Why I chose to study Design: D’Nette’s Story

In September 2025 the School for Cross-faculty Studies launch their single honours Design Studies BASc degree, following the success of its joint honours Design and Global Sustainable Development (GSD) course. To help future students understand what makes Design at The University of Warwick different, we spoke to one of our international students, D’Nette, who discussed why she personally decided to study Design and some of the exciting opportunities that have arisen from her course so far; from engaging in discourse about sustainability at the Houses of Parliament to work placements at a national charity.

Before I became a Design student

I originally came to the UK from Kuwait as part of the Warwick International Foundation Programme, where I undertook the Physics and Engineering pathway. Similarly to my classmate (and previous blog contributor) Zeeshan, I had initially planned to study engineering at university and had taken subjects in business, economics and mathematics to prepare for this career path.

However, after undertaking foundational classes in engineering, I started to realise that engineering may not be the best fit for what I wanted to do professionally. I have always been drawn to STEM subjects, but the problem with most STEM programmes is that they do not offer many opportunities to innovate or to be creative. Even in engineering, you are typically one within a bigger team building an artefact of someone else's vision rather than being the person coming up with the ideas. Nevertheless, as I had already undertaken an engineering pathway and didn’t know what else to study, I applied for engineering courses both at Warwick and across the country.

Although I received offers into engineering and computer science programmes at Warwick, Durham and UCL, I still didn’t feel satisfied that I had found the right course for me. So, despite the UCAS deadline having long passed, I started perusing courses on the Warwick website, which was when I stumbled across Warwick's new Design programme - which was officially starting in autumn 2024.

After reading about the programme and what its modules entailed, I realised that it hit the nail on the head for what I had been looking for. Therefore, when clearing for 2024 entry opened, I called the hotline and requested that my acceptance from the Engineering and Management course be switched to Design and GSD.

How my studies are going so far

A lot of people don’t understand how important it is to have an innovative mindset when you come onto this course, as there is still the perception that design is simply the same as art. However, the truth is that design is all around us; from the coffee cups we drink out of to the data storage systems in your Netflix accounts. Plus, both good and bad design can have huge implications on the economy, environment, and society, and it was not until I started studying on this course that I realised Design’s impact on all these factors.

One of my favourite aspects of the Design Studies degree is how applicable our course content is to real life practice. In engineering, learning is very textbook focused so it is often difficult to draw the lines between what we are being taught to real world applications, whereas the lessons and assignments we receive in Design consider the issues communities across the globe are facing and how innovative designs can be used to solve these problems.

Another great feature is how often industry professionals are involved in the teaching of the course. We frequently have working designers from various sectors and design disciplines visit to give talks and provide feedback on our work, which is also invaluable for networking and securing work experience opportunities. For instance, in a few weeks’ time I will be carrying out a service design micro-internship at a National Charity with an industry colleague of Jamie's; working towards an initiative to redesign hospital discharge pathways through service blueprinting and journey mapping.

Being a student at Warwick also provides many great opportunities for meeting with policymakers and influencing key decision makers towards sustainable solutions. Over the winter break in Sierra Leone, I got to speak to the young minds selected for the innovation incubation and development process as part of the EUpshift programme ran under the Directorate of Science Technology & Innovation (DSTI) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), advising them on how sustainability is not just about being environmentally friendly, but producing products and services that have lasting impact on local economy and communities.

I was also invited to the UK Parliament through a campus society (The Black Women’s Project) under KINSIS, a national social enterprise for black women in higher education, where I engaged with members of parliament, political activists, and business owners. I was able to exercise what I learned in my Design and GSD course by speaking on the topic of toxic air pollution and its unequal burden on society, which has allowed me to spread my passion and ensure that I make a real difference in the world.

What I would advise those considering a Design Studies degree

The Design course at Warwick can be exactly what you want it to be. You can use it to explore a wide range of design disciplines whilst also honing your skills and experiences to fit the area of design that interests you most. However, you must be willing to be proactive in your learning and communicate to module leaders what you specifically want to focus on. For instance, I have been able to exercise a skill set in laser cutting and 3D printing even before my peers in engineering were exposed to these disciplines, while some of my course mates have chosen other routes.

Growing up, you are often trained within education to learn a load of facts and ‘correct answers’ to predetermined questions. However, with Design you will be encouraged to step outside of this approach by thinking independently and critically, and uncovering the answers yourself through practice and curiosity. I truly believe that I would not have received this experience from any other degree programme, so if this style of learning and exploration appeals to you, then I say go for it and apply!

My plans following graduation

At the moment, my primary future plan is to stay in the UK, whether it be through work or further study. I have applied to a few summer internships this year and will continue to network within the design industry. Later in my career I may also explore working in the Middle East again, as I predict there will be a lot of sustainability opportunities there in the future and I have lots of ideas on how we can innovate there. Just watch this space!