2024/25 Undergraduate Programme Catalogue

BA Fashion Design Innovation (For students entering from September 2024 onwards)

Total credits: 360

Entry requirements:

Entry Requirements are available on the Course Search entry

School/Unit responsible for the parenting of students and programme:

School of Design

Examination board through which the programme will be considered:

School of Design

Relevant QAA Subject Benchmark Groups:

Art & Design

Programme specification:

The information on this page is accurate for students entering the programme from September 2024. For students who entered the programme before September 2024, you can find the details of your programme: BA Fashion Design

There has been a rapid acceleration in adopting digital tools and innovative approaches in the world of fashion that meet new customer behaviours and industry needs encompassing areas such as digital-only fashion and augmented/virtual reality. Equally, the physical presence of fashion and textiles has never been stronger. By considering the whole life cycle of fashion products from concept through development, to final product, the end-user and beyond, we gain a holistic perspective of a fashion and textile industry that is undergoing rapid change and offering much greener and zero-waste fashion alternatives.

With this in mind, BA Fashion Design Innovation combines fashion and textiles heritage with innovative design practices and methods. Students explore form, material and process through creative thinking, problem-solving strategies and human-centred design approaches to develop aesthetically considered, responsibly produced, and innovative fashion solutions with consideration of their materiality in both physical and digital forms. Students learn in an integrated way on the programme, combining and balancing hand-making and traditional skills with digital technologies. They are also introduced to a range of theories and methods that inform fashion research, examining the relationship between fashion and textiles and wider historical contexts, cultural practices, social trends and values, and ideological assumptions. Students particularly investigate and address future fashion challenges on the BA Fashion Design Innovation programme. They balance research-led activities and contextual studies with creative practice and focus on social, ethical and sustainable fashion design thinking to lead innovation.

Year 1 is exploratory and experimental. Students build a foundation of digital and practical design knowledge and skills, learning about approaches that are changing the way we produce and think about fashion. Exploring the fashion and textile industries, students examine where change is needed and how we can adapt to meet these challenges. As students’ progress, they are introduced to key issues in the history, culture and technology related to fashion and textiles and develop skills in visual communication, research and analysis, critical thinking and academic writing. Students develop their own creative design work and have the opportunity to co-create with fellow classmates, building their understanding of the cooperative negotiation needed within design practice. During year two, students develop a deeper understanding of designing for positive change in the fashion and textile industries and how innovation is a catalyst to achieve this, applying a range of research methods to explore the role of design in contemporary culture. Extending their knowledge and creative development, students utilise specialist software and practical hands-on skills to undertake industry-focused fashion design projects addressing real world contexts that require speculative problem solving, considering future impacts and solutions. Students will also study skills in interaction and experience design to understand how emerging technologies are shaping the creative industries across a range of disciplines.

Between year 2 and year 3 students are offered the opportunity to take part in the Study Abroad scheme or our successful placement year (Year in Industry). For many students the placement year is a great opportunity to experience the reality of the fashion and textiles industry, applying the knowledge and skills they’ve developed on the programme in commercial contexts.

In the final year of study, ind ependent projects enable students to consolidate their fashion design practice in specific directions to support their future career directions and ambitions. Students analyse and adapt their own methodologies in relation to fashion design, its materials and processes, exploring innovation in relation to real world and/or speculative contexts. They refine their design awareness and judgment in relation to their own studio practice and the theoretical contexts that support this, selecting the necessary digital/practical and research approaches to develop convincing design solutions.

At each year of the programme, option modules give students the opportunity to customise their programme experience, gaining additional knowledge and skills within or beyond their subject area.

The programme's emphasis on gaining academic, practical, research and transferrable skills, equips students for a broad range of employment, enterprise or postgraduate opportunities.

Year1 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules:

Candidates can choose to study 20 credits from the following optional or discovery modules:

Discovery modules:

Year2 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Where there is no module code link below the full module details are not yet available. Before you are required to enrol on a module full details will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules
- Fashion Experimentation: Challenges and Transformations - 40 Credits
- Design Studies: Exploration - 20 Credits
- Design for Interaction & Experience - 20 Credits

Optional modules:

Candidates will be required to study 20 credits from the following optional modules:

Candidates can choose to study 20 credits from the following optional or discovery modules:
- Contemporary Photography - 20 Credits
- Advanced Colour - 20 Credits

Discovery modules:

Year3 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

We are currently refreshing our courses to make sure students have the best possible experience. Where there is no module code link below the full module details are not yet available. Before you are required to enrol on a module full details will be provided.

Compulsory modules:

Candidates will be required to study the following compulsory modules
- Fashion Design Contexts: Self Directed Project - 40 Credits
- Major Research project - 40 Credits
- Fashion Design Innovation  - 20 Credits

Optional modules:

Candidates can choose to study 20 credits from the following optional or discovery modules:
- Social Design - 20 Credits

Discovery modules:

Year4 - View timetable

[Learning Outcomes, Transferable (Key) Skills, Assessment]

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:04:45

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