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Surface Pattern and Textiles (Full-time) (BA Hons)

Swansea
3 Years Full-time
120 UCAS Points

The Surface Pattern and Textiles programme is a vibrant, multidisciplinary programme that focuses on an exploration of textiles, materiality, pattern and making in the contexts of fashion, interiors and for designled galleries. It is academically challenging, contemporary in outlook, and you will be taught a wealth of practical and technical skills, enjoying the design potential of our extensive innovative digital and traditional facilities.

We bring our students together to create a strong group identity, while the pathways allow you to choose a specialism. The studio culture is at the heart of the Surface Pattern and Textiles student experience, creating a professionally focused, collaborative learning environment that aims to mirror the workplace with a positive, engaging, open approach to working with others.

Our students graduate as designers and makers, ready to flourish in a range of creative jobs and enterprises, having had several significant live projects, exhibition experiences and industry liaisons embedded in their studies. This is a defining feature of our programme. Live projects have been run with Rolls Royce Bespoke Interiors, H&M Design, Eley Kishimoto London, Hallmark UK and Orangebox. The programme is dynamic, built to grow and mirror the creative industry you will pitch to, with employability at its core.

Course details

Start date:
Study modes:
  • On-campus
  • Full-time
Language:
  • English
  • Bilingual
Institution code:
T80
UCAS code:
SUP1
Course length:
3 Years Full-time
Entry requirements:
120 UCAS Points

Tuition Fees 2023/24 and 24/25
Home (Full-time): £9,000 per year
Overseas (Full-time): £13,500 per year

Why choose this course?

01
You will have a vibrant and inspiring student experience where you will enjoy an excellent staff-student ratio with generous contact time.
02
You will have your own dedicated studio space and access to our excellently equipped workshops with a wide range of facilities.
03
You will engage with exciting live projects and our industry links throughout the programme.

What you will learn

The Surface Pattern and Textiles portfolio gives a practice rich experience, focussed around creating exciting and innovative surfaces and structures for a breadth of contemporary design contexts. This is done through a sustained and staged induction of a professional design process across the 3 or 4 years.  This is a blend of ideas, research, drawing & making, reflective practice and a wide variety of presentation formats.

The programme is structured, so our learners experience a breadth of processes and practices that are applied to their chosen specialism (Maker, Fashion or Interiors) whilst maintaining an approach relevant to contemporary design practice.  

From the outset you will participate in a range of working methods and learning environments supported by a dedicated team: study visits, research, drawing, designing, making, digital and analogue printing methods, dyeing and colouration, tutorials, contextual practice, live projects, competitions, industry experience, exhibitions, self-promotion and portfolio preparation. When you leave us, you are workplace ready!

Year 1 is teaching intensive, introducing you to a variety of new ways of learning, a breadth of material processes, visual studies practice, and forward looking design thinking.  These are addressed through pathway and programme specific projects, and also through wider, Swansea College of Art cohort experiences in contextual studies and our graduate attribute modules.   Elements of contextual studies and the graduate attribute modules are in a blended learning style enhancing your digital skills in parallel to your practice based modules.

You will experience a rich and varied programme, designed around the three pathways, enabling you to gain and develop skills in surface treatment and construction methods.  Printed textiles, colouration and Adobe creative cloud workshops deliver the skills for the Majors.  Whilst workshops designed for making give you the opportunity to explore materials in a broad sense, enabling you to work both two and three-dimensionally.

Contextual studies and the graduate attribute modules are designed to underpin your studio practice.

Year 2 builds on year 1, echoing the ‘shape’ of the module structure.  The design project work at this level encourages you to take risks, to analyse, to challenge conventions and to evaluate your individual approach.  You are supported in the development of your ideas with an emphasis on pushing towards innovation and expansion of your own creative voice.

You will continue to advance your practice through live projects, competitions, workshop activities and advanced methods in a wide range of digital and material processes. Contextual studies develops your understanding of historical and contemporary art and design theories and prepares you for the Independent Project module in level 6.

The Graduate Attribute module introduces you to the employment context that you are working towards and offers practical workshops in teamwork, problem solving, and building a professional online presence.  External liaison projects are targeted between levels 5 and 6 giving you the opportunity to make contacts, build networks take research trips or go on a placement, giving you a flavour of future possibilities.

Year 3 asks you to contextualise your studio practice in response to your personal preferences, your skillset, your strengths and ambitions, your scope for innovation, and your external and live project experiences to date.  This is done through a significant personal major project and another live project.   The Independent Project module contextualises your studio practice through an extended piece of writing and offers you the opportunity to delve more deeply into the ideas and concepts that you are investigating. The year culminates in a body of work or design collection that fully expresses your creative journey as a designer or maker, and is exhibited in a public or virtual space; the Degree Show. 

Professional promotion workshops take place to bolster the exit strategy of the individual.

Compulsory

Ways of Thinking

(10 credits)

Ways of Perceiving

(10 credits)

Visual and Material Culture

(10 credits)

Image Making 1 - Drawing for Design

(10 credits)

Major Studies A1 - Ideas into Practice

(20 credits)

Major Studies A2 - Designing for Context

(20 credits)

Digital and Material Futures B1

(20 credits)

Digital and Material Futures B2

(20 credits)

Compulsory 

Research in Context

(10 credits)

Research in Practice

(10 credits)

Image Making 2 - Drawing for a Live Brief

(10 credits)

Visual and Material Language

(10 credits)

Major Studies A3 - Designing for a Live Brief

(20 credits)

Major Studies A4 - A Self Directed Brief

(20 credits)

Compulsory 

Independent Project

(40 credits)

Major Project

(60 credits)

Advanced Creative Enquiry

(20 credits)

Course Disclaimer

  • We listen to student feedback and insights from industry and from professionals to ensure that course content is high-quality and up-to-date, and that it offers the best possible preparation for your future career or study goals. 

    For this reason, there might be modifications to the content of your course over time, to keep up to date with changes in the subject area or in the sector. If a module is no longer running, we’ll make sure to keep you informed, and work with you to choose a different suitable module.

testimonial

Staff

Our People

You will be taught and supported by a wide range of professional staff and teams here to help you get the university experience you are looking for. Our teaching staff were ranked 2nd in Wales for assessments and feedback (NSS 2023) meaning the comments you get back from your work will help you learn. Our commitment to your learning has seen our students us as Top 10 in the UK for Lecturers and Teaching Quality. Find out more about our academic staff who teach across our courses. 

Accommodation

Surface Pattern students working in a studio

Surface Pattern and Textiles Facilities

The programme is housed in a lively, light and airy studio that accommodates all years of the course making it the heartbeat of our Surface Pattern and Textiles community. You have a personal desk space for the duration of your studies. Either side of the studio are our well-equipped workshops where you can explore a broad range of materials and processes, enabling participation in relevant methods of design practice. 

example of student bedroom

Swansea Accommodation

Swansea has a huge student population, and the variety of accommodation available will leave you feeling spoilt for choice. Various purpose-built student accommodation providers provide accommodation in Swansea, and the accommodation team can guide you through your options. It will offer ongoing support throughout your time as a UWTSD student.

Further information

  • We are interested in creative people that demonstrate a strong commitment to art and/or design and therefore we welcome applications from individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. To assess student suitability for their chosen course we arrange interviews for all applicants at which your skills, achievements and life experience will be considered as well as your portfolio of work.

    Our standard offer for a degree course is 120 UCAS tariff points. We expect applicants to have a grade C or above in English Language (or Welsh) at GCSE level, together with passes in another four subjects. Plus we accept a range of Level 3 qualifications including:

    • Foundation Diploma in Art and Design, plus one GCE A-Level in a relevant academic subject
    • Three GCE A-Levels or equivalent
    • BTEC Extended Diploma in a relevant subject, with minimum grades of Merit
    • International Baccalaureate score of 32
    • Other relevant qualifications can be considered on an individual basis

    Qualifications are important, however, our offers are not solely based on academic results. If you don’t have the required UCAS points then please contact the courses admissions tutor or email artanddesign@uwtsd.ac.uk as we can consider offers to applicants based on individual merit, exceptional work, and/or practical experience.

  • Assessment is carried out through coursework, both written and practical. There are no exams on this course. Students are formatively assessed throughout a module in a variety of blended digital and campus-based styles. Summative assessment takes place at the end of a module — work is specified to be either submitted to digital platforms or presented at desks, or in exhibition scenarios. A variety of teaching and learning methods are used throughout the course which includes amongst others; 

    Informal Tutorials   
    These tutorials are held on a regular basis, across all levels. In Year 1 each student sees and discusses his / her work with a member of staff at each studio session, likewise in Year 2. Third and fourth-year students tend to work more independently and sign up for a tutorial when she/he feels the need arises. However, as a team, we ensure that every student in Year 3 is seen by at least one member of the academic staff each week.  We pride ourselves on the fact that there is the opportunity to see staff regularly. 

    Formal Tutorials  
    These are held at least once a term with individual students. The work and progress are discussed, through practical and conceptual development, future intentions of the student etc. It is an opportunity for any issues/concerns by either party, to be raised. A recorded account of the tutorial is duplicated for the student to store in their feedback file and refer back to.  

    Group critiques  
    These are held on a regular basis, across all levels, either with a member of staff or student-led. They provide an excellent opportunity for students to share and exchange ideas with their peers in a structured manner in addition to valuable input from staff.

    Informal and Formal presentations  
    The nature of the presentation varies according to the level. Presentations may be to peers, staff or industry/live brief partners. They may be presented by individuals to an audience, or by groups, working together. Informal presentations are introduced in order to help students gain confidence in talking about their work to their peers and staff throughout the programme. There are other situations where presentations can take a more formal part of the assessment at the end of a project.  

    Exhibiting work  
    Again, the nature of this varies within the context of the projects, the work to be assessed and the stage of the programme — it can range in formality from a public venue, a digital showreel, to the individual student’s desk space.  As a programme, we love the opportunity to share and get our students’ work out into the world, so usually, any worthwhile opportunities for the exhibition are capitalised on to enhance the student experience.

  • Our students have access to a diverse range of equipment and resources, which in most cases are sufficient to complete their programme of study. We provide the basic materials necessary for students to develop their practical work within our extensive workshop and studio facilities.

    However, art and design students will likely incur some additional costs to extend their investigation of their personal practice. For example, purchasing their own specialised materials and equipment, joining in optional study trips, and printing.

    Students are expected to bring their own personal art and design equipment with them when they commence the course.  We can advise on the correct equipment needed for your programme of studies and signpost appropriate suppliers if you wish to purchase essential items before or during your studies.  

    A basic ‘art and design kit’ will cost approximately £100 but you may well already have much of the equipment required so check with us first.  Also, although we have extensive dedicated digital design studios (PC and MAC) for you to undertake your coursework, you may wish to bring your own digital devices, again check with us first before making a purchase.

  • You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.  To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit our Scholarships and Bursaries section.

  • Students can also take up the opportunity to study a semester in the Europe, USA or Canada.

  • Graduate Prospects

    Interiors

    • Textile designers
    • Wallpaper designers
    • Screen printers
    • Designer makers
    • Pattern designers
    • Interior stylists
    • Lifestyle product designer
    • In house roles for interior brands
    • Freelance for interior brands and clients trend predictions and interior forecasting
    • Editorial – magazines, blogging, websites, illustration

    Fashion

    • Textile designers
    • Pattern designers
    • Screen printers
    • Digital textile designers
    • Designer makers
    • Design assistants
    • Lifestyle and accessory designer
    • Graduate trainee positions
    • Fashion stylists
    • In house roles for brands
    • Freelance for brands
    • Design studio roles
    • Trend predictions and fashion forecasting
    • Editorial - magazines, blogging, websites, illustration

    Stationery

    • Illustrators
    • Giftware design – wraps, and associated accessories and ranges
    • Stationery design – cards, books, lifestyle ranges

    Arts Bodies

    • Gallery Management
    • Project Management
    • Exhibiting makers
    • Stocking and selling through curated gallery shops
    • Community projects
    • Volunteering
    • Workshops
    • Artists in Residence

    Retail

    • Visual Merchandising – design and installation  
    • Buying
    • Styling
    • Personal stylist
    • Selling through retail outlets

    Teaching

    • PGCE – Secondary, Primary, FE
    • Visiting Lecturers
    • University Lecturers
    • Workshop, Freelance
    • Community Workshops and Arts groups

    Work modes

    • Employment
    • Self-Employment
    • Freelance
    • Enterprise
    • Voluntary

    Example List of Companies Students are Currently Working for:

    • Monsoon
    • Hallmark Creative UK
    • Tigerprint
    • Misfit Fashion
    • Nobody’s Child
    • Humbug Design Ltd
    • Lush
    • In the Style
    • H&M, Sweden
    • Cubus, Norway
    • Talking Tables
    • IG International Greetings
    • The Silk Bureau
    • The National Trust
    • Emma Bridgewater
    • Tenn Ltd
    • John Lewis

    Example List of Students who have gone on to run successful Creative Enterprises

    • Jo Ashburner – Red Dragon Flags, The Roof Project
    • Stephanie Cole
    • Nia Rist Prints
    • Hannah Davies
    • Harriet Popham

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