BA (Hons) 3D Design Innovation
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2027
TUITION FEES
GBP 21,400 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international first year full-time study |£9,790: home full-time study. Additional fees may apply
Key Summary
About: Explore digital fabrication, sustainable materials and prototyping on Kingston University's BA (Hons) 3D Design Innovation. You’ll use studios and digital workshops to learn 3D printing, laser cutting, Arduino prototyping and CNC machining. Industry partnerships and Kingston's labs support Adventure Learning briefs that build practical skills and design thinking.
Career Outcomes: The course embeds a Future Skills programme to build problem-solving, digital competency and adaptability. Graduates enter roles such as product designer, spatial designer, design consultant, interaction designer, 3D modeller, creative technologist, project manager, creative director, or pursue entrepreneurial and community careers in design studios, tech companies, galleries and research.
Explore digital technologies and sustainability to build your future
This course has unique industry partnerships with leading British design agencies
On this course, you will use studios and digital workshops to explore processes such as 3D printing, laser cutting, Arduino prototyping, CNC machining and working with sustainable materials.
You will combine digital technologies, sustainable thinking and entrepreneurial approaches to create innovative solutions and explore your future career direction.
Industry professionals, from design practices, business and marketing consultancy and independent creative communities, will offer talks, tutorials and collaborative projects. These will give you insight into how professionals approach their projects and develop career paths.
Why choose this course
Throughout the 3D Design Innovation BA (Hons) course at Kingston School of Art, you will master digital making and diverse technological skills through scalable projects. This is all while cultivating your entrepreneurial and enterprise ambitions.
Integrated within the industry-facing 3D Design Department, this course offers unique interdisciplinary collaborations which will enrich your learning experience. If you aim to merge creativity with practical skills and strategic vision, our 3D Design Innovation BA (Hons) course provides the creative and technical skills to explore your career ambitions.
This course also features 'Adventure Learning', where your responses to real-world community or business challenges are open-ended. These activities are designed to encourage you to become a critical social detective who creates sustainable and socially impactful solutions.
Overall, you will emerge from this course as an innovative thinker, ready to address global challenges with a responsible mindset.
The Art School Experience
As part of Kingston School of Art, students benefit from joining a creative community where we encourage collaborative working and critical practice.
Our workshops and labs are open to all disciplines, enabling students and staff to work together, share ideas and explore multi-disciplinary making.
During your studies you will progressively deepen your expertise in digital design and prototyping.
In Level 4, you will establish foundational skills in digital tools and sustainable design practices, focusing on small-scale projects that address societal and environmental issues.
Moving into Level 5, you will expand your technical skills with advanced digital tools and tackle larger, more complex design challenges that encourage innovative thinking and strategic planning.
The final year, Level 6, is dedicated to personal and professional development. You will engage in self-directed projects, culminating in a major project that demonstrates your ability to integrate design innovation with sustainability. Over the course of the programme, you will cultivate entrepreneurial skills and critical thinking, preparing you to make impactful contributions to the design industry.
Year 1
In your first year, you will lay the foundational skills necessary for advanced study in design innovation. The 'Process: Tools of Innovation 1' module introduces you to essential digital tools for 2D drawing and 3D modelling. Through 'Practice: Thinking Through Making: Small' module, you'll tackle projects that address societal and environmental issues, fostering a mindset focused on sustainability. The 'Presentation: Start-Up (Navigate)' module will introduce you to the basics of turning creative ideas into viable projects, culminating in a Live Project that challenges you to design a product using CAD/CAM processes. Additionally, 'Materials and Making: Themes in Design History' provides a historical perspective, grounding your practical skills with theoretical knowledge.
Core modules
- Practice: Thinking Through Making: Small
- Materials and Making: Themes in Design History
- Process: Tools of Innovation 1
- Presentation: Start-up (Navigate)
Year 2
The second year deepens your engagement with digital tools and prototyping through more complex projects. 'Process: Tools of Innovation 2' module expands your proficiency with advanced CAD tools and introduces creative computing techniques. In 'Practice: Thinking Through Making: Medium & Large' module, you will take on larger scale projects that integrate technologies to address broader issues. 'Presentation: Scale-Up (Explore)' module sharpens your entrepreneurial skills, focusing on strategic thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration, typically involving a live event with local organisations. 'Critical Issues in Innovation Design: Research and Practice' module enriches your understanding of design within the sustainability agenda, aligning with global goals.
Core modules
- Critical Issues in Innovation Design: Research & Practice
- Practice: Thinking Through Making: Medium & Large
- Presentation: Scale-Up
- Process: Tools of Innovation 2
Year 3
In your final year, you will focus on personal and professional development through complex, self-driven projects. 'Practice - Personal Vision' module allows for deep exploration of personal design interests, culminating in a Major Project that synthesises your learning and showcases your innovation capabilities. 'Presentation - Set-Up (Apply)' module transitions you from student to professional, requiring you to develop and pitch a business idea. Finally, the 'Independent Research Project in Critical and Historical Studies' module challenges you to conduct in-depth research. It enhances your critical thinking and analytical skills, preparing you for the professional design world.
Core modules
- Practice: Personal Vision
- Independent Research Project in Critical and Historical Studies
- Presentation: Set-Up (Apply)
- Future Skills Apply
The university achieved strong results in the latest rankings published in August and September 2026, with some notable improvements and subject-level achievements:
- The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2027: Ranked 78th out of 130 institutions, climbing 16 places from 94th last year.
- Top 10 nationally for Land and Property Management (4th) and Art and Design (10th).
- Top three in London across five subjects: Land and Property Management (1st), Social Work (2nd), Architecture (3rd), Art and Design (3rd) and Nursing (3rd).
- Post-1992 universities: Ranked 4th highest.
- The Guardian University Guide 2027: Ranked 62nd out of 123 nationally.
- The Complete University Guide 2027: Ranked 88th out of 130 nationally.
- The Daily Mail University Guide 2027: Ranked 85th out of 128 nationally.
Being awarded a scholarship is a great achievement
A scholarship not only provides financial support. It also offers a rich student experience unlike any other.
At Kingston, you'll become part of our international scholars community, giving you the opportunity to:
- attend our annual scholars' event alongside senior staff and academics
- boost your career prospects through valuable networking opportunities
- meet other scholars from around the world
- enhance your CV and impress future employees with your award
- work as a TAP ambassador for Kingston University, with opportunities to contribute to marketing material and in-country activities.
Our Future Skills programme is embedded within the 3D Design Innovation BA (Hons) course curriculum and throughout the whole Kingston experience. As the demands of modern employment continue to evolve, Future Skills will play a role in shaping you to become a future-proof graduate.
The programme aims to provide you with the skills most valued by employers, such as problem-solving, digital competency and adaptability. As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills, learning to demonstrate and articulate to employers how Future Skills give you the edge.
Graduate career opportunities
Students graduating from taking our 3D Design Innovation BA (Hons) course can look forward to a broad range of professional opportunities and creative careers. These include roles, such as:
- Product designer
- Spatial designer
- Design consultant
- Exhibition designer
- Experience designer
- Futurologist
- Production designer
- Marketing consultant
- Industrial design consultancies
- Technology companies
- 3D modeller and renderer
- Sustainable design specialist
- Gallery curator
- Interaction designer
- Design researcher
- Digital designer
- Producer
- Project manager
- Art director
- Creative director
- Multi-disciplinary artist
- Creative technologist
- Performer educator
- Community outreach facilitator
- Entrepreneur
- Inventor
Teaching and assessment
The course will be delivered though workshops, lectures, seminars, individual and group tutorials, project briefs, live briefs, demonstrations, study visits, peer learning, independent learning, and study skills. Methods of assessment for the course are by practical and written coursework.