Furniture - FdA

Successful 3D design outcomes are reliant on sound 3D design principles. These design principles inform and create opportunities for you to apply your creativity to the conception, development and eventual realisation of effective 3D design solutions.

This module introduces and develops a range of knowledge, skills and approaches in the research, sketching and communication of information and ideas for 3D disciplines and artefacts in visual form.

The module offers a sequence of three intensive programmes or ‘mini-blocks’, tailored to the interests of specific groups of students. The module engages the student in thinking about their subject area, how it is defined and practiced, the richness of its resources, and how it opens up questions of context. In particular the module investigates how context might be framed, for example culturally, historically, economically, socially, theoretically or through practice. Students are encouraged to see connections and reflect on what they see in ways that build skills of communication and help articulate ideas. The module also helps the student, through learning how to identify, access and use knowledge profitably, to become knowledgeable about their subject area, its extent, its language and conventions, its history and practice.

Good design and high-quality artefacts are informed by knowledge of the potential and limitations of relevant technologies and techniques, materials and process. The focus of this module is on the development of understanding and abilities in a range of key practical skills and an understanding of material and process through experience, experimentation and direct observation.

As humans, we live in a continuous and ongoing relationship with the made world, where the former and the latter each inform the other. This module aims to investigate through design and physical realiation, how an understanding of human needs and desires, physical, psychological, sociological and economic, and of people as individuals and in society, can aid successful design.

The module offers a sequence of three intensive programmes or ‘mini-blocks’ tailored to the interests of specific groups of students. It provides a range of studies that address the character and conditions of cultural production including how they operate in practice. The module helps to prepare the student for their final-year dissertation and their future role as professionals and practitioners. The student encounters different perspectives on their subject area and undertakes different forms of coursework aimed at helping inform their choice of dissertation topic and approach.

Consumers today, demand products with superior ethical and environmental values and will do so increasingly in the future, as our shared environment becomes more stressed. Corporate ethical and environmental requirements mirror this, often in response to governmental legislation. There is a need for intelligent and sustainable exploitation of finite materials and processes. Professional ethics, social enterprise and entrepreneurial strategies produce creative solutions.

In this Project Realisation module you will resolve your project to furniture industry standards, whether design and manufacture, or restoration and conservation, and present this practice ready for professional launch. DN5F07 requires your attention to the full realisation and detailing of the project proposed. Building upon that developed in ‘Client-Project Development’, projects will be developed through material and/or constructional investigation, experimentation and manipulation including as appropriate, full scale artefacts and/ or working prototypes that will help you to realise relevant and successful solutions for your agreed project briefs and for specific clients, users or sites.