What is Design Studies?

At the University of Warwick, Design Studies was founded to expose students to the many areas of design and support them in the development of their practice, and guide them on their professional journey. Our department is underpinned by an ethos of Design for Sustainable Innovation (DSI), and an approach to design which differs from traditional design programmes across the United Kingdom.

What is Design for Sustainable Innovation?

Accelerated social, economic, and environmental change demands new designers who can navigate complex issues and problems ethically to help build sustainable futures. This must include using design methods to address technological, business, and strategic change as well as social issues such as community life, human rights, accessibility, inclusion and belonging.

As artificial intelligence and automation transform our world, the new generation of designers will also be required to adopt a different approach to sustainability, innovation, and leadership. It is essential to move beyond outdated processes to embrace a life-centred, pluralist design approach that is rooted in sustainable development from local to global scales. This is DSI - an industry-responsive and future facing programme of study, developing the new generation of designers as holistic, strategic, and agile interdisciplinary practitioners.

What makes Warwick Design Studies different?

Traditionally, design education requires students to choose a specialism upon enrolment, such as Graphics, Product or UX, Interaction Design, Architecture, or Service Design. This approach often limits students to specific mediums and tools, hindering interdisciplinary exploration. However, industry trends show that the modern workplace requires an ability to respond to complex problems across various sectors – something which we believe that traditional design education does not currently prepare students for.

We address the need for versatile designers who navigate and communicate across various disciplines. By embracing complexity, experimentation, and holistic strategy, our programmes promote sustainable and regenerative models. You can explore more about what sets us apart below:

Pluralism

There is a common misconception that design is solely about creating an artefact, whether that be a website or app, a piece of clothing, an architectural structure or a printed material such as a book cover or advert within a magazine.

However, in truth, design covers a lot more than that. We approach Design as a pluralist endeavour, which means that our energy is not focused towards one single channel. In other words, we recognise that each diverse discipline of design operates within a broader system. That is why, as students, you will study many areas of design including (but not limited to):

Social design, where designers help create products, services, systems, or processes that address complex social issues and create positive change.
Systemic design, which involves processes of designing a system's components, architecture, modules, interfaces, and data to build software applications and infrastructure that run efficiently and are engaging experiences for the user.
Systems thinking, which focuses on how society and its systems are designed, from culture and political systems, policies and regulation to services and infrastructure.

Holistic Practice

Our holistic approach exposes students to contemporary and historical design scenarios, allowing them to build their specialism organically. This alleviates the pressure to specialize prematurely, fostering a comprehensive understanding of design's pluralistic nature and the wide range of potential career paths available. Combining both theory and practice whilst also prioritising industry placements, we help students develop their professional experience and employability prospects.

Transferability

Our course addresses the need for versatile designers who navigate and communicate across various disciplines. By embracing complexity, experimentation, and holistic strategy, our program promotes sustainable and regenerative models. Our aim is to develop students to become systems thinkers, adept at navigating uncertainty with creativity and compassion to develop ethical, progressive solutions. Through co-design and cutting-edge innovation in digital technology, social and commercial enterprise, and environmental consciousness, they lead systems change.

Industry-led

Traditionally, design education required students to choose a specialism upon enrolment, such as Graphics, Product or UX, Interaction Design, Architecture, or Service Design. This approach often limits students to specific mediums and tools, hindering interdisciplinary exploration. However, industry trends often show that the reality of being a designer in the modern workforce means collaborating on complex problems across various sectors – something which we believe that traditional design education does not currently prepare students for.

We have therefore embedded industry into our modules as much as possible. Some of our modules are co-taught with external partners, such as IPSOS MORI, and students' assignments often respond to 'live' briefs that have been written by industry.