Are you interested in developing your skills and knowledge across the various areas of Design?

The Foundation Year in Design provides an opportunity for you to study across a broad range of creative design elements including Communication Design, Product Design, Fashion Design and Interior Design. You will develop your knowledge and core skills in areas of practice such as drawing, making, materials, form and colour; as well as being closely guided through a rigorous academic and studio based learning experience that will build on core creative skills, enriching and enhancing your design, academic and creative abilities.

Upon successful completion of the foundation year, you will progress onto one of the following courses:

• BA (Hons) Furniture & Product Design 
• BA (Hons) Product Design
• BA (Hons) Fashion
• BA (Hons) Fashion Communication
• BA (Hons) Fashion Design and Marketing
• BA (Hons) Graphic Design
• BA (Hons) Interior Design

Why Choose Northumbria to study a Design Foundation Year?

• Northumbria is ranked 6th in the UK for Product Design studies (Guardian University League Table, 2024).

• Art and Design at Northumbria is ranked 4th in the UK for research power (REF, 2021). This is a rise of 6 places compared to 2014.

• Product Design at Northumbria is ranked 6th in the UK for Graduate Prospects (Guardian University Guide, 2024). This is because 87% of our graduates are in highly skilled employment or further study 15 months after graduation.

• 93% of students studying Design at Northumbria believed they had chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth (NSS, 2023).

How will I learn on this Design Foundation Year course?

The Design Foundation Year provides a broad curriculum of design modules, allowing you to explore a number of distinct, yet complementary disciplines and discover which you would like to pursue at Level 4 study. To prepare you for advancement into Level 4 and beyond, a year-long portfolio skills module will give you a solid grounding in the fundamental principles of design and professional presentation.

Throughout the course you will be exposed to a range of assessment formats including two and three dimensional solutions to problems, practice based submissions, essay writing, presentations and portfolio work. This focus on assessment strategy will enhance your creative design practice, allowing you to develop both general and discipline specific knowledge and understanding of design.

You will have the opportunity to demonstrate the depth and breadth of your newly-learned skills and knowledge in an end of year showcase that brings all the elements of the course work together.

Who will teach me during my Design foundation Year course?

The course is delivered by our team of specialist staff who have a wealth of industry and academic experience, so you can rest assured that the skills you learn will be at the forefront of this vibrant and exciting industry. Alongside our teaching staff community, you’ll also learn from high-calibre visiting design practitioners and researchers including many with an international reputation as experts in their field.

The teaching team will further support your personal development, practice based skills, intellectual growth and transferable skills such as effective communication, teamwork, time and project management, research and digital literacy; all of which are essential in the 21st century workplace.

Where will I study during my time at Northumbria?

Using our range of professional facilities and supported by an expert technical team, learning will take place in dedicated studio spaces that include access to computer suites with complete Adobe and Cad packages and professional exhibition spaces.

In this course, specialist industry standard software and equipment is used to enhance overall learning experience. This Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) plays a key role in supporting learning, teaching and assessment principles.

Our University Library is open 24/7. It holds more than 570,000 books and an extensive e-book and e-journal collection that enables students to access learning resources at the point of need.

How does this course set me up for my future career?

The foundation year is designed to provide you with subject specific skills and knowledge that will ensure that you are well prepared for a seamless transition onto any one of our Level 4 design courses, all of which represent pathways to professional careers in the creative industry or further studies via graduate degree.

Whilst learning the skills and knowledge you will need to continue onto an undergraduate degree, your engagement in a vibrant and creative community, that encourages collaboration and idea sharing across multiple disciplines, will build valuable interpersonal and transferable skills that will help you to reach your full creative potential and meet your career goals.