Digital Design Major

Digital design skills are in high demand in the moving image, interactive and immersive fields – from animation, motion capture and visual effects, to gaming, cinematic production, and augmented and virtual reality.

At AUT, you learn in a future-focused environment with cutting-edge and innovative digital practices. You gain expertise in a range of digital production and software tools, as well as an understanding of how to create and communicate stories visually, design compelling user experiences, and visualise data in engaging ways.

Access to state-of-the-art facilities
Strong ties to key industry organisations, including Weta
Growing demand for digital design skills, in the entertainment industry and beyond
60 hours of work experience in the digital design industry

Fashion Design Major

Develop a strong conceptual design style and practical design skills – from drawing and pattern cutting to an understanding of the business of fashion.

The Fashion Design major promotes originality in your chosen field of fashion, enabling you to create innovative work for a multifaceted global industry. AUT fashion design alumni have gone on to work at prestigious fashion houses locally and internationally, like Burberry, Ralph Lauren, Karen Walker, Zambesi and Lonely Hearts.

Covers all aspects of the fashion industry
Access to leading edge facilities
Present your work to the media and industry
Opportunity to showcase your collection at the AUT Rookie fashion show

Industrial Design Major

Products can be tangible, three-dimensional manufactured objects like consumer products, furniture, packaging, medical and sports equipment or they can be systems, services and interfaces. Many products are solutions to real-life problems. The Industrial Design major helps you develop key research, critical and creative thinking, design thinking, ideation, prototyping and communication skills.

Ethical practices, along with environmental and social responsibility underpin all aspects of the Industrial Design major. You work in open plan design studios and individual student work areas with wireless networking, and have access to world-class laboratories and workshops.

Real-life projects alongside our industry partners
Dynamic and collaborative learning environment
World-class facilities including 3D labs, rapid prototyping laboratory and the Textile and Design Laboratory

Spatial Design Major

The Spatial Design major is a contemporary multidisciplinary programme that explores space through interior and architectural design, exhibition, event and performance design, visualisation and virtual environments.

At AUT, you’ll analyse and interpret existing sites and conditions to build a sense of place, visualising immersive spaces and helping others visualise the space. You’ll learn to work with what already exists – refitting, reusing, adapting, and attending to materials, surfaces, patterns, fabrication and connections. You’ll frequently collaborate with others to develop coherent, customised and conceptually driven spaces.

Hands-on, studio-based learning
Includes authentic spatial design projects
Work with full-sized prototypes, installations, moving images and emergent technologies

Communication Design Major

Communication design focuses on developing and visually communicating ideas and messages.

Study communication design at AUT and examine historical and modern concepts of visual design through projects in a number of industry-relevant areas. You work closely with lecturers and professional designers, and may work on real-life design projects as part of your study.

Within this major you can focus on an area of communication design by selecting a specialised studio programme in your second year.

Covers a range of tools and materials for print and digital media
Offered at the AUT City or South Campus, depending on which area of communication design you want to focus on
City Campus studio programmes: Advertising and Branding, Communication Arts, Graphic Design, Interaction Design (User Experience/User Interface)
South Campus studio programme: Communication Design