BA (Hons) 3D Design and Craft
Duration
3 years / 4 years with placement year
Institution code
L28
UCAS Code
TBC
Duration
3 years / 4 years with placement year
Institution code
L28
UCAS Code
TBC
Dive into the world of making in three dimensions with our BA (Hons) 3D Design and Craft course, where traditional craft meets contemporary design and hands-on experimentation. Here, you’ll think as much as you create, shaping ideas, materials, and objects that are entirely your own.
You’ll have the chance to explore and experiment with a variety of materials, including wood, ceramics, metal, and digital processes such as 3D printing, with scope to engage with emerging practices and future technologies. You’ll discover techniques, textures, and forms to bring your ideas to life. Projects might range from furniture, ceramics, jewellery and lighting to installations and interior objects, with a focus on sculptural and functional outcomes that reflect your personal approach.
Alongside making, you’ll be encouraged to explore sustainability, research, and creative problem solving, helping you develop your own identity as a maker, designer, artist or craftsperson.
In our studios and workshops you’ll be guided by experienced educators and practitioners who support and challenge you to experiment, question and explore ideas and processes. Seminars, tutorials, and group critiques give you the chance to test ideas, share feedback, and grow your practice in exciting ways.
As a student at Leeds Arts University, everything is on your doorstep. You’ll be able to explore galleries, exhibitions, and cultural hotspots across the city, with opportunities to take part in trips to events, inspiring studios, and cultural centres. Within a vibrant community of makers, designers, and artists, you’ll have the support and inspiration to develop your practice, build connections, and graduate, ready to make your mark on the world of 3D design and craft.
This course is subject to approval
You’ll be introduced to the processes of making in three dimensions, working across materials such as ceramics, wood, metal, and plastics, as well as exploring digital methods like CAD, 3D modelling and 3D printing. Projects will help you to experiment widely and develop a foundation in both functional and sculptural approaches, helping you build material fluency and design thinking. Alongside practical exploration, you’ll begin to build research skills, explore sustainability in design and craft, and consider how context shapes creative work.
BA (Hons) 3D Design and Craft students are based in specialist studios, with dedicated spaces to explore a wide range of materials and processes.
Facilities include woodworking machinery such as bandsaws, lathes and planers; metalworking tools including welders, brazing kits and grinders; and ceramics resources such as kilns, wheels, pugmills and glaze spray booths. Students also have access to dye labs, textile equipment including looms and felting machines, and small-scale casting facilities.
Digital fabrication tools including laser cutters, 3D printers and CNC routers support interdisciplinary practice, enabling students to prototype, experiment and combine traditional and contemporary methods of making. Computer suites house networks of Apple Mac computers with industry-standard software to support design and fabrication.
All students benefit from the University’s purpose-built specialist library, which houses Digital Collections and special collections of artists’ books, photobooks and illustrated books, as well as the University archive. Self-service facilities are available throughout, supported by a dedicated and experienced team of library staff.
BA (Hons) 3D Design and Craft
Graduates from BA (Hons) 3D Design and Craft are prepared for a wide range of creative paths within the design, craft, cultural sector and broader related industries. You may establish an independent studio practice, work freelance, join a creative business or work as a creative in a related context such as manufacturing. Opportunities also exist across galleries, museums, education, and community engagement, and some graduates progress to postgraduate study, residencies, or collaborative international projects.
With a balance of practical expertise, creative problem-solving, and an individual voice, you’ll be equipped to make your mark on the future of contemporary design and craft.
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