Studying on BA (Hons) Design Interaction with Foundation Year is a great way to introduce yourself to the university experience should you not have either an Art and Design background or enough UCAS points.  

Your first year is the foundation year which will bring you up to speed and introduce you to all the areas in Art and Design. Alumni often remember the foundation year with the fondest memories. Your get to learn a great deal in a fun environment. Your get to learn alongside Fine Art, Photography, Design and Illustration students. So if you not 100% about your direction or can’t choose between subjects (maybe your enjoy more than one) you can use it as a diagnostic year to help you choose. One of the major benefits of all our foundation courses is you are free to switch direction should you change your mind.

As progress into the main subject in your year two you will join students who will be at the forefront of future-focused design. You will experiment and develop emerging technology such as AR/VR (XR), AI, game engines, electronics, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and robotics. You will play a role in shaping the world around us with free thinking ideas and opportunities.  

Interdisciplinary collaboration with students from e.g. Fine Art Technology, Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation and Photography allows you to exchange skills and to access technical support and subject expertise across disciplines.  
 
You will be supported by yearly employability initiative Detour Ahead: Roadmaps for the Art and Design Industry, week-long inter-disciplinary guest talks offering you industry insights as well as guidance on subjects such as freelancing, copyright and tax.  
 
You will gain fresh perspective and approaches (divergent thinking) giving you edge in the competitive creative job market, skills for the fourth industrial age (4iR). 

Through learning by doing, problem solving and exploring, you will use practical training and theoretical knowledge to succeed in design interactions.

You’ll gain a critical understanding of the technical, historical, theoretical and political potential of the medium and an understanding of the collaborative nature of the medium and skills to identify, reflect and develop employability competencies and professional skills to enter the creative industries.

You will be in the forefront of future-focused design, experimenting and developing emerging technology such as AR/VR (XR), AI, game engines, electronics, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and robotics. You will play a role in shaping the world around us with free thinking ideas and opportunities.

Studying design interactions will teach you confidence in visualising ideas and briefs, will enable you to create and maintain professional online portfolio/presence/ promotional skills and will set you up with life and work skills for Interpersonal, team working, collaborative and negotiations.

Benefit from our progressive approach to learning through forward thinking and inclusive blended/ flipped learning and patchwork assessment, allowing you to make connections between modules, technical skills and research and your practice. This is a practical course, so you’ll spend plenty of time in our Docklands-based design studios.

You’ll be expected to carry out your own independent study to build on what you learn during lectures, seminars and workshops. To support you, we’ll provide digital materials, notes and handbooks and you’ll also receive individual supervision and feedback from our experienced lecturers.

Gain insights in our yearly cluster employability initiative Detour Ahead: Roadmaps for the art and design industry, week-long inter-disciplinary guest talks as well as advice about copyright and licensing, freelancing and tax. Gain fresh perspective and approaches (divergent thinking) giving you edge in the competitive job market, and skills for the fourth industrial age (4iR).  

Much of your learning will focus on project work, and you’ll sometimes be expected to work as part of a team.

You’ll have opportunities to gain valuable work experience during the course to improve your practical skills, understanding and CV. Research will build up the other area of your learning, guided reading and independent research, research skills-based activities with feedback.

• Guided independent study
We are investing in key areas beyond your studies including our career services, library and well-being, to be available both face-to-face on campus and online with many of these available 24/7. We have new, modern library facilities on both campuses offering inspirational environments for study and research. Libraries contain resources in print and digital formats, a range of study spaces and dedicated librarian who can assist with your learning.

• Academic support
Students are supported with any academic or subject related queries by an Academic Advisor, module leaders, former and current UEL students.
If you need a bit of extra help with certain skills such as academic writing, maths or IT, our Skillzone and English for Academic

Purposes we offer workshops, drop-in sessions and one-to-one appointments to help our students achieve their potential. You can receive advice and guidance on all aspects of the IT systems provided by the university from our IT Service Desks located on all three campuses.
Our Student Support hubs in Docklands and Stratford feature centralised helpdesks to cater for your every need. UEL provides also support and advice for disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties (SPDs).

• Workload
Each year you will spend around 300 hours of timetabled learning and teaching activities. These may be lectures, workshops, seminars and individual and group tutorials. Contact hours may vary depending on each module.
The approximate percentages for this course are:

Year 1: scheduled teaching – 300 hours; guided independent study – 900 hours.
Year 2: scheduled teaching – 300 hours; guided independent study – 900 hours.
Year 3: scheduled teaching – 300 hours; guided independent study – 900 hours.

The size of classes can vary depending on the nature of the course, module and activity. This can range from large groups in a lecture theatre setting, to smaller groups taking part in seminars and collaborative work. You will receive your personalised timetable at the beginning of the academic year dependent on your course.