Pathway Choice (for moderators)

cat image is unrelated, but needed a thumbnail for the website

Although I’m still undecided between it and fine art, I’m going to go with 3D design.

I started with fine art, 3D Design, and fashion and textiles after my first set of elimination. I really enjoyed the design process, which was key to both 3D and fashion and textiles, and would have liked for both projects to have had time to iterate through different versions, to complete the design cycle. It was the making in both that I really resonated with — hands on processes with the goal of a final, finished result. I was also attracted to the utility that the final result in each case might have — being able to wear or use the final item, or imagine doing so. The physical presence of the objects is rewarding.

I’m not sure what I want to do at degree level, but my current plan is to study architectural design and engineering, combining the creative part of work I’ve always enjoyed with my love for maths and physics. I’ve always been interested in the idea of directly influencing the space around people, and being able to make the spaces that influence people’s happiness. With this in mind it didn’t make sense to follow fashion and textiles as a pathway, and having spoken to the pathway leaders of both fashion and textiles and 3D I narrowed it down to 3D vs fine art.

I really enjoyed the freedom to follow your ideas in fine art, with the option to make work that is purely conceptual, while exploring different media including textiles or sculpture. This meant I originally thought I could take fine art and still have access to 3D work and its architectural possibilities. Having spoken to the pathway leader for fine art, he advised me that if I was even considering architecture, that it would make sense to take 3D. The overlap through Ian Ray, who teaches both fine art and 3D design, as well as the possibility to take on some of fine art’s projects while still working in 3D, helped me to choose 3D Design as my pathway.

Moving forward I will be able to continue to experiment with some conceptual work, whilst developing the skills and techniques to make better 3D work, and learn more about the process of designing objects and structures.