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Art and Design

View the employability skills

In addition to capabilities specific to the particular discipline studied, a graduate in art and design typically will have developed the transferable skills and abilities to:

  • apply their learning in different contextual frameworks
  • generate ideas, concepts, proposals, solutions or arguments independently and collaboratively in response to set briefs and self-initiated activity
  • use convergent and divergent thinking in observing, investigating, enquiring, visualising and making and to develop ideas through to material outcomes
  • manage the interaction between intention, process, outcome, context and dissemination
  • apply resourcefulness and entrepreneurial skills to their own practice or that of others
  • employ materials, media, techniques, methods, technologies and tools with skill and imagination whilst observing good working practices
  • study independently, set goals, manage their own workloads and meet deadlines
  • anticipate and accommodate change, and handle ambiguity, uncertainty, and unfamiliarity
  • analyse information and experiences, formulate independent judgements, and articulate reasoned arguments through reflection, review and evaluation
  • identify personal strengths and needs
  • interact effectively with others through collaboration, collective endeavour and negotiation
  • articulate ideas and information comprehensibly in visual, oral and written forms
  • present ideas and work to audiences in a range of situations
  • source, navigate, select, retrieve, evaluate, manipulate and manage information
  • select and employ communication and information technologies.

Art and design is concerned with conceiving, producing, promoting and disseminating the material outcomes which constitute our visual culture. These encompass artefacts for intellectual and aesthetic contemplation to functional products, systems and services. Processes from conception to dissemination are combined with creative skills, imagination, vision, and, at the highest levels of achievement, innovation. One group of disciplines, known as craft, applied arts, decorative arts or designer/makers, includes ceramics, glass, jewellery, metalwork, furniture and textiles. Another group includes photography, film, media production, illustration and animation.

Undergraduate education facilitates the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, the development of necessary personal attributes and mastery of essential skills to prepare students for continuing personal development and professional practice. Some disciplines do not require the student to develop knowledge and skills in producing creative outcomes. These include restoration and conservation; arts, museum and gallery management and administration; curation; design management; and publishing. Many degree programmes attach importance to understanding the historical development of their discipline. Others include in their curriculum business, marketing, modern languages and other professional contextualising subjects.

Artists and designers tend to be independent, creative thinkers and it is common to be self- employed and/or to be in occupations involving project work and short-term contracts with both small and large organisations, working in product or industrial design, communications or digital and multimedia disciplines. Graduates often cross disciplines, for example from fine art to graphic design. They may work part time as a practitioner whilst simultaneously fulfilling management and academic roles.

Graduates are well placed to be effective in all sectors of a knowledge based society through their capacity for creativity through learning. They are typically found in the media, marketing, public relations, arts administration or arts education. Specific roles include advertising art director, arts administrator, art therapist, exhibition designer, fashion clothing designer, graphic designer, curator, teacher, textile designer, visual merchandiser.

To check the growing range of resources produced by the Subject Centre to support employability and the use of this profile (including the Skills and Attributes map) go to www.brighton.ac.uk/adm-hea.

This profile, produced in 2006, is based on the QAA benchmark to be found at www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchmark/honours/default.asp


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