Design

What is design? 

Design combines independent thinking and creativity with practical and technical skills to shape useful and aesthetic solutions to people’s needs. When grounded in a deep reflection on diverse historical, social, and cultural values, design can change society. 

Discover how to create the change you seek with our globally accomplished practitioners, makers, and thinkers. Learn real-world skills alongside like-minded people within a supportive and inclusive culture. 

Explore a diverse array of design disciplines at UNSW. Our comprehensive suite of design disciplines empowers students to unleash their creativity, foster innovation, and develop the skills necessary to shape the world through impactful and visionary design solutions.

Why study design at UNSW? 

Our educators at UNSW are distinguished practitioners, researchers, and visionaries in contemporary visual arts, creativity, culture, design, and innovation, representing both Australian expertise and global perspectives. Through their guidance, you'll not only gain invaluable insights but also forge connections within our industry partnerships, ensuring our rigorous design courses meet real-world industry demands.

Our design degrees foster essential proficiencies in digital and physical production, critical thinking, emerging technologies, design research, management, and entrepreneurship. Engage in professional practice within design studio-based environments, complemented by theoretical studies and captivating elective coursework, cultivating your design thinking, innovation, and contextual awareness. Empowered to challenge norms, you'll seek inventive solutions, transforming the use of materials, systems, processes, and technologies.

Located amidst Sydney's vibrant cultural and creative industry hub, UNSW's dedicated Art & Design campus in Paddington provides exceptional facilities such as museum-standard galleries, a state-of-the-art making centre, open studios, private workspaces, a cutting-edge 3Dx lab, student lounges, and collaborative spaces, fostering an environment conducive to exploration and creativity.

Design your future career 

Study design with UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture and become part of the most diverse faculty at UNSW, a global top 20 university (QS World University Rankings, 2025). Our graduates are highly sought after across a broad range of professional design disciplines in global institutions, major corporations, bespoke agencies, and studios.

Here are some examples of jobs in design across a range of industries:

UNSW Design Alumni

School of Art & Design alumni secure careers in the cultural and creative industries across Australia and internationally. You can view find out more about our UNSW Art & Design graduates here, opens in a new window.