Pros and Cons of a Bachelor of Design at UNSW

Are you searching for the best design degree for your undergraduate? Or, perhaps, you’ve read what’s it like studying a Bachelor of Design at UNSW and want to know more? 

Then, looking into the pros and cons to this degree is your next step! In this article, Patrick, a Design student at UNSW in his last year of study, has given Art of Smart some great insight into the degree.

Keep reading to know why Design at UNSW might be the right degree for you! 

Why should you study a Design degree at UNSW?

Top 3 Pros of a Design Degree

Top 3 Cons of a Design Degree

Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make

Things to Know Before Starting UNSW Design

What Makes this Degree Different

Motivations for Studying UNSW Design

Potential Career Paths

Why should you study a Design degree at UNSW?

“For me, I’ve always known I wanted to pursue a creative degree and wasn’t exactly sure what courses were out there to pursue,” Patrick tells us. “In Year 12, I remember students in older grades talking about studying at UNSW, but for creative degrees such as design.”

The UNSW Art and Design School provides great guidance for its students and has its own campus tucked in a smaller campus in Paddington. The degree teaches a great range of broad skills: “Whether you have an interest or graphic design, textiles or interior design, there’s plenty of avenues to explore and you’re always surrounded by students from an array of disciplines,” Patrick says. 

Unlike degrees that provide a specific skillset, it doesn’t lock you into narrow career options or one career field from the get-go — the degree is highly flexible, yet also incorporates specialisations to pursue further interest. These specialisations include: 

• • 3D visualisation 
  • Objects 
  • Graphics
  • Textiles
  • Interactions
  • Experience 

“At the moment, I’m still unsure about what exact career I want to pursue, but studying a Bachelor of Design at UNSW exposes you to all areas of design,” Patrick explains.

“All in all, the Bachelor of Design at UNSW offers great flexibility and encourages picking up various skills in all areas of design. You’ll also walk away with great projects to add to your portfolio which help in getting internships and jobs later down the track.”

Top 3 Pros of a Design degree

#1: Perfect as a combined degree

“It’s a great break to do more creative work if you complete a combined degree,” Patrick first says.

“Say if you do a Bachelor of Design with a Bachelor Media or Commerce, you’re able to put the textbooks down and switch over to work on creative projects — it really is the best of both worlds. I’m grateful to have that balance all the time.”

One common misconception is that entering university means you’ll have to drop your creative pursuits for a degree that provides a “safe” career option. This is certainly not true and if you have creative interests, they definitely can be incorporated into your university experience and career pathway. 

As noted by Patrick, studying a Design degree as a combined degree gives you “the best of both worlds”: you get both the theoretical and practical parts.

#2: Experienced teaching staff

“You’re always surrounded by inspiring tutors who have great industry experience in the design world,” Patrick tells us. 

Indeed, the UNSW Art and Design faculty has over 150 educators, which range from researchers, scholars to creative practitioners. And, they come from a various range of fields such as design, visual culture, and media innovation! 

With their wealth of knowledge, UNSW Art and Design educators can provide industry tips, which would be harder to find if pursued without a degree!  

#3: Tight-knit community 

Being situated in the Paddington Art and Design campus gives a great inspirational and creative vibe to studying Design, as you’re constantly surrounded by a like-minded yet diverse range of people. 

“Although some may argue this could be a con, having a smaller campus away from the Kensington campus helps with creating a tight-knit community for students,” Patrick says. “You grow closer to other students as you’re more likely to take the same subjects.”

Top 3 Cons of a Design degree

#1: Units tend to be vague in the first year 

The first year of a UNSW Design undergraduate can feel quite vague as the course tries to introduce a whole range of mediums to its students. 

Patrick explains, “The first year is pretty broad in terms of course work, so you’ll be asked to experiment with different mediums which can be a struggle and can create some confusion with the course as a whole.”

“That being said, once you start second year courses for your streams (majors), it becomes more focused and you have more choice in what you want to pursue,” he adds.

#2: Studio classes can be tough

“Beware that some studio classes are 4 hours long!” Patrick tells us

Studio classes are interactive classes where students get the opportunity to work on their projects with the guidance and company of their tutor and peers. However, this means that studio classes have to be slotted in long hours to provide the best engagement. 

“As a result, classes can be draining, but most of that time is spent creating and working on projects so it’s not too bad, especially because a lot of this time is focused on collaborating with classmates which is a great way to make friends,” he says.  

#3: Less opportunities to go to the main campus 

UNSW is renowned for its strong society culture however, Design students (as well as the Art students) may find it harder to participate in these societies.  

“Because the Art and Design campus is separate from the main campus, you may find it can be difficult to get involved with the wider UNSW community, unless you do a double degree or join a society on the main campus,” Patrick says, adding, “I highly recommend joining a society.”

The Art and Design faculty also tries to offer similar events including weekly gallery hops, drinks nights, to full-scale performance events — the Paddington campus is just as vibrant. 

Any regrets? 

For Patrick, nothing deterred his experience studying Design at UNSW. As such, he tells us, “I don’t have any regrets about pursuing this degree, I’m glad I made the choice to keep studying design at UNSW.”

What do you wish you had known before starting UNSW Design? 

“I wish I had known how important it is to have a basic understanding of software such as Adobe Creative Cloud,” Patrick says. 

When studying design at UNSW, students will encounter different programs such as Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop and Lightroom.

As Patrick had software experience in Year 12 when he studied Visual Arts and Design and Technology, he says, “Having a rough understanding about certain tools will help you out a lot and there’s plenty of tutorials on YouTube. There will be some online courses you can take to learn specific software, but it can’t hurt having a head start.”

What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities? 

At UNSW, its Design undergraduate offers a high level of flexibility as the course appreciates the fact that every designer will need to hone a different skillset.

There is the option to complete a stream that is not necessarily related to design. For example, Patrick explains that you could pursue graphic design and sculpture together, or animation and textiles.

By the end of your degree, you’ll have had a strong and memorably university experience.

“Although I don’t have much knowledge on other universities, I’d say one thing that makes UNSW different are the people you meet and the opportunities that students get,” Patrick says. “You have the opportunity to really play around and keep experimenting with what you gravitate towards.”

What inspired you to choose UNSW Design?

For Patrick, his decision to study Design at UNSW comes back to the fact that he is a creative and that UNSW’s value for diversity offers a strong sense of inspiration. 

“I’ve always been curious about how I would be able to find a fulfilling job that still uses creativity… With Art and Design having its own campus, you can truly immerse yourself in the diverse community that UNSW has to offer,” Patrick tells us.

“It’s opened my eyes to different types of people and various forms of art, which I think is extremely important to have as a creative.”

What are the possible career paths?

A Bachelor of Design at UNSW opens its graduates to a broad range of career options, which can also be expanded if you graduate with a combined degree. Some career pathways include: 

• • Graphic design and digital media production
  • Visual communication, brand identity and advertising
  • 3D visualisation and virtual reality
  • Interaction design and user experience (UX) design
  • Design for exhibitions, festivals, galleries and museums
  • Costume, stage and set design
  • Social innovation and entrepreneurship
  • Creative consultancies and design-led business

Lynn Chen is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is a Communication student at UTS with a major in Creative Writing. Lynn’s articles have been published in Vertigo, The Comma, and Shut Up and Go. In her spare time, she also writes poetry.