BA(Hons) Materials & Design

BA (Hons) Materials & Design is the new iteration of Hereford College of Arts’ flagship craft course, carrying forward a rich legacy of heritage and traditional making while embracing new technologies and seeking material and design solutions for the future.

At its heart, the course is design-led yet grounded in making, where materials, ideas and process come together to shape meaningful outcomes for contemporary culture, society and industry.

From Year Two, you will specialise through one of three three pathways: Artist Maker, Product & Industry, or Craft & Heritage. Your pathway will be reflected in your degree certificate, and provide different contexts in which to apply your skills, knowledge and interests while continuing to develop an individual and distinctive practice.

All students will develop a professional practice that is skilled, future-focused and rooted in authentic creative experiences. Combining traditional craft skills with contemporary design approaches, you will be encouraged to experiment, stay curious and engage critically with the world around you.

You will move fluidly between concept, material and process, developing work that may be functional, conceptual, sculptural, wearable, commercial or exhibition-based. Through this breadth, you will learn to make informed creative decisions, respond to changing contexts and develop a practice that is both distinctive and relevant.

This course is subject to validation.

This course is structured to allow you to build an original practice, while also choosing a pathway that aligns with the career or practice you want after graduation.

In Year One, all students follow the same programme. In Year Two, you will choose a pathway that allows you to build up more specialist knowledge and professional insight in one of three career trajectories helping you make your next steps with confidence.  

Your chosen pathway provides you focus without closing down possibilities. You will remain part of a multidisciplinary Materials & Design community and will continue to work across materials, processes and ideas.

The three pathways in Materials and Design are:

1. Artist Maker
2. Product and Industry
3. Craft and Heritage

Explore materials as a means of creative expression, developing an individual practice through experimentation, research and critical enquiry.

For creative practitioners who want to develop an individual voice through materials and making.

The Artist Maker pathway supports students in developing a distinctive personal practice, using materials as a means of exploration, expression and critical enquiry. You'll experiment across disciplines, challenge conventions and investigate the relationship between concept, process and material.

Studio practice is supported by research, contextual studies and professional development, helping you build a sustainable creative career. Whether your interests lie in installation, objects, sculpture, functional work or expanded craft practice, you'll be encouraged to develop work that reflects your own values, interests and ambitions.

Graduates leave with a strong portfolio and the skills to establish themselves as independent artists or makers, undertake commissions, exhibit internationally or continue into postgraduate study.

Explore design for people, production and industry, developing products and systems through research, prototyping, testing and making.

For designers who want to create thoughtful products, systems and experiences for contemporary life.

The Product & Industry pathway combines creative design thinking with practical making to develop products that respond to real-world needs. You'll investigate user-centred design, manufacturing processes, sustainability and emerging technologies whilst maintaining a strong understanding of materials and making.

Projects encourage you to move from research and concept development through prototyping and testing to refined outcomes. Working with industry partners and live briefs where possible, you'll gain experience of professional design practice while developing the confidence to innovate responsibly.

Graduates may work in product design, furniture, design consultancy, manufacturing, innovation, design strategy or establish their own design practice.

Explore traditional skills, material knowledge and cultural heritage, while considering how craft can evolve and remain relevant in the future.

For those inspired by traditional skills, material knowledge and the cultural significance of making.

The Craft & Heritage pathway celebrates the value of skilled making whilst exploring its place within contemporary practice. You'll develop expertise in traditional and specialist craft processes, learning how historic techniques can be preserved, adapted and reimagined for today's world.

Working closely with materials, you'll investigate craftsmanship, repair, conservation, cultural heritage and the relationship between people, objects and place. Alongside developing technical excellence, you'll explore how craft can respond to current social and environmental challenges, ensuring traditional knowledge remains relevant for future generations.

Graduates may pursue careers as independent makers, heritage crafts practitioners, conservators, workshop specialists, educators or continue into postgraduate study.

You will become part of a small, supportive community of designers, makers and artists working across a diverse range of materials and disciplines. 

Your dedicated studio space provides a place to develop ideas, display research, work on projects and share your practice with others. 

The conversations you have with your peers are an important part of your education. You will see different approaches to materials and making every day, creating opportunities to collaborate, exchange knowledge and learn from one another. 

At HCA, you are not simply learning within a course; you are part of a wider School of Materials & Design. 

This means your practice can develop through connections with jewellery, textiles, ceramics, blacksmithing and other material disciplines, as well as with the wider creative community across the College.

Your education extends beyond HCA. 

You will encounter practising artists, designers, makers and creative professionals through visiting lectures, workshops, masterclasses, live projects, exhibitions and competitions. 

You will have opportunities to visit galleries, exhibitions, design events and creative organisations, developing an understanding of how professional practices operate beyond the college. 

HCA's location in Herefordshire places you within a region with a strong heritage of making and independent craft practice, while connections with national and international practitioners broaden your experience. 

You will be encouraged to build your own network and seek opportunities that align with your developing interests. 

Materials & Design prepares you for a wide range of creative careers. 

Graduates may work as designers, makers, artists, craft practitioners, product developers, workshop specialists, creative entrepreneurs, educators or within manufacturing and the wider creative industries. 

Some may establish their own studios or businesses. Others may work collaboratively, undertake commissions, exhibit their work, enter postgraduate study or develop careers that combine creative practice with other fields. 

The course is designed to give you the adaptability to respond to a changing creative landscape and the confidence to create opportunities rather than simply wait for them.