BA (Hons) Product & Furniture Design

Welcome to UCAStarting university is a big moment – congratulations! By joining UCA, you’ve chosen an exciting and rewarding path.

As you join our community of students, artists and academics, you’ll explore how you can use your talent to shape the future of the world around you, and design a career that inspires you.

Our university is a place for the bold, the curious, the extraordinary - as you’ll see for yourself when you meet your lecturers, technicians and classmates. On your course, you can expect to learn from practicing artists, innovators and researchers, collaborate with students across different creative disciplines, and make connections with industry leaders.

At the end of it all, you’ll graduate with the skills and experience you need to build a successful career doing what you love, in a way that makes a difference.

We believe the world needs more people like you, and we’re delighted to have you with us.

Make your mark. Make it here.

You are joining the discipline of product and furniture design at an incredibly exciting time, and over the duration of your studies with us you will be positioning yourself at the forefront of innovative, inclusive, and sustainable design.

Good design has the power to change people’s lives, and it takes vision, determination, and lots of hard work to achieve that change. We are here to challenge and support you on every step of your journey, to make a difference, and change the world.

JJ Brophy

Course Welcome

I am delighted to welcome you to the BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design course at the UCA Canterbury School of Architecture and Design. The team and I are looking forward to meeting you in September and are confident that you will find your time with us exciting and inspirational.

I encourage you to immerse yourself fully in everything that Canterbury and the School of Architecture and Design have to offer. The campus and its studios and workshops are inspiring places to work and study, where you will collaborate with students across a range of design disciplines, from Architecture to Interior and Industrial design.

Your Team

JJ BrophyProgramme Director

01227 817385

JJBrophy@uca.ac.uk

JJ Brophy Programme Director

– Turkle, S. (2017): Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. (3rd ed.) New York, Basic Books

– Anderson, C. (2012): Makers: The New Industrial Revolution. London, Random House

– Hudson, J. (2011): Process: 50 Product Designs from Concept to Manufacture. London, Lawrence King

– Lefteri, C. (2019) Making It (Third Edition): Manufacturing Techniques for Product Design. London, Lawrence King

Watch – Objectified (2009) Dir. Gary

Hustwit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dKJZfjHJJs

– Eames: The Architect & The Painter (2011) Dir. Jason Cohn & Bill Jersey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YMzmuBBBzo

– Press Play Pause (2011), Dir: Dworsky, D.and Köhler, V. https://vimeo.com/34608191

Trips and Visits

Over the course of the first year, we will be taking a number of field trips to exhibitions, events and studio visits in the UK. These trips are sometimes free, but you’ll likely be expected to pay the cost of travel associated with them.

Please note that all visits are subject to COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

Reading List

As this course bridges physical making and digital technologies, there are some costs associated with these activities which you should bear in mind.

LaptopA personal laptop is not a strict requirement, but is highly recommended. You will have access to computers in the studio and PC Labs during the day, but having your own laptop will allow you to continue developing your projects in the evenings and at weekends. A medium to high-spec 15” laptop should be sufficient for all your needs and should last the three years of your degree. Mac OR PC is fine, as some of the software is only compatible with those platforms. You can find some examples of specs below:

– Dell Inspiron 14 (£629) - AMD Ryzen 5 APU/8GB RAM/512GB SSD/ Full HD display

– Dell Inspiron 15 (£849) - AMD Ryzen 7 APU/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/Full HD Display

– Apple MacBook Pro 13” (£1299) - AppleM1 Chip/8GB RAM/256GB SSD/UltraHD Display

– Apple MacBook Pro 16” (£2399) - Intel i92.6ghz Processor/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/AMD Graphics/UltraHD Display

SoftwareMost of the software you will be using on the course (including all Autodesk software) is free, apart from the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator etc), which you can pay for on a student subscription basis.

Making / ElectronicsYou may wish to budget £200 to £400 for materials and tools for building prototypes and models over the course of the year. You

will have access to hand tools and a suite of workshop equipment on campus. However, a set of crafting tools and equipment which you can store in a toolbox will be invaluable while working at home.

Drawing Materials While the course focuses on “making” it is useful to have a selection of materials for hand-drawing. While there are no specific requirements, bleed-proof marker pads are great for sketching on, and are recommended over standard sketchbooks. Recommended tools are a mechanical pencil with blue leads, and black biro or fine liner. To add colour to your sketches you will find 6-8 grey “ProMarkers” useful (Cool Grey 2/4/6/8 and Warm Grey 2/4/6/8), along witha black. You can buy other colours as you need them.

You should also have basic equipment such as a metal ruler, eraser, tape measure, and craft knife. A Vernier caliper is useful for accurate measuring. Digital ones are easier to read but not as accurate.

You will regularly find there are things you need to buy, but we have a very good shop on campus who are reasonably priced, and the staff are VERY helpful.

Equipment List

Explore UCA Canterbury

I love UCA Canterbury because… “The people and the community here are inspiring – there’s a real sense of collective positivity. My favourite places on the campus are the studios. They are the engine room – often noisy and a bit messy, but so vibrant and exhilarating to be a part of.”

I love UCA Canterbury because... “It has been 3 months since I moved here and now this place feels like home. Everything is so interesting! My course is all about space design, but UCA has shaped that course in a different way and is giving us lots of opportunities to work on different aspects of design.”

JJ Brophy – Programme Director, Design

Akansha Jain – MA Interior Design

Meet our campus community

The campus here is a great place to really discover your independence.

It’s very welcoming and relaxing, and because it’s small you get to know all the staff a lot better. They become friendly faces very quickly, especially at the library, which – surprisingly – is a great place to socialise, as well as study!

I love Canterbury itself, too. It’s so cosmopolitan and a melting pot of people from all walks of life. It’s also got two train stations and a great bus network, so everything around you is super accessible.

by Morgan Ruffell

Cité Crêpes This is a small catering van in the centre of town which serves a great range of yummy crêpes. It’s really popular and a good place to stop on a nice day and have a bite with friends.

Canterbury CathedralI think this is probably a given. It’s a stunning piece of architecture and a wonderful place to go for the history and atmosphere.

Westgate GardensMe and my friends often met here to relax and socialise on sunny days. It’s really beautiful and peaceful.

Curzon CinemaThis is a great cinema, small and not too commercial. They show a really wide range of movies, from the big blockbusters to small indie films.

Margate BeachIt’s really easy to reach Margate Beach and it’s always nice to escape the city for a while. Plus, if you can’t stay away from art for too long, there is always the Turner Contemporary nearby!

“ I just love Canterbury. It’s so cosmopolitan and a melting pot of people from all walks of life.”

My top spots

A student’s guide to… Canterbury

City Crepes ©Hayley Brown

Turner Contemporary, Margate

Westgate Gardens

Canterbury Cathedral

Malik Nieto ArtsIssey Hennessy

Sophie Lou

Becky Stapley

Anastasija Strelcova

What could you create?

During your time with us, you’ll build your skills and hone your talents to produce some incredible work. Here are a few highlights created by recent graduates…

Our graduates are forging stellar careers in fields from Fashion to Film, Architecture to Craft, Business to Games Design. We caught up with a few to find out more about their successes, and how they made the most the most of the UCA experience…

Where could your talent take you?

Phoebe Fox, photographed by Vendy Palkovicova. Tihara Smith. Picture by Kayleigh Pace.

Phoebe Fox

BA (Hons) Music Marketing and Promotion, 2019Soon after completing her degree, Phoebe was touring the world photographing the likes of The Amazons and Anne Marie – a journey that began while she was still a student.

“I contacted small bands I liked to ask for photo passes to their London gigs, and used the UCA equipment to build a portfolio,” she explains.

“I spent three years balancing touring, festivals, shows and portraits with university commitments. The UCA lecturers were incredibly supportive. After I handed in my final major project, I went home to pack and got straight on a tour bus with Anne Marie.”

Tihara Smith

BA (Hons) Fashion, 2018Fashion graduate Tihara Smith’s final degree project - a collection inspired by her grandparents’ experiences as part of the Windrush Generation – set her up for career success.

“I wanted to highlight the positive contribution of the Windrush Generation and celebrate the islands of the Caribbean,” she says.

After graduating, Tihara widened her range and started selling it online and at festivals, markets and wedding fairs, and it proved so popular that she now runs her business full-time. “It’s been really exciting to see it grow,” she says. “I think some of the best collections are created from real stories that are personal to the creator.”

Will McGregor

BA (Hons) Film & Digital Art, 2010Will has amassed credits directing episodes of cult drama Misfits, period saga Poldark, his first feature film, Gwen, and an episode of His Dark Materials.

“Space, time and support to make my own work was the greatest gift UCA gave me,” he says. “The campus felt like an incubator for creativity; all these creative individuals in one place, with access to kit and exposure to new ideas.”

“Make the most of that opportunity to make work and meet people, and make sure you get your work out there – enter all the student festivals and competitions you can!”

Hannah Bamgbala

BA (Hons) Fashion, Media and Promotion, 2020Hannah Bamgbala’s final degree work was inspired by her sister, Mercy, who has Down’s Syndrome and a serious eye for fashion.

Hannah’s Young, Kool and African website focused on bringing greater diversity to fashion and the media, and she’s gone on to work with the Down’s Syndrome Association to make sure that people of all ethnicities are better represented in their campaigns.

“If you have Down’s Syndrome and are Black — or from another ethnic minority background — there is no one visible for you and your family to relate to,” says Hannah. “That has to change.”

Will McGregor on set

Hannah Bamgbala and her sister, Mercy.

Jamie Windust

Lucy Noble

World Health Sanitation Box ©George Stoneham

Lucy Noble

BA (Hons) Film Production, 2014Lucy has worked as a script supervisor on films including Marvel Studios’ Black Widow, hit series Devs, Elton John musical Rocketman and Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One.

“I dabbled with script supervision throughout my degree,” says Lucy. “I reached out to script supervisors working professionally, asking for the chance to shadow them on set. All that time in the UCA film studio was useful, too – definitely get in there and practice in that arena, where you have a huge amount of control; it’s something you won’t always get when working on location.”

George Stoneham

BA (Hons) Architecture (ARB/RIBA part 1), 2020George caught the eye of the RIBA Rethink 2025 judges, securing a place on the prestigious award’s longlist with an idea to turn former telephone and police boxes into “sanitation stations” that allow people to sanitise themselves on the go.

“While designing the Sanitation Box, I realised how much our world will have to change to design clean and healthy architecture,” he says. “We need to break down compact cities like London and design new, expansive cities with more green spaces, fewer cars, and buildings that flow better.”

Jamie Windust

BA (Hons) Fashion Management and Marketing, 2018Since graduating, Jamie Windust has become a champion for LGBTQIA + issues in the fashion industry and beyond. They are a magazine editor, a writer for Gay Times and Metro UK, a signed model and a consultant helping brands such as UGG and ASOS to better represent and impact queer identities.

“I discovered my sense of self at university, and I don’t think I would’ve been able to do that in such an affirming and positive way if I wasn’t at UCA,” says Jamie.

“In my final year, I got to apply everything I’d learned to starting a business I feel passionate about. It’s a great space for people to launch real, tangible brands.”

Need to knows

Getting hereOur address is: UCA Canterbury New Dover RoadCanterburyKentCT1 3ANTel: +44 (0)1227 817 302

How to get hereFor information on parking, directions and how to reach us by car, rail, air or sea, please visit: uca.ac.uk/contact-us

Planning your journey - Useful links

thetrainline.com (rail travel)

tfl.gov.uk (London underground)

nationalexpress.com (coach travel)

COVID security We want you to have the best university experience possible, and part of that is about feeling safe while you’re here. For more information about the safety measures we’ve put in place, visit uca.ac.uk/coronavirus

Key contactsIf you have any queries, you can contact our reception team on: +44(0) 1227 817302

IT, Library & student servicesOur library is home to a wide range of resources to help support you in your studies, and a team of expert advisers. For more information, visit students.uca.ac.uk/library

For IT support, please pop in to see the IT advisers in the Library during opening hours, or contact:

Tel. +44(0)1227 817 314

Online: students.uca.ac.uk/it-help

Our student services hub, the Gateway, is also based in the library. Its specialist advisers can help you with anything from careers to counselling, accommodation, managing your money or support with disabilities or learning differences.

Info: students.uca.ac.uk/library/academic-support

Contact: gatewaycanterbury@uca.ac.uk

Students’ UnionThe UCA Students union, or UCASU, is here to make your time at UCA amazing. They run social events, clubs and societies, and campaign on the issues that UCA students care about most. To learn more, visit ucasu.com or follow:

@ucasu

@ucasu

/ucasu

UCA SocialsTo stay up to date with all things UCA, why not follow us on social media?

@UniCreativeArts

@unicreativearts

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We have begun an exciting project and a new chapter in our 160-year history. From 2022, we’ll be establishing world-leading Centres of Excellence to bring like-minded students and academics together around their shared passion for creative subjects.

As we focus on growing as a global creative university, we will be stepping back from Further Education from September 2023. However, all Further Education students joining us in 2021 will finish their courses with us, as usual.

A new chapter for UCA

Course Enrolment & Induction Teaching begins

BA, BSc and MArch 20 - 24 September 27 September

Postgraduate 20 - 24 September 27 September

International Foundation (Autumn start) 20 September – 1 October 4 October

Christmas Break 2021 Easter Break 2022 2021-2022 year ends

20 Dec 2021 - 7 Jan 2022 4 Apr 2022 - 22 Apr 2022

10 Jun 2022 (BA, BSc & MArch)

13 May 2022 (International Foundation)

Enrolment and inductionEnrolment officially makes you a UCA student, and induction covers how to make the most of our facilities, libraries, IT and student services. You’ll receive an email with details of when and how to take part.

Vacation dates

Key dates

International student task list

If you’re an international student and you’re coming to the UK to study with us, then there are a few things you need to do along the way.

Follow the steps below – not all of them will apply to you, but make sure you check them all, just in case.

1) Before you leave home:

□ Arrange your visa to study in the UK (if required)

□ Arrange your accommodation.

□ Book your airport pick up to take you to your accommodation.

□ Complete your online enrolment. You will be notified by Admissions when this is available to complete.

□ Pack all of the original documents that you have used when completing your online enrolment in your carry-on luggage (including academic and English qualifications). These may be requested at Immigration.

□ Read this information on the cost of living in the UK (if you need any further information, please contact your campus Specialist Adviser).

2) When you arrive in the UK:

□ Collect your BRP card (only if you require a visa).

□ Register at the local police station (not all nationalities are required to do this – please click here for additional information).

□ Register with a local Doctor (GP).

□ You will need to provide all of the original documents that you brought to the UK with you at your physical enrolment. You will not be able to fully enrol on your course without them.

3) Once you have completed your physical enrolment:

□ Apply for your council tax letter (available via MyUCA once you are fully enrolled).

□ Apply for your Bank letter to open your local UK bank account (available via MyUCA once you are fully enrolled).

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Join us at #UCAliveWe run live Q&A sessions where you can ask us anything you like about what it’s like to live and study here at UCA. Visit our website and follow us on social media to find out about our next #UCAlive session.

Chat with our studentsIf you’re looking to find out more about student life at UCA, our Unibuddy scheme gives you the chance to chat with people who are studying here right now. To chat with a student in your subject area, visit: uca.ac.uk/ask-our-students

Connect with us

Course Title: BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design

Programme Director: Mark Gower

Delivery for 2021/22 academic year

We would like to reassure our students that we are committed to delivering a face to face experience for 2021/22 and we are hoping that 2021/22 will be a year when our students can return to all of our campuses. However, we are aware that changes to our delivery may continue to be required in response to public health advice and as a result of any ongoing Coronavirus measures. We have prepared this information to let you know how your course may be adapted based on changes that were implemented during 2020/21, as a result of Government advice.

We are not planning on making any changes to your course or unit aims, learning outcomes, or assessment methods, under any of our delivery scenarios.

Scenario 1 – Social Distancing rules are continued/re-introduced as a result of public health advice for the 2021/22 academic year:

Changes to learning spaces • Our priority as a university is to deliver our teaching on campus, in socially distanced face-

to-face tutorials, group seminars and workshops. Where this is not possible we will continueto deliver online/remotely.

• We will update the layouts of our studios and workshops so you can have safe access tothese and other specialist facilities, taking social distancing measures into account andproviding Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) where needed.

• To enable a whole year cohort to be on campus at the same time, year groups will beallocated specific days to be on campus. We will utilise all our spaces and split the yeargroup between JL07, JL08 (ground floor studio), JL16 (first floor studio) and JL17(seminar/sample library). We have organised each space so it meets the social distancingrequirements.

• We will make provision for dedicated storage areas for models and flatwork per student.• Access to making facilities will be organised to allow for optimum use within the current

safety requirements and layouts.• Where it is appropriate and practicable, we may re-order units or specific unit

content/activity, including technical inductions and tutorials to enable a safe workingenvironment.

Timetabling • We will plan our scheduling of teaching sessions to limit the number of students on campus

at any one time• We will use the ‘bubble’ principle: meaning you will be taught in smaller groups to enable

social distancing, and have as little physical contact with other groups as possible.• Your teaching bubble will be allocated to a specific studio, as outlined above, and an area

within that studio that will be your area to work in.• We will plan the scheduling of your teaching sessions so you can transition between studios

and campus facilities safely and make the lowest possible number of trips to and fromcampus each week.

• Studio project briefings and lectures will be delivered remotely, however there may beoccasions when these will be delivered on campus on your allocated days.

• CAD, Contextual and Professional Practice sessions will be delivered remotely.

Teaching during COVID-19

Contact time • We will not change our approach to contact time and scheduled delivery, this will still take

place as published in our Programme Specifications and unit descriptors. However, some ofthis contact time may take place in a different way, for example remotely or online, in orderto enable social distancing to be implemented and to prioritise students’ access to facilitiesand workshops. This will mean moving some of the larger scale activities such as lecturesand seminars online as outlined above. In this way we will continue to support both staff andstudents who are vulnerable, high risk or may need to shield but contact time will remain thesame as published in the unit descriptors and you will be expected to engage in fulltimelearning and course activities scheduled.

Online learning • Where practical, we’ll also put our lectures and seminars online so that you can still access

them if you are self-isolating, shielding, or unable to come to the UK.• For 2021/22, where it is appropriate and when face to face meetings aren’t possible we will

move specific unit content online.• CAD, Contextual and Professional Practice sessions will be delivered remotely.• We will continue to review online learning according to the social distancing requirements,

safe working systems, government guidelines and current shift in industry requirements.

Wellbeing & support • You’ll be able to have one-to-one Personal Development Tutorials with an academic tutor,

where they can talk through your progress and check on your wellbeing. They can also offeronline sessions when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible.

• You’ll continue through Gateway to have access to a full range of specialist advisors who willoffer online sessions when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible.

• All our plans take vulnerable learners and students with additional learning requirementsinto account – we’re making sure we can deliver learning safely to all our students, whetherthat means accessing teaching on campus, or online.

Industry links • We will continue to include competitions, industry and live projects in the curriculum.• We will also continue to host our lecture series evenings, in term 1 these will be held

remotely and this will be reviewed for term 2.

Assessments • Work will be required to be submitted digitally and there will be a mixture of physical, virtual

and online assessment.• If you’ve been personally affected by Coronavirus, your assessments will take that into

account and make sure you aren’t disadvantaged by it.

Equipment & resources • We’ve developed new library systems and cleaning processes for loans and equipment hire

to make sure you can borrow what you need safely.• We’ll offer IT equipment loans to our students who need them most.• As soon as Government advice permits, we will provide as much physical access to our

libraries as we can to ensure that you have access to our physical and digital collections, but are able to observe social distancing for your own safety and that of others.

Scenario 2 – a further lockdown is implemented by Government

During the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years we introduced a number of emergency measures that included:

• Moving learning and assessment online• Looking at prior activity with a view to ensuring that learning outcomes are covered

somewhere within the year of study and adjusting assessment tasks accordingly• Providing alternative assessment where the original assessment is not deliverable• Providing extensions for units where necessary for the learning and for individual students if

their circumstances require it• Where the University is not the awarding body, following the validators’ exacting

requirements for predicted and other grades so that students receive a final outcomecommensurate with effort and aptitude

These measures would be re-introduced if necessary, but only for the period covered by the lockdown, with a return to scenario 1 as soon as is safe and practical to do so.

Adapting to your feedback and keeping you informed • We’ll continue to work with you to find out how you’re feeling about the new measures.• You’ll have the opportunity to work with teaching staff to adapt and improve the way we

deliver your course in line with public health guidelines.