Design & Visual Arts

Ready to push the boundaries of creative practice and challenge conventional thinking? Unitec’s Department of Design and Visual Arts can give you the skills, experience and guidance you need to realise your creative potential.

Studio practice is at the heart of all of our programmes. In Studio, you’ll spend many hours on project work where you develop your creative ideas and technical skills with the help of your tutors. You’ll have access to digital labs, printmaking studios, darkrooms, photographic studios, metal, wood, glass and ceramics workshops. There’ll also be opportunities to collaborate and exchange feedback with your fellow students, display your work at our student galleries on campus or at the end-of-year Grad Show, and participate in a range of industry-based projects.

Many of our staff have won major art and design awards. They exhibit nationally and internationally, produce award-winning animated films, and produce best-selling books. Thanks to our international artist in residence programme, you’ll also get to meet visiting creative practitioners from around the world. In 2011 they included media and video artists from Taiwan, a sculptor and photographer from Russia, an animator from the USA, and a 3D designer from Slovakia. You can stay up-to-date with the line-up of national and international artists and designers at our Snowhite gallery.

Our art and design graduates have fashioned careers in both local and international arenas: as animators, creative directors, curators, fine artists, graphic designers, furniture designers, interior designers, photographers and product designers. Some have started innovative enterprises and developed their own art and design businesses. Our students and graduates are also winning awards like the NZ Best Awards, ECC Young Designer of the Year and the prestigious Glaister Ennor Graduate Art Award. With our help, one day this could be you.

Design and visual arts programmes

To prepare yourself for further study in design and visual arts:

If you’re interested in contemporary craft (including ceramics, casting, contemporary jewellery and object design):

If you’re interested in graphic design and animation:

If you’re interested in interior design:

If you’re interested in photography:

If you’re interested in product and furniture design:

If you’re interested in visual arts/fine arts (such as painting and sculpture):

If you’re interested in Māori art and design: