Industrial Art and Design

Background:

The Department of Industrial Arts and Design came into existence when Margaret Trowel School of Industrial and fine Arts was granted a faculty Status in 1996.It is the goal of the Industrial Art and Design Department to educate students to identify and resolve design problems — innovatively and with sensitivity to the social, physical, and ecological environment. Students learn the traditional values of industrial design and Art, and, while building an awareness of processes and materials, gain an in-depth understanding of 2D and 3D visual vocabulary.

Design applications and other digital media programs are also taught un the department. Using this language, they analyze and solve diverse design problems from technical, aesthetic, social, and ecological viewpoints. In the studio, students progress from developmental drawings, through 2D and 3D mock-ups and models to working drawings and construction with communication and manufacturing considerations.

The curriculum is structured so the skills of drawing, communication, presentation, and model making are taught as an integral part of the design studios.
A number of elective courses in graphic design, adveristising design, typography, design computing, business administration, jewellry design, ceramics, print making and illustration are offered to students majoring in Industrial Design.

Responding to steady growth and interest in this area, these courses expose students to a broad range of topics and issues. Students are afforded the opportunity to gain a thorough understanding of design process, materials, and construction practices. Innovation is stressed, along with the ability to refine formal design issues. The department has a history of working on collaborative projects with departments within and outside the school. Design, Health and community Project, The COPTAD project, Designers' without bounderies in collaboration with Faculty of Technology, have worked with Industrial Design and Art department faculty and students on various projects. There are also numerous opportunities within the program for students to work with industry through industrial training during their study. Diversification within the curriculum prepares students to enter the field of design at either an industrial or entrepreneurial level.

The department is devoted to the study of relevant design practice nationally and internationally.