Illustration with Art & Design Foundation Year

Got a passion for creative design? Not quite ready to undertake a full honours degree? Solent University’s Design Foundation Programme is perfectly suited to students who may not be from an art- design- or fashion-related background or whose qualifications do not meet the admissions requirements of their chosen course.

The Art and Design Foundation Year builds the fundamental skills, behaviours, and creative confidence needed for successful progression into higher-level study or early-stage industry engagement. Through a practice-led curriculum, you will learn to generate ideas, experiment across a range of media, and communicate visually through a developing portfolio- key expectations within creative professions. You'll also learn to interpret contextual research, reflect on your practice, and engage constructively with peers and tutors, mirroring industry processes of collaboration, critique, and iteration.

You'll be supported to develop resilience, adaptability, and self-awareness and by the end of the year, you will have a portfolio demonstrating creative progression, an understanding of how research informs experimentation, and the confidence to participate in a creative community. These foundations position you strongly for degree-level study and for exploring future opportunities within the creative industries.

Most students progress from the foundation year into their chosen creative degree, leading to careers in areas such as fine art, photography, graphic design, illustration, interiors, fashion, make-up and prosthetics, and related creative industries. However, the course also develops strong transferable and employability skills, including creativity, adaptability, communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.

Who this course is for
This course is ideal for students who are interested in creative study but may be unsure of their chosen pathway or need additional preparation before starting a degree. It suits applicants from a wide range of educational backgrounds, including those returning to education or lacking confidence, who want to develop practical skills, build a portfolio, and explore creative disciplines in a supportive university environment.