2023 uni applications for those pursuing art and creative routes

[Duchessofmuchness]

The other thread discussing Uni applications for RG and academic routes isn't so relevant for DS. He's considering Art Foundation year or direct entry to uni for fashion design.

Anyone care to join a thread on similar creative paths. (Not just fashion!)

He's looking at art foundation at Kingston, Central St Martin's, UCA,

For Fashion BA looking at Central St Martins, London College of Fashion, Manchester Met, Nottingham Trent, Liverpool John Moores, Leeds Beckett.

Most seem to accept without art foundation but he would need one to Central St Martin's so if he wants to try for that will need foundation.

Lots of open days coming up and hopefully school will give him some more advice next week. No start on his PS yet!!

Is anyone's DC applying for a Graphic Design BA? If so have you visited many uni's/which are you considering? Also - any portfolio advice for Graphics? My DD is going graphic communication A Level - so has college work to include. Her college haven't given much advice. I'm hoping she will have xmas to prepare it.

@stardustliz I did graphic design (aka communication design) at Parsons in NY and Paris many decades ago! No computers....
Anyhow I recommend doing a search on YouTube for 'accepted graphic design portfolios' or variations of that. There are a few students showing their portfolios, though most are from US - good to look at too - but I spied a couple for English unis. Again each course has its own requirements but you can learn quite a bit.
I also recommend Artprof.org to everyone (they also have a YouTube channel). It's American and do actual student portfolio critiques. The requirements at US art schools are different (emphasis on finished pieces rather than progress and sketches as here) but there are universal principles. They also do art tutorials that might be useful if anyone is trying to increase skill and techniques in various media or certain subjects like still life or faces, for example. All free.

Lots of useful stuff online!
My DD isn't doing Graphic Design she's in first year illustration but they've done a couple of very short "intro to graphic design" lessons (along with animation and other design disciplines), on the basis that they all have to understand each other's methods. I was amused to see that our lockdown "family classic TV" binges have made it into her work...

(Ignore the strikethrough! Or I should say, "stet.")

Can anyone recommend a book about design classics? Asking cos DD has now decided she wants to switch from textiles to furniture/product design. She'll need to do a new portfolio based on her foundation work so I thought a book would give her useful
Background about designers/objects etc so she can talk knowledgeably at interview.
(She already has a place at NTU for textiles - we're hoping she can swap if they're happy with her portfolio)

Phaidon Design Classics by Alderson may be worth a look.

Ooof, always looked at them in the library so didn’t realise how stinking my expensive they’d be £270 ish for the set. I’ll see if I can think of any others.

More theory than examples, but "The Design of Everyday Things" is a classic about the psychology of making things easy to use..?

That's interesting @Localher0 - I always think I should have done textiles rather than graphic design. Where is she going to apply for product design?

@mondaytosunday she's hoping to be able to switch from textiles to product design at NTU (she has a deferred place on textiles). Will need a new portfolio but hopefully not a new UCAS application- waiting to hear from NTU. Kingston also do it but we're very local so I think she'd prefer to go away.

@Chatrattoria & @PhotoDad I went ahead and bought 1000 Design Classics for background reading - what a thing of beauty it is in itself

@mondaytosunday Thanks for your reply. I'll pass on the advice re portfolios and Artprof.org
@PhotoDad Thanks for sharing your DD graphics work 😊

@stardustliz I think it mainly confirms that she's not a graphic designer! The illustrators at ARU are currently practising "reportage"; they've been assigned to shadow students in other practical subjects and sketch what they do. So DD has been drawing student nurses in action... not something you could really do in a stand-alone art-school!

@OneFrenchEgg my daughter is looking at illustration BA for next year. Just wondering which unis/courses are your favourites so far and why.
we have looked at UWE, Portsmouth, and Bournemouth arts but not been able to visit any others. Thank you

Sorry to sound clueless but does an illustration degree include all media’s? DD loves to paint as well as draw. Thanks

@mumma24 Those are all great. Other places with a good rep for Illustration include Falmouth, and ARU, which is the one my DD decided on. She fell in love with the city of Cambridge, and the course is exactly what she wanted (very traditional including lots life/observational drawing, and tiny, only 20-30 in a class). She is taking it as a sandwich course with a placement year, which isn't available everywhere. ARU's "Cambridge School of Art" is in an old building and is also home to a prestigious MA in Children's Book Illustration which she's already eyeing up.

DD has three classes each week; "drawing" (which includes painting), "digital media," and "printmaking" so she is learning a huge range of techniques. But different places have very different approaches; it worth diving into the websites!

Hi @mumma24 Bournemouth first choice and then Farnham creative I think. Possibly Norwich but for non uni related reasons he may not want to go there.
He really didn't like Cambridge from the moment we walked in and Nottingham wasn't arty enough - it was one course of many and I think he likes the small creative uni environment?

Isn't it funny how people react differently to places? No right or wrong answers, just what fits, especially in creative subjects. On which point, one of the big differences that @OneFrenchEgg touches on is that between a stand-alone Art School and a department of a bigger university. They will have different atmospheres (and also a different range of clubs/societies/activities).

Yes thank goodness they are all so different - you couldn't get it right for every person without a choice of culture, atmosphere, style etc.
agree that's important - he loved the interactions between theatre and art departments

DD's class have been out and about sketching other students (in small groups rather than descending en masse!!) This is a mockup of a 'shadow-box' of the Nursing School.

Anyone here looking at Fine Art? DS in a foundation year at DMU (which is great btw!) but doesn't want to stay in Leicester.
He was so busy at the beginning settling in and working 9-5 on his course we missed most open days!
He was going to UWEs on line open day this Weds but its been pulled (I assume because of strikes) but from his on line research he is really keen. He is going to have to apply to courses 'blind' so has anyone been to an actual UWE Open day and what were your thoughts?
Ditto Brighton Uni, Leeds Uni and UCL (altho we have visited the campuses at Leeds and UCL but not been on an open day or inside the facilities). He will go to Brighton over Xmas break. We can't get to Bristol!
He is keen on good workshop and studio spaces (he works in multi media and print mainly).
He also wants a more trad uni exp rather than an art school as he plays sport and is musical and DMU hasn't offered a great deal in those areas hence the move.
Any info or opinions appreciated! Thanks

@Lottsbiffandsmudge second hand and only about the UWE as a whole; a friends son is there during architecture and loving it. Too much socialising according to his mum but he's got great flatmates and they go out en masse - a part of university life that can't be underestimated. So can't comment on the fine arts program but the university itself gets the thumbs up. He was hoping for Loughborough as he's a keen tennis player but despite being predicted and getting above the published baseline grades he didn't get an offer.

I employ from these courses and I'd say the Portsmouth degree is lacking commercial teaching. Based on 2 employees compared to Farnham and Bournemouth uni graduates.

Any questions as well I'm happy to help, I employ graphic design graduates, and have 25+ years in the industry as well as some lecturing.

For me personally I'd be looking at unis with the best industry links, where the staff seek briefs from real companies, they enter the D&AD new blood awards, and they expose the students to real work experience.

To employ graduates I have to hunt out the commercial ones.

Can I add my own observations, my best staff and graduates have always been ones with a varied work outside of uni, shops, waitresses, waiters, supermarkets etc.

They know how to deal with clients, customers and colleagues.

Whatever course they do please massively encourage them to work as well, those skills are almost as important to starting a job.

Wow thank you all for your responses. The whole thing has been stressing me out. I just want to make sure my daughter picks the right uni for her.
interestingly she didn’t like Bournemouth arts. I didn’t go to that as she went with her dad. I think it was the Bournemouth town that didn’t do it for her rather than the uni. We visitedUWE but also couldnt make it to open day. She loved the city. The bower Ashton campus looked lovely from the outside but a 45 minute walk into the city centre and uni accommodation. Not sure we can afford the accommodation prices there.
she is considering ARU but again I’m not sure as I think she would prefer big uni rather than a small arts college. She would love a uni that has live gigs etc and more of a social scene.. She loved Portsmouth, the accommodation price was reasonable and close to the arts building. free uni bus too. She’s also thinking of Norwich but we haven’t had a chance to visit there and Kingston too. We looked at Southampton Uni Winchester campus at the graphic arts course. We as parents loved it but she wasn’t keen.

I forgot to add Brighton. We live near Brighton so that’s why she’s not considering going there.