Digital Interaction Design - FAQs

What creative work should I bring along?

We don't need a traditional portfolio of life drawing etc. (although this would be fine). Successful applicants have brought along photography, sketches, sound recordings, websites, computer graphics, videos, packaging designeven clothing, furniture, puppet animations (not all of these!just a few each). If in doubt, please bring it along.

Is there the chance to start at Level 2 or Level 3?

Yes. We are happy to discuss this if you have a good HNC or HND or equivalent in a related subject although we will also expect a more sophisticated portfolio of digital design.

Why is there an interview?

This is a demanding course and before we put you through all that, we want to check that it is really the right course for you the interview is as much about you asking us questions, meeting current students and seeing the studios.

The studios?

The studios will be your home for 3 or 4 years. They are sometimes noisy, sometimes studios, often messy but also beautiful exhibition spaces for the degree show. This is where you work together, make stuff and have fun outside of class too. Digital Interaction Design is a close community.

Digital Interaction Design? Is this the same as multimedia and other similar sounding courses?

There are overlaps of course, but Digital Interaction Design is less about 3D modelling, digital animation and video (although we use video as a communication tool) and more about interacting with digital information, content and products and thereby interacting with other people.

Is this the same as any other course called Digital Interaction?

If you dig a little deeper, you will find that they are all different. Certainly our equal balance of design, people and technology is pretty special. But please judge us by the quality of our students' work :)

How come I don't know any interaction designers?

Interaction design is a well respected discipline, over 20 years old. Companies like Microsoft, Google, Nokia, Orange, the BBC and IDEO each employ many interaction designers. But it has only been widely recognised for 10 years or so, so we know that few if any of your teachers will have been interaction designers and that Highers/'A'-Level subjects haven't caught up yet.

Errr, do I need to be a boy?

Definitely not! Digital Interaction Design as a profession is very well mixed at senior levels too. We know dozens of world-class women interaction designers.

Are there any books I can learn more about interaction design or digital design?

We recommend 'Designing Interactions' by Bill Moggridge as a broad introduction to the peoplesome techy, some arty and most in between interaction design and 'Digital by Design' by Troika as a collection of recent works that are playful, disruptive, functional and critical.