Design Through Making

Tutors: Thomas Wagner, Ian Ferguson & Finn Magee

Design through Making nurtures a hands-on approach to designing, where the making of physical objects is central, and value is placed on moving rapidly from an initial idea to its physical exploration.

The platform focuses on an approach where questions are asked and explored through the making of focused studies, models and prototypes. Students are expected to work with a spirit which is energetic, inquisitive and embraces design as a process of iteration.

We do not limit our interests to specific areas of the design industry, but encourage students to become experts in areas that are of interest to them and to develop an intimate knowledge of the materials, processes and systems which they control and push into new territories. Design through Making can encompass all scales of manufacturing, from one-off to volume production.
It is recognised that success and failure are necessary components of an experimental approach, and students will use both to inform a project’s direction.

In the context of Design Through Making, “design” is thought of as a verb. Designing is the process of doing, thinking, making, moving and changing context, and using context to evaluate the work.