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ART AND DESIGN CAREER GUIDE 2020/2021 Art and Design2 Success at School is a national careers website for students aged 11-19, as well as their teachers, careers advisors, parents and other influencers. Young people can learn about their future career options through no-nonsense careers advice related to their own experiences. As well as covering topics such as career paths, industries, apprenticeships, university and employability skills, we connect schools and students to employers and universities through opportunities on our site and our interactive forums. Millions of young people and their influencers have visited our site for advice and information to help them plan for the future. Go to successatschool.org for more information. Copyright Success at School Ltd 2020 AboutSuccess at School3 ART AND DESIGN CAREER GUIDE 05 What is art and design? 06 How will art and design prepare me for work? 10 Should I choose art and design? Contents 12 T-levels 15 Why work experience matters 18 How to future-proof your career 14 Job roles 30 Everything you need to know about gap years 20 Spotlight job 32 University 22 Interviews 26 Apprenticeships 34 Your action plan4 The glasses I’m looking through, the pencil I’m holding, the notebook I’m writing in, the clothes and trainers I’m wearing, the patterns of the fabrics, the sofa I’m sitting on, the painting on the wall and the living room in this house – these are all the result of artists and designers. They were all developed by people with careers in product design, surface pattern design, textiles, fashion, furniture design, fine art and architecture – to name but a few. Everything which is woman- or manmade has been invented, designed, refined, rethought, reinvented by someone creative. A career in art and design can take you, like our graduates from Swansea College of Art, to work with companies such as LEGO, Jimmy Choo, Hallmark, Dyson, Astra Game, Apple, Time Magazine and more. You could also be a freelance photographer for the New York Times, work on films like Mission Impossible or with organisations such as BBC and Sky. Developing a creative practice also helps to develop an expansive approach to thinking, which can be applied in a wide range of contexts. Problem solving and creative thinking are valuable skills in a rapidly changing world, where you will find that an ability to adapt to new circumstances and develop inner resilience are vital skills. As the world digitizes and experiences the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the ability to think creatively will be advantageous in many job contexts. If you have an interest in and aptitude for art and design, now is the time to consider how to develop your creativity. Dr Catrin Webster Professor of art and design Swansea College of Art Foreword5 When you look closely, you’ll realise that art and design is all around us. It’s on the covers of books, it’s in the shapes of cars and it’s even in the buildings we live in. When you think of art you might think of paintings hanging in galleries. But you can find art in many settings, including on product packaging and advertising posters. Design, meanwhile, applies to everything from your mobile phone to your sofa. Art and design introduces you to all the ways in which these creative skills are used in the real world to solve problems and enhance our lives. You’ll explore different branches of the subject, including art, craft, fine art, photography, textile design, graphic communication and 3D design. Within the field of art and design there is a variety of careers, including graphic designer, craft and fine artist and exhibition designer. But you could also use your knowledge and love of art if you become a museum or gallery curator or use your craft skills as a jewellery designer. Creativity and a keen eye for detail are highly sought-after skills in many jobs, and ones you’ll develop in your art and design lessons. Software developers may need to find creative ways to code new programs and social media marketing specialists need to be increasingly creative with the content they produce and share. What is art and design?6 5 workplace skills you’ll learn in art and design Communication In class: Communication isn’t always verbal or written. At school you’ll learn about visual communication. This can be through illustrations, branding, motion graphics, animation or interactive media. You’ll explore how graphic communication can be targeted at a specific audience and how it communicates emotions, meaning and ideas. At work: As an advertising executive you’ll need to communicate clearly with different audiences for your clients. An art therapist uses their artistic skills to communicate with people who are facing mental health challenges or who might struggle to express themselves due to a physical disability. How will art and design prepare me for work? Creativity In class: Whatever aspect of art and design you study, you’ll be encouraged to use your imagination and be creative. You need to demonstrate original ideas when you produce your coursework. In a design context, you’ll also be looking for innovative solutions to design challenges. You’ll also need to research and use new and sustainable materials. At work: Being able to think creatively is useful in a variety of professions. As a copywriter you need to come up with new and creative ways of writing about products or services. If you’re a chef, you need to think about how you can combine ingredients to make new dishes. Problem solving In class: You’ll learn how to follow a brief and will be encouraged to think of creative solutions to problems that you encounter along the way. You’ll need to consider how any changes you make could affect every part of the final design. At work: Construction engineers may need to think creatively about how to solve problems on site. An occupational therapist will help people overcome problems in their daily lives by thinking of tools and creative solutions that can help them. Research In class: You’ll carry out research into relevant images, artefacts and resources that relate to a variety of art, craft and design elements. You’ll be encouraged to explore examples from European and non-European sources. You’ll need to show your critical and analytical understanding and support this with contextual and other sources. At work: If you’re an urban planner you will need to research the rules and regulations in a specific area. You will also need to find out how people travel and use different spaces to inform your designs. Solicitors need to carry out research into previous case history to enable them to provide advice to their clients. Drawing In class: You’ll refine your drawing skills on various projects while you’re studying. You’ll explore how drawing can be used for different purposes such as recording observations of a subject and expressing emotions and abstract ideas. As well as drawing artistic pieces, you could also use your drawing skills for the design of 3D products, fashion items, product branding or packaging design. At work: Animators work in visual special effects (VFX), film, TV and video game productions. They need excellent drawing skills to create the basis of their computer animations. A character designer needs to draw various likenesses for a character based on concepts or scripts. A set designer needs to create detailed drawings and floor plans of any set they’re working on. 7 ART AND DESIGN CAREER GUIDE ...and 2 you may not have thought of Evaluation In class: You’ll be encouraged to evaluate the work of artists and designers to help inform your own thinking and knowledge. You’ll also evaluate your own work to help you improve it as you progress with your project. You’ll take feedback on board from others and incorporate this too. They might have suggestions you hadn’t thought of. At work: Being able to look objectively at a product or situation and evaluate it to find a way forward is useful in many roles. A visual merchandiser creates displays and promotes products or businesses. They evaluate brand images and previous exhibits to help them improve on what’s been used before. A renewable energy consultant needs to assess and evaluate existing and new energy sources to advise businesses on the most appropriate ones for their needs. Project management In class: Much of what you do in class will be coursework. You’ll create a portfolio of your work, which will include a variety of elements. This will include your research and early concepts, as well as your observations about different techniques and materials, and your finished pieces of work. You’ll need to meet various deadlines throughout the school year. At work: Being able to manage your time effectively is essential in many roles. A production manager will need to keep all the elements of an animation or VFX project on track to meet deadlines. Journalists need to produce pieces to strict deadlines and often work on multiple projects at once.8 Develop knowledge of different artistic techniques and ways of working, such as underpainting, modelling, glazing, carving, etching, engraving, constructing, assembling and welding, screen printing and lithography, digital working methods, film and video, among others. Appreciate how these are used to create different effects and in what scenarios they are appropriate to use. Knowing about different artistic techniques can help you experiment in your own work. A sculptor may experiment with the construction of their pieces, using a variety of materials. If you work as a furniture restorer, you may need to use your knowledge of carving, construction or etching to bring furniture back to its best. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Learn about different elements of 3D design and its relationship with urban, rural and other settings. Gain an appreciation of solid, void, form, shape, texture, colour, decoration, surface treatment, scale, proportion, structure rhythm and movement. A 3D modelling artist needs an excellent understanding of 3D design to create the characters and many other elements of computer games. An interior designer needs to understand how every element of a room interacts, from the furniture and accessories to the colours and patterns. 3D modelling also allows designers to play around with different ideas and identify potential design problems before they become actual issues. Technology and IT tools are becoming increasingly important in design in the workplace. Gain technical photography knowledge about cameras, films, lenses, filters and lighting in different areas of photography. Learn about how viewpoint, composition, aperture, depth of field, shutter speed and movement will change the style of photograph that’s taken. A wedding photographer will need to take shots in a variety of styles to capture the emotion and individuality of each wedding they attend. Photojournalists document everything from environmental disasters to conflict and need to know how to take striking images in different situations. A location manager also needs good photographic knowledge to enable them to share recommended locations with directors and producers on film and TV productions. 5 ways your art and design know-how will help you at work9 ART AND DESIGN CAREER GUIDE Learn about the different elements that comprise textile design. They include shape, line, scale, colour, texture, pattern and contrast. Explore the various methods of printing and creating new textile designs, including weaving, digital, relief printing, mono printing, tie-dye and batik. Develop knowledge of different textile embellishments, such as applique, embroidery, stitching and quilting. A costume designer will need to know how to replicate different prints and fabric effects to create costumes suitable for a range of productions, either in the theatre, or for films and TV shows. A textile designer will need to understand how to create different prints on various fabrics. They also need to know how different fabrics react to different printing methods. KnowledgeHow will it help me at work? Learn different techniques for recording your observations and experiences. This will include how you conduct relevant research and organise the information you find. Explore both digital and non- digital media for this process and learn how each can be beneficial in different situations. An art historian will need to draw on a variety of sources to learn more about the work of a particular artist or to fully examine a period in art history. Being able to source and organise various pieces of information is useful in other jobs too, such as for an economist who needs to look at various sources to inform their economic advice. Next >