“3D Design. Is it Art?”
Many prospective students and their parents have asked us the same question, is the 3D Design course an Art or a Design & Technology based subject?
Here to answer the question is the course lead for the subject: Sean Dugan
“The short answer is both however, the qualification you receive is an A Level in 3d Design which is an Art and Design qualification. We made the decision to migrate to Art & Design when it became apparent that many higher education institutions did not recognise Design and Technology, at the time it was perceived that the subject was being marginalised by government changes to the national curriculum.
Our students progress onto many different courses and professions including Architecture, interior Design, Product Design and Engineering. We do have a reputation for our Architectural outcomes and this has attracted the attention of leading Architectural practitioners like Jennifer Dixon Lead Architect for AECOM which is worlds largest infrastructure company, she worked with us on developing our projects and gave seminars on the profession.
Many of our students take Maths and Physics alongside the subject while others take another creative subject and one academic A Level, either way it makes for a good mix of design outcomes with some students choosing to work in a traditional craft way, while others immerse themselves in the emerging technology.
The course has gone from strength to strength and the results have been outstanding, I am glad we made the change when we did as we can offer a course like no other at this level!”
Sean Dugan. Course Lead. A Level Product Design & The Built Environment (PDBE). Truro College of Art and Design
“This was a really enjoyable course, it had a big focus on peer collaboration. This is a skill that is so valuable. Sean has a wide range of experience, so he really can help no matter what area of design you want to explore. The course is multidisciplinary which means you are working with people who have a plethora of interests and specialties which pushes you to experiment with avenues that may not have been explored otherwise”
Fred Snell (recently graduated student)
Callum Sidwell – working at Tom Raffield
“The a-level allowed me to gain confidence in making products, use of tools and machines and opened my eyes to a variety of design forms. It developed my interest and showed the possibilities of going into a design/making job. The pieces I made were then used as part of my application for my job and shows the quality of the work that comes out of the product design a-level.”
Post Truro College student progression to the professional sector
Nathan Morris (Senior Chartered Architectural Technologist) from Bailey partnership a leading construction consultancy, came to visit 1st year students studying on the A Level Product Design & the Built Environment course. Being once an A level student here at Truro College Nathan was keen to come and share his knowledge and experience with students as they develop their architectural design proposals for a Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Hyde Park. He discussed his progression from A Levels through to his degree at UWE Bristol and went on to discuss the services that Bailey Partnership provide, this included Architecture, Interior Design, Building Surveying, Quantity Surveying, Project Management & Structural Civil Engineering to name a few. The students were very inspired by the variation of roles within the industry and were pleased to hear how buoyant the construction sector is right now!Being an industry expert, Nathan was keen to interact with the students on their projects and gave some useful tips and ideas on materials, structure, and presentation techniques all of which were very appreciated. Nathan and Bailey Partnership are hoping to continue their links with Truro College, and we look forward to working with them in the near future.
Click the links for further course information, visit our amazing virtual exhibition and keep up to date with students work with Instagram.
If you have any questions about the aims, content or outcomes of the course, Sean is on hand to assist you, answer your questions and offer further guidance. Simply complete the form below and click SEND.
Truro College Art and Design 