This course is offered only at Nanjing Foreign Language School,Xianlin Campus and Jiangsu Xishan Senior High School in 2016.
In September,2015,we started to offer a new UF stream of Design Studies besides previous two streams of Commerce and Science. UF Design course aims to provide another choice for those who look to work on the specialty of Design for their undergraduate study at the university. The teaching of all core courses is designed and decided by the Faculty of Design at Foundation Studies of the University of New South Wales (UNSW),one of Australia’s iconic universities,and is provided with the guidance and teaching and learning resources in the whole stream by Australian School of Architecture and Design (ranked Number One in Australia and Number Six in the world) and School of Art & Design (ranked Number One in Australia and Number Eleven in the world) of UNSW. Having completed the relevant courses of UF Design and met with academic requirements,students may preferably be admitted into undergraduate studies majoring in Design at all Australian universities as represented by G-8 universities and universities in New Zealand as well.
UF Design core courses:
Offered in the third semester
All taught by foreign teachers in English: Academic English,Mathematics,Computing,Commerce,Science,IELTS preparations,Pencil Sketching,and Micro Film Production
Core courses offered in the fourth and fifth semester:
All taught by foreign teachers in English: Academic English,Mathematics,Computing,Design (2D,3D Design,3D Work Production,Graphic Design,and 3D Modeling Design),and International Issues and Perspectives
a.How many categories of Design Studies are offered?
There are two major ones:
(1) Architectural and Industrial Design
(2) Media and Graphic Design
b.Having completed UF Design course study,what majors can be selected for undergraduate studies at the university?
Architectural and Industrial Design: Architecture,Architectural Design,Urban Planning,Landscape Design,Interior Design,Industrial Design,and Construction and Property Management.
Media and Graphic Design: Media Art,Media Design,Digital Media Design,Graphic Design,Art Theory,Art,and Fashion Design.
Having completed UF Design Studies,students can choose all disciplines related to undergraduate Design programs,including some majors in the area of Social Science.
The curriculum of Design Studies includes two major parts:one is the learning of basic knowledge of design,for example,industrial revolution and design reform,the style and life of the world’s well-know designers;the other is Design Studio,which encourages students to use all kinds of materials and methods to show the visualization of lots of design concepts through 2D and 3D designs. The course learning will not only develop students’ hands-on technical skills but also foster and shape students’ creative thinking and ability of spatial visualization.
Among the courses,in the process of learning the relevant subject of Design Studio in the second category,students are required to produce five pieces of design work. All these works account for 74% of students’ final GPA,therefore,students should pay all attention to this subject.
Analysis of Five Pieces of Work Which Are Compulsory for Design Studies
First Piece of Work:
Students are required to choose 2 different English letters among 26 of them to create four designs by using each of the two letters as a geometric shape;then to mount the four designs together on an A3 base portrait format,of which white foam-core.These letters may not be cut up,extended,condensed or otherwise distorted;however,the letters may be repeated,enlarged,reduced and reversed.
Ideas of creation:
Students are required to experiment with a range of materials and methods to explore and create different space and form,so as to train and develop students’skills in drawing and in visual presentation,skills in critical and conceptual thinking,and skills in creativity.
Second One:
Students are required to use an A3 paper base to create a conceptual model in an imaginary space,so as to explore the principles of negative and positive space as well as the relationships between lights.
Ideas of creation:
Students are helped to explore space and form in three dimensions. Students are required to experiment with a range of materials and methods so as to develop skills in imagination and skills in creating spatial model.
Third One:
Students are required to utilize unconventional and extraordinary materials from everyday life to create a pencil container,in which 10 pencils may be put separately.
Ideas of creation:
Students are helped to explore 3D space and form.Students learn to create models using materials from everyday life so as to develop their skills in model-making of functional objects as well as to train and develop their skills in critical and conceptual thinking and skills in creativity.
Fourth One:
Students are required to set a lake as a background to create a sculptural model.For this creation,students are required to utilize computer skills in design software application of Photoshop so as to synthesize the model with the photo of the lake.The model as created is required not only to be harmonious with the lake in physical space and may retain outdoors for an 18 days’ exhibition withstanding all types of whether,but also be safe for people of all ages including children to watch and play.
Ideas of creation:
Students are helped to explore 3D space and form.Students are trained and developed not only in conceptual thinking skills and communication application skills as well as adaptability to changes outdoors,but also digital skills in using relevant computer software appropriately.
Fifth One:
Students are required to design this work combining with theoretical knowledge as learned in Semester One.Students may choose an eminent designer according to individual’s preference,and are required to produce a presentation board,which shows an integral of the life,achievements,style and genre of this designer in the form of words and pictures. Each student of the created board should echo the designer in design style.
Ideas of creation:
On one hand,this project aims to help students gain an understanding of the work of an eminent designer.On the other hand,it aims to develop students’writing skills and written expression of communicating information clearly and succinctly.
As stated above,the five pieces of work are both independent and echoing with each other.From the processing of graphic and abstract design to that of three dimension space design and functional design and to the final sublimation of the design’s practical and commercial value,,the creation of these five works has not only developed students’ skills in hands-on production,creativity and visualization and imagination,but also laid a good theoretical and technical basis for the choice of further study of specialty at the university.Whether students choose to undertake the study of architecture design,or graphic design,or industrial design,you may find relevant learning approaches and inspirations from these five pieces of design work.