Leading Design Schools that fuse creative studies with tech

Design institutions have recently caught onto the collaboration between technology and creativity. With the digital age seeping into every aspect of our daily lives, a partnership has formed between these two fields.

As creatives, we now have the power to enhance our work with savvy software programmes and digitally-accessible tools for design. As Exchange Wire points out, the collision of creativity and tech has triggered an influx of jobs. Content marketing, for example, is now a “£5bn industry in the UK alone and the discipline has become increasingly popular online over the last five years with the growth of content sharing platforms.”

This is great news for creative graduates as it supports a thriving, global industry that awaits their talent. Equipped with experience in this field, you’ll get to choose from a variety of job roles and specialised industries. There are hundreds of designations that involve digital elements such as graphic designers, user experience (UX) designers, advertising/promotion managers and multimedia animators. In this contemporary age, your employment opportunities are limitless.

When you’re searching for a design school that will strengthen your skills, it’s wise to examine the tech-based methods and techniques that have been implemented to the courses on offer. According to the World Creative Global Map of Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI), the global employment rate within this sector is currently at 29.5 million jobs, playing a major part in the progression of the digital economy. With no plans of slowing down, the creative movement is speeding towards the future.

With every fast-moving industry, there comes a crowd of competitive graduates hoping to dive into a pool of positive job prospects. As such, it’s imperative to consider design schools that are producing high-quality creatives and making a real market impact. An effective establishment will possess dynamic facilities that enhance productivity and stimulate artistic flow. These schools also possess a skilful set of educators who are willing to steer their inventiveness and originality in the direction of success. Most notably, they understand the importance of the technological world and the fundamental creative force that directs digitalisation.

It’s believed that the fourth industrial revolution will be driven by humans and not by machines. That’s what makes now the prime time to harness your creative powers and pursue an innovative degree. The perfect blend of creativity and tech ensures your qualification stays relevant for years to come.

Here are the leading design schools that merge creative studies with tech…

SCHOOL OF DESIGN, VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON

The distinguished School of Design at the Victoria University of Wellington prides itself on its ability to ignite creativity. With its diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, students here are spoiled for choice. The school’s multifunctional curriculum illuminates key expertise required by the industry, and you’ll soon thrive with the integration of tech in an age of technological advancement.

Situated in New Zealand’s artistic capital, there’s never a dull moment as a student in Wellington. Whenever you feel as though you need to get those creative juices flowing, step outside and discover what this vivacious city has to offer. This all forms part of why design innovation undergraduate, Petone Groom, loved his course – a factor elevated by the school’s perfect balance of work and leisure.

Victoria University of Wellington takes your future seriously. As Head of School, Professor Doug Easterly, explains, “the tech and creative industries are not just after great technical skills, they want people who excel at critical and creative thinking, teamwork and communication. That’s what we deliver at Victoria.”

By inspiring you to become a leader in the growing fields of design, the school’s outstanding lecturers and alumni are on-hand to support every step of your academic venture. Plus, what could be better than studying at a university that constantly contributes to cutting-edge solutions for the world of design?

UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS, LONDON

Lose yourself in the creative culture of London. Known for its abstract galleries, thought-provoking exhibitions and international art enthusiasts, the University of the Arts (UAL) has made its home in a forward-thinking city. Recognised at the sixth-best university for art and design in the QS Top Universities 2017 league table; UAL is shaping the way we study this universal subject.

Known for its prestigious alumni network, UAL former students are often featured in the media. The Fashion Awards 2017 featured an array of UAL winners who achieved impressive awards such as ‘British Designer of the Year – Womenswear’ and ‘British Emerging Talent – Menswear’.

What’s great about this design school is that it encourages you to showcase and exhibit your work.  With an annual trade show stand and free guides on how to price your work, UAL understands the competitive nature of the industry and how crucial it is for your work to be seen. Future employers will love to see a portfolio of your creations and evidence that you have engaged in career enhancement activities outside of studies.

Made up of six unique colleges, UAL is racing ahead with hands-on disciplines and technologically-advanced methods to formulate fashion, art and graphic design.

LASALLE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS, SINGAPORE

Established in 1984, LASALLE is Singapore’s go-to school for design and art development.  Powered by a diverse and progressive environment, students are here are urged to think outside the box and build their creative passions.

Supported by a global network of visionaries, the institution’s board states that “LASALLE is a culmination of diversity, progressiveness, inspirations, dreams, blood, sweat and tears, all of which have helped mould this institution into one of the leading contemporary arts practitioners today.”

With a long-standing involvement in practice-led research in art design, the university provides engaging environments for students to explore creative concepts. Known as the LASALLE Labs, there are many different spaces to suit the present-day alliance between art and tech. You could spend some time at the WritersLab, for example, which is an intensive programme for upcoming scriptwriting students in Singapore. Or, there’s the Media Lab, where you can look into the potential of using technology in a visual and spatial context. Typically, research practice at this lab would involve computational design, digital fabrication and physical computing methods.

LASALLE boasts a colossal collection of degree programmes that will fulfil any natural desire for the arts. From animation art to film studies; there’s truly something for everyone at LASALLE College of the Arts.

SCHOOL OF DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Featured in the QS Top 100 World Universities, the University of Western Australia (UWA) takes education to a revolutionary level. Here, the design school showcases top creative talent from international and national platforms.

UWA School of Design’s courses integrate several key subjects, including landscape architecture, fine arts and urban design.  The Master of Urban Design is a favourable course for most postgraduate learners, digging deep into the impact of technology within societal structures. By promoting student talents inside the public sphere, UWA effectively utilises home-grown theories.

UWA goes the extra mile, and so its global family of alumni are more than willing to provide support for the school. Regular events and exhibitions are set up to keep the network active, as well as bring attention to the artistic ambitions of current learners.

The university also accommodates the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC). This centre specialises in urban design through the creation of eco-logically integrated cities. By testing out your ideas, you have the option to practice design techniques outside of your studies. On top of this, the interdisciplinary research-design lab grants learners with a unique space to create without restraint.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International

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