Surface Pattern Design BA (Hons)

Surface Pattern Design education is firmly based on developing your abilities through practice, as experienced across a range of project-based activities. These may involve whole groups, sometimes working in teams, with presentations of your work to your peer group and the academic staff at various points. During projects there will be tutorial sessions with academic staff, input via contextual lectures, discussions about issues arising in seminars or small groups and technical skills instruction sessions with Technician Instructors.

Level Four introduces you to the use of surface pattern in the design process from initial research through to design development and realisation. An awareness of the breadth of surface application, context and use is addressed, as is essential skills acquisition in practical workshop experience, visual studies and contextual studies. You also have the opportunity to work as part of a team, using and developing interpersonal, organisational and presentation skills.

Level Five develops technical competence and practical design skills, including the exploration and implementation of computer aided design. You will explore market trends and respond to live project briefs with industry. A professional working practice is adopted and you are expected to take on an increasing responsibility for your own development and learning programme.

At Level Six, you consolidate and exploit the knowledge, skills and experience gained during previous modules, refining working methods and adopting a professional, competitive attitude. You are encouraged to explore the combination of materials and techniques to create innovative and original surface pattern design solutions and to identify your own 'handwriting'. This culminates in an end of year degree show, and selected students also have the opportunity to show work at the Business Design Centre in London as part of the New Designers exhibition.
Alongside creative expression, attention is paid to the professional and vocational nature of the Award, addressing employability related issues, achievement of the learning outcomes and the Staffordshire Graduate attributes.
Personal Development Planning is integrated into the delivery of the Award, supporting personal career aspirations, ambitions, and expectations, whilst using self-evaluation as a diagnostic tool.
This process enables you to reflect on your previous and current experience, to seek opportunities to address any skills or working practices in which you may have particular strengths or weaknesses and to assess your progress.

Learning, teaching and assessment strategies are based on the recognition of three main strands:

Practical, involving the acquisition, development and refinement of technical, conceptual, communication and problem solving skills relevant to surface pattern design, and the application of these, in arriving at a satisfactory solution.

Theoretical/Contextual, including knowledge and understanding of the major issues and debates within and around surface pattern design, and the development of an ability to integrate a critical, analytical approach with the informed practice of this design discipline.

Professional, including knowledge and understanding of the historical, cultural and professional practice contexts within which artists and designers operate. This constitutes a body of specialist knowledge that includes a realistic awareness of potential career options.

The interlinking of these three strands is central to the philosophy of the award, and to enable you to achieve and demonstrate the learning outcomes, a combination of Learning, Teaching and Assessment strategies and methodologies are utilized.