies that provide opportunities for students with varying learning styles to develop skills, knowledge and employability throughout the course. Assessment strategies and deliverable types also support students with different educational experiences.

The studio environment fosters creativity, teamwork and communication as well as providing a great base for a cohort to become a community.

Our visiting lecturer series will ensure students meet designers and makers from diverse backgrounds and of different ages, gender, ethnicity and background. New course content will also be developed that considers the decolonisation of the curriculum, ensuring that the students we teach study work of designers from a range of backgrounds, nationalities and cultures. Students will also be encouraged to bring their own cultural experience to their work and project their own identity onto projects.

To support inclusive learning and flexibility of working location, a number of the modules taught on this course will utilise blended learning, with some sessions taking place online. Digital content for 24/7 streaming will also be accessible to allow students to work on-campus, or remotely at their own pace.

Approach to Assessment and Feedback

Module grades are achieved through formative and summative assessment strategies, which use a variety of modes that are designed to be exploratory and experiential, and to reflect the process of accumulating the ranges of knowledge, skills and understanding through the award. The integrated approach to teaching outlined above favours a continuous process of assessment, as opposed to exam-based assessment.

Most modules carry single assessment tasks/activities, based on the submission of coursework, the nature of which is determined by the project/s or assignment/s set within the module, but which may consist of any one or a combination of the following components:

  • Sketchbooks or logs, documenting the process of generating, developing and resolving thoughts and ideas and demonstrating the influence of research on practical work.
  • Studio concept development boards and portfolios.
  • Research files, documenting the gathering, sorting and presentation of research material.
  • Creative output professionally presented in the format required by the assignment, project or brief.
  • A report, written according to given guidelines as to word count and illustrated as required by the assignment.
  • The script for a seminar presentation, and the presentation itself.

Assessment Feedback is provided in two main ways; orally in tutorial, critique and studio situations, and in writing, via a feedback form at the end of the module. Most modules have single assessment tasks based on the submission of a presentation and folder of design work. The precise nature of the submission deliverables is governed by the specific brief. Throughout modules students are encouraged to critically evaluate and reflect on practical and contextual issues, resulting in the ability to exercise autonomy, initiative and self-direction in preparation for professional life.

Semester one activities

Semester 1 Modules:

Studio Skills:

This module introduces you to the background and the need to present ideas and information in two and three dimensions and its role within the professional practice of designing and making.

You will be introduced to different approaches to visual communication, including the importance and relevance of visual research to the designer. Various drawing methods and mark making techniques will be explored, with attention being paid to scale, colour and composition.

Material Investigation:

You will undertake practical skillsets that explore a range of process methods across a variety of materials that will develop your practical understanding and technical skill in becoming a more informed designer/maker. Like most processes, great practice is required to make objects successfully in any material and so you are encouraged to develop your expertise early on in the module by experimenting and making outputs that demonstrate the skills and processes that you have learned.

The emphasis of this module will be on experimentation and precision followed by skill. A feel for these core materials will be gained through practice and a ‘learn by doing’ approach. You will be shown a variety of processes in a series of studio and workshop demonstrations, and you will be expected to use your independent study time to explore these processes fully and fulfil a series of tasks.

Before you start

Starting a new course can be both exciting and a little daunting. Over the summer you might want to advance your knowledge so we strongly recommend that you visit the links below to stay informed of the current Design arena. We have also included a suggested reading list but don’t worry we don’t expect you to purchase all the books but perhaps choose one or two to explore before you start.

Knowledge of these websites will help you:

https://www.frameweb.com

https://www.dezeen.com

Both are Design Magazines with very good online interviews with designers.

Additional websites:

www.vitra.com

https://bdbarcelona.com

www.establishedandsons.com

https://cfileonline.org/

www.pierremariegiraud.com

www.pulsceramics.com

https://cri-arita.com/2016/designers/teruhiro-yanagihara.html

www.sculpture.uk.com

www.caa.org.uk

https://www.scp.co.uk/

www.benchmarkfurniture.com/

https://www.centreofceramicart.org.uk/

www.doshilevien.com

www.ayaskan.com

www.campanas.com.br

www.bouroullec.com

www.studioilse.com

https://www.vitra.com/en-gb/corporation/designer/details/barber-osgerby

https://vincents.dk

www.designboom.com

www.gamfratesi.com

www.londondesignfair.co.uk

www.maison-objet.com

www.joyabarcelona.com

www.moooi.com

www.frozenfountain.nl

www.mintshop.co.uk

www.marcelwanders.com

www.craftscouncil.org.uk

www.caa.org.uk

www.designboom.com

www.designmuseum.org

www.vam.ac.uk

www.tentlondon.co.uk

www.maisonobjet.com

https://www.salonemilano.it/en/

www.100percentdesign.co.uk

www.newdesigners.com

http://www.directory.thegoldsmiths.co.uk/designers/

http://www.contemporarybritishsilversmiths.org/

http://dezeen.com

http://design-milk.com

http://www.mocoloco.com

https://www.facebook.com/craftsmagazine/

https://benchpeg.com

http://thecoolhunter.net

https://www.ceramicreview.com

http://www.uniqueandunity.co.uk/

Books:

Anna, Y. (2015) Furnitecture: Furniture that Transforms Space. Thames & Hudson.

Baxter, M (2018) Product Design - Practical methods for the systematic development of new products. CRC Press.

Bloomfield, L. (2018) Colour in Glazes. Herbert Press.

Bloomfield, L. (2018) Handbook of Glaze Recipes. Herbert Press.

Bullar, J. (2013) The Complete Guide to Joint-Making. GMC Publications.

Chan, E. (2010) 1000 Product Designs: Form, Function, and Technology from around the world. Rockport Publishers.

Cooper R & Press M. (2003). The Design Experience: The Role of Design and Designers in the 21st Century. Routledge.

Creswell Bell, A (2017) Clay: Contemporary Ceramic Artisans. Thames & Hudson.

Daly, G. (2018) Developing Glazes (The New Ceramics). Herbert Press.

Fiell, Charlotte & Peter (2013) 1000 Chairs. Taschen

Fiell, Charlotte & Peter (2015) 1000 Lights. Taschen

Griffiths, Alyn. (2014) 21st Century Lighting Design. Bloomsbury Visual Arts

Kline, G. (2018). Amazing Glaze: Techniques, Recipes, Finishing and Firing. Voyageur Press.

Hallgrimsson, B. (2019) Prototyping and Modelmaking for Product Design (Portfolio Skills). Laurence King Publishing.

Hudson, J. (2018) Process: 50 Product Designs from Concept to Manufacture.  Laurence King Publishing.

Equipment and software

To start this course we recommend you have:

  • Sketchbook
  • Retractable blade knife or scalpel
  • Double sided carpet tape
  • Masking tape
  • Metal ruler

Download software

Course trips

Throughout the course, you will get the opportunity to engage in both national and international trips, these are integrated within the course structure and offer many exciting opportunities and design studio visits to cities such as London, Copenhagen, New York, Milan, Barcelona and Stockholm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsVCUSdsTYs

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Graduate success 2024

Since your portfolio review we want to share with you our successes from this year’s graduating students and their successes in National Awards 2024:

New Designers 2024:

Overall Tom Faulkner furniture award for excellence in Furniture & Craftsmanship

Seymour Powell Loves award for furniture innovation and craftsmanship

3x Tom Faulkner Furniture Ltd – ‘Loves’ awards

New Designers ND Selects spotted award

Shortlisted for Designer of the Year award – Business Design Centre

Degree Show 2024:

2x Keith Brymer Jones – Promising Young Maker/ One’s to Watch Awards

The Potclays National Graduate Award – for Excellence in Clay

Clayrooms Award

Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair spotted awards for talented young designers/ makers

Valentine Clays 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prize for Excellence in Clay Award

Green Grads awards

Academic skills

Whether you're joining us from school or college, or you're returning to education after some time away, everyone can benefit from the Academic Study Skills resources provided by the University library.

The Academic Skills team is here to support you throughout your academic journey and to help you gain the skills you need to reach your full potential. They can assist with academic reading and writing skills, give advice on how best to plan assignments, and help improve your time management.

The library's Academic Skills Guides offer the key information to make studying easier and give a comprehensive guide to the learning resources and services we offer.

Staffs CampusConnect

Staffs CampusConnect is our student-led community app for new students. Connect with other people from your course, hometown or country, and even those with similar interests.

To register, please ensure you use your Applicant ID (Student Number) that you received in your offer letter, and the email address you used in your application to us.

Register for CampusConnect

Welcome website

Our welcome website will provide you the link to your new student life. It's all about how you find your place at university, including everything from how to meet friends, feel confident in doing your academic work, being a member of your Student Union and getting involved in Union Societies, Academic Societies, Sports, Volunteering or representing your peers in your School.

Part of this Welcome Week - we have an exciting program of University and course level activities planned for you for your first week in September. We are also building an extended program for you to join a series of events throughout the first half of the autumn term. Further details will be shared with you via the Welcome website and Students' Union pages over the coming weeks.

Welcome website

Campus map

Use our campus map to familiarise yourself with our campus before you arrive.

Campus map (PDF)

Check your email

Please make sure you check your personal email account regularly over the next few weeks. We will be sending you lots of information about Welcome Week.

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021