Design at Ulster University

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Design at Ulster University BDes Hons Design (Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing & Jewellery) at Belfast School of Art, Ulster University We are innovators, problem solvers and risk takers.

Welcome to the Belfast School of Art's FaceBook page. You will find out all the latest news and events going in and around Ulster University's Belfast campus. The Belfast School of Art incorporates multiple undergraduate Degree courses across many disciplines including, Product & Furniture Design, Graphic Design & Illustration, Animation, Fine and Applied Arts, Ceramics, SilverSmith and Jewellery, Textile Art and Fashion Design, Print Making and Photography & Film Making. We also offer the Masters Course across, Product Design, Fashion & Retail Management, Art Therapy, Photography and much more. The Belfast School of Art is enriched with the history and Culture of the city and has been located here since 1849. The School educates artists, designers and crafters to help create a better quality of life. But in order to affect change in the 21st century we have to know how to design, how things go together, how things get made but also how to make things happen. Being enterprising is more and more a key skill. While we appreciate the design for manufacture and making, we are iterative thinkers and employ 'Design Thinking' at the core of what we do across all our applied Design courses. All of the School is in new, purpose-built buildings in the emerging cultural quarter of Belfast. The campus is blessed with a huge range of fantastic workshops, excellent learning resource centres and a studio place for every student. Our courses are small so that students will develop as individuals.

Congratulations to two of our 2025 graduates who have been shortlisted in the Craft Design category at the 2026 IDI Grad...
24/09/2026

Congratulations to two of our 2025 graduates who have been shortlisted in the Craft Design category at the 2026 IDI Graduate Design Awards! ✨👏🏻

To The Bone - Peter Baird
Belfast School of Art, Ulster University

Geometric Tensions - Damian Fyfe
Belfast School of Art, Ulster University

A fantastic recognition of their work and a brilliant achievement for both graduates.

The winners will be announced at the IDI Graduate Design Awards ceremony on Thursday 15 October 2026 at Munster Technological University, Cork.

Congratulations Peter and Damian, and good luck!

Find out more:
https://thenewnow.ie/graduate-design-awards/

Belfast School of Art

WELCOME, NEWBIES! 👋🖤In just a few weeks, Design (Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing & Jewellery) Belfast School of Art w...
31/08/2026

WELCOME, NEWBIES! 👋🖤

In just a few weeks, Design (Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing & Jewellery) Belfast School of Art will be welcoming our new incoming first years, and we are VERY excited to meet the future of Product Design, Ceramics and Silversmithing & Jewellery. 👀✨

Fresh studios. New materials. New ideas. New people. And probably a LOT of coffee. ☕️

Until then, tag Design (Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing & Jewellery) and connect with some of your fellow newbie first years!

Find your future studio mates, course buddies and creative collaborators before you’ve even walked through the doors.

See you very soon, Class of 2026! 🖤

CLEARING IS OPEN!Thinking about studying Design this September? There are still opportunities to join our BDes (Hons) De...
17/08/2026

CLEARING IS OPEN!

Thinking about studying Design this September? There are still opportunities to join our BDes (Hons) Design (Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing & Jewellery) at Belfast School of Art.

Whether you are interested in designing products, working with ceramics, or exploring silversmithing and jewellery, this is a studio-based degree where you will learn through making, experimentation and design.

You will develop practical and digital skills across drawing, making, prototyping, 3D CAD, digital fabrication and specialist workshop processes, while developing your own creative direction.

Our three specialist pathways are:

PRODUCT DESIGN
Explore product, industrial, furniture, spatial, service and critical design.

CERAMICS
Develop your own approach to ceramic design and making through material experimentation, traditional processes and digital technologies.

SILVERSMITHING & JEWELLERY
Explore contemporary jewellery and metalwork through traditional craft, digital fabrication and design-led making.

Based in the Belfast School of Art, you will have access to dedicated studio space and specialist workshops, alongside opportunities to work with visiting designers, makers and industry professionals.

If you are considering your options for September 2026, now is the time to get in touch.

CLEARING IS OPEN - COME AND JOIN US!

Join us for the BDes (Hons) Design Degree Show at showcasing work from the next generation of designers across furnitur...
21/05/2026

Join us for the BDes (Hons) Design Degree Show at showcasing work from the next generation of designers across furniture, jewellery, spatial design, product, ceramics, and critical design.

This exhibition brings together ambitious, material-led, and innovative projects that explore how design can shape objects, spaces, experiences, and ideas. From beautifully resolved artefacts to critical proposals for future ways of living, the show celebrates the creativity, skill, and vision of designers emerging from Belfast School of Art.

5 June, 6-9pm
BB-04, Belfast School of Art

Come along and see the designers of the future!

Congratulations to BDes Design (Product) students Odhran Harkin and Patrick Cowan who presented their Enterprise Placeme...
15/05/2026

Congratulations to BDes Design (Product) students Odhran Harkin and Patrick Cowan who presented their Enterprise Placement Year (EPY) Business Pitch Showcase today. Excellent work, well done!

Great to have Head of Product at Cumulus Neuroscience in with us again to talk with our year 2 Product Design students a...
12/03/2026

Great to have Head of Product at Cumulus Neuroscience in with us again to talk with our year 2 Product Design students and final year Technology with Design students about their iterative and user-centred design process, an approach which led to two patents and numerous awards including a Red Dot Design Award for Cumulus. Thanks to Ian and Cumulus for the fantastic insights!

Our final year and year 2 Product Design and Technology with Design students were introduced to placement and graduate o...
11/03/2026

Our final year and year 2 Product Design and Technology with Design students were introduced to placement and graduate opportunities at Cooneen Group who have many exciting roles available

Year 1 students recently submitted work for each specialism on the BDes (Hons) Design (Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing...
12/01/2026

Year 1 students recently submitted work for each specialism on the BDes (Hons) Design (Product, Ceramics, Silversmithing and Jewellery) programme having engaged in 3-week projects across semester 1. Here are some of the Product Design submissions. Students were tasked with exploring the history of the creepie (milking) stool and to create their own version of this object using reclaimed material.

This year’s Allstate Distinguished Graduate of the Year trophy was designed and manufactured by our 2025 Silversmithing ...
12/01/2026

This year’s Allstate Distinguished Graduate of the Year trophy was designed and manufactured by our 2025 Silversmithing and Jewellery graduate and current Graduate in Residence, Carl Gingles.

Carl’s work demonstrates a high level of technical skill, material intelligence, and professional maturity, translating conceptual thinking into a resolved ceremonial object.

Congratulations to Carl on this achievement, and to Sam McBride on a well deserved award!






We’re proud to announce that our BDes (Hons) Design Graduates-in-Residence, and .talbot have been commissioned to co-d...
21/10/2025

We’re proud to announce that our BDes (Hons) Design Graduates-in-Residence, and .talbot have been commissioned to co-design the customisation and decoration of the Northern Ireland Baton for the King’s Baton Relay, Glasgow 2026. This is a major honour and an outstanding commission for our graduates.

The King’s Baton Relay began on 10 March 2025 at Buckingham Palace, when His Majesty King Charles III placed his message to the Commonwealth inside the first Baton. Over 500 days, the Relay will travel through all 74 nations and territories, arriving at the Opening Ceremony in Glasgow on 23 July 2026.

For the first time, every Commonwealth nation and territory will receive its own Baton, each one customised to represent its unique culture and identity.

The design representing Northern Ireland will incorporate innovative surface design, precious metal and digital technologies to celebrate our rich heritage and vibrant culture.

This is an exceptional opportunity to showcase the imagination, skill, and ambition of our graduates on an international stage.

Huge congratulations to Kirsty, Carl, and Matt – a moment of real pride for and

Keep an eye on our channels for updates as the project develops!

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Belfast School Of Art, Ulster University, 15 York Street
Belfast
BT151ED

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