Surface Pattern and Textiles (Swansea College of Art)

UCAS code: SPT1

Here's what University of Wales Trinity Saint David says about its Surface Pattern and Textiles (Swansea College of Art) course.

The Surface Pattern and Textiles programme at Swansea College of Art, UWTSD is a vibrant, multidisciplinary programme that focuses on an exploration of textiles, materiality, pattern, and making. Our focus spans various contexts, including fashion, interiors, and design-led galleries. The course is both academically challenging and has a contemporary outlook, ensuring you gain a comprehensive education in this dynamic field.

Throughout your studies, you will develop a wealth of practical and technical skills. You will enjoy the design potential of our extensive, innovative digital and traditional facilities. This combination of cutting-edge technology and time-honoured techniques provides a well-rounded foundation for your creative journey.

We bring our students together to create a strong group identity, while allowing you to choose a specialism that aligns with your interests and career goals. The studio culture is central to the Surface Pattern and Textiles student experience. This professionally focused, collaborative learning environment mirrors the workplace, promoting a positive, engaging, open approach to working with others.

Graduates of our programme emerge as skilled designers and makers, ready to excel in a variety of creative jobs and enterprises. The integration of significant live projects, exhibition experiences, and industry liaisons into our curriculum is a defining feature of our course. These projects have been conducted with esteemed collaborators such as Rolls Royce Bespoke Interiors, H&M Design, Eley Kishimoto London, Hallmark UK, and Orangebox. Such experiences ensure you are prepared to enter the creative industry with confidence and competence.

Our dynamic programme is built to evolve alongside the industries you will enter. Employability is at the heart of what we do, ensuring you are well-prepared for the professional world. The course also includes live briefs and opportunities for competitions, further enhancing your readiness for industry challenges.

Our facilities support various creative processes. You will have your own dedicated studio space and access to our excellently equipped workshops with a wide range of facilities including a textile screen printing room, dye studio, printmaking, digital application suite, Mac suites providing industry standard software, laser cutters and a sewing room, providing comprehensive hands-on learning opportunities.

The Surface Pattern and Textiles programme at UWTSD offers an engaging and comprehensive education, preparing you for a successful career in the creative industries. With a focus on both traditional and digital techniques, extensive industry connections, and a strong emphasis on employability, this programme is the ideal choice for aspiring designers and makers

The MDes programme extends beyond the traditional three-year undergraduate course with an additional final year, offering you the opportunity to deepen your expertise and enhance your portfolio. This extra year focuses on advanced practical and technical skills, research projects, and further live briefs. The additional year is designed to refine your capabilities, preparing you for leadership roles within the creative industry.

Year one 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. you will build foundational skills in textile design, focusing on pattern, materiality, and making. You will explore various techniques, including digital and traditional methods, while developing a strong understanding of design principles and research. This year introduces key concepts and practices essential for your creative journey.

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)

The second year expands your technical and practical knowledge through advanced projects and specialised modules. You will engage with live briefs and industry collaborations, enhancing your professional skills and creative thinking. This year focuses on developing your personal design identity and preparing you for real-world applications in fashion, interiors, and beyond. Contextual studies develop your understanding of historical and contemporary art and design theories and prepares you for the Independent Project module in year 3.

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) Digital and Material Futures B3 (20 credits) Future Ready Toolkit (20 credits)

In the third year, you will refine your expertise and focus on professional practice. You will undertake significant live projects and exhibition opportunities, working closely with industry partners. This year is dedicated to perfecting your portfolio and ensuring you are industry-ready, with a strong emphasis on employability and entrepreneurship.

The focus of Year 3 is 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, exhibiting as part of the Degree Show.?

Compulsory

Independent Project (40 credits) Major Project (60 credits) Advanced Creative Enquiry (20 credits)

The additional fourth year of our MDes programme offers advanced study and research, allowing you to specialise further and undertake substantial individual projects. You will explore innovative techniques and engage in critical analysis, culminating in a major project that showcases your skills. This year prepares you for leadership roles and advanced positions within the creative industries.

Compulsory

Research and Innovation (20 credits) Contemporary Creative Practice (20 credits) Advanced Practice (60 credits) The Thought Experiment (20 credits)

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.