Program Overview

Bachelor of Design

The redesigned Bachelor of Design prepares students for challenges such as solving Tasmania's sea urchin crisis, improving literacy rates, or creating artificial reefs that regenerate kelp forests. This degree focuses on the theme of regeneration, circularity, and using design principles and skills to solve a broader range of societal and environmental problems.

Course Overview

The Bachelor of Design has been redesigned to better reflect the changing needs of the creative industry. While people generally associate this field with careers in graphic design and product design, it is now increasingly concerned with solving different kinds of problems. Designers are increasingly finding careers as sustainability consultants within corporations, community engagement specialists in government agencies, and innovation coordinators in healthcare organisations, not just in traditional design studios.

Course Structure

The redesigned Bachelor of Design has a stronger focus on systems thinking, collaboration with communities, and working across disciplines. Students will work on real-world challenges and projects such as climate adaptation, waste reduction, designing experiences that improve wellbeing, and developing new materials from local resources. A cross-disciplinary approach is actively fostered in the design degree, with students encouraged to include majors from other fields, like marine biology, engineering or sustainability.

Career Opportunities

The new design course focuses on the uniquely human capabilities that technology cannot replicate: understanding community needs, collaborating with diverse stakeholders, and designing for complex social and environmental systems. Graduates of the Bachelor of Design can pursue careers in various fields, including:

• Sustainability consulting
• Community engagement
• Innovation coordination
• Graphic design
• Product design
• Digital media

Advantages of Studying in Tasmania

Tasmania has some innate advantages for students looking to collaborate with real businesses and organisations as part of their studies. The small scale of the island means that students can connect directly with organisations, communities and experts, working on live projects in real contexts. This is incredibly beneficial and a strength that the University of Tasmania draws on.

Regeneration and Circularity

The Bachelor of Design focuses on regeneration, circularity, and using design principles and skills to solve a broader range of societal and environmental problems. Students will explore ways to design for complex social and environmental systems, and develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges. For example, students may work on projects such as:

• Designing artificial reefs to protect and regenerate kelp forests
• Developing new materials from local resources
• Creating physical spaces that improve food accessibility and community wellbeing

Cross-Disciplinary Approach

The design degree encourages a cross-disciplinary approach, with students encouraged to include majors from other fields, like marine biology, engineering or sustainability. This allows students to develop a holistic understanding of the complex problems they are trying to solve, and to develop innovative solutions that draw on multiple disciplines. For example, a design student may work with a marine biologist to develop a sustainable solution to the sea urchin crisis, or with an engineer to develop a new material from local resources.