We can't wait to welcome you to Andover College in September!
We have created this interactive page to give you a sense of what studying Designer Maker subjects, including Fashion & Textiles, Art, Craft & Design and 3D Design, at Andover College is like. Meet your lecturer Helen and check back in with this page weekly as she sets you new and exciting challenges to encourage your creativity and develop your skills before you start in September!
We would love to see your ideas and results so please send them back to andoverapplicantwelcome@sparsholt.ac.uk with 'Designer Maker' as the email heading!
Make sure you also take a look at all the additional support we can provide for you at Andover College through our experienced Careers and Wellbeing teams.
Week 5: Contain
Week 4: Wild Outside
Week 3: Inside/Interior
Week 2: Edible
Week 1: Human Made
You need to Choose an item that you see or use every day in your home. It must have been designed by a human and in some way touched by a human in its construction. It can be made by machine but not only by machine. Most designed items in the house will be designed by a human.
This could include:
- A light/lamp
- A set of keys
- A perfume bottle
- A kettle
- A hairdryer
- A guitar
Or something else! Here is my choice:
Task 1:
- In a word document, in a file, or on a piece of paper create a fact file about the object you have a chosen. If you can grab a photograph of it.
- Roughly what date was the product first designed?
- Can you find out who and where it was designed ?
- What is the name of a famous Brand associated with the product?
- What is it made of?
- What colour is it?
- Does it have a function?
Task 2:
Draw the product as best you can, from a variety of angles. Two or three small sketches will help you understand its shape and form.
Task 3: 3D Design Students
Use your drawing skills to improve the product, show me how and why you have made changes through drawings and design notes. Have you changed its shape, colour, materials etc?
Use the shape of the product to design other items. This could include:
- A building
- A futuristic transportation device
- Another household item
- A tool for the garden
Select your best idea and present a final refined product idea.
Task 3: Textile, Art & Craft Students
Have a look at the pattern design work of designer Lizzie Hillier and write a few facts about her and add them to your fact file.
- What does she make?
- Where did she study?
- How would you describe her work?
- Grab a photograph if you can
- Do a quick sketch of one of her designs
Using your human-made item as a starting point create a Lizzie Hillier style pattern for fabric, use colour if you can but don’t worry if you do not have access to colour. Colour doesn’t have to be paint you could cut up old unwanted magazines or clothes to get the colours you need. If you have access to different colours change the colours of your pattern.
Once you have a pattern, change its scale by making some of the shapes bigger or smaller on another piece of paper.
Additional Resources
Interested in learning more about the various topics you will study as an Art & Design student at Andover College? Take a look through the following resources and make sure you let us know how you get on!
Suggested viewing from Helen;
-
Grand Designs
-
BBC Sewing Bee
-
Abstract (available on Netflix)
-
How To Make BBC 4 (on IPlayer or through Open University Website)
Prefer to read? Take a look at the following suggestions;
- Design students - Articles on Dezeen - Here.
- Textile students - Textile Artist - Here.
- Design Museum - All students - Here.
- Institute of Making - Here.
- Articles and interactive sessions available on the Sarabande Foundation web page - Here.
- Online exhibition series and interesting content @serpentineuk on Instagram.
- Articles at The Hepworth Wakefield - Here.
The Open University has a variety of online courses available, take a look and choose from their extensive course library, here.
In addition, you may find some useful resources at the EtonX web page. Please note, these are paid for programmes that your current school may have access to. They are not essential but rather offer additional opportunities if you are in a position to do so.
Not already applied?
Got this link but not yet applied? – Click below so you can join us in September!
Our Courses:
A-Level Fashion, Textile Surface Pattern & Construction for Fashion & Interiors (2 Years)
A-Level 3D Design Studies
A-Level Art, Craft & Design
Meet the lecturer!
"My name is Helen Perry, I run the courses you have applied for at Andover College, I am a designer maker, interested in creating design based work in a variety of materials. I will be your lecturer when you join in September and I will endeavour to help you develop the skills needed to express your design skills, and develop new skills to work in design industry or move onto University."
Over the next ten weeks I will be setting a weekly task here on this page. You should choose the most appropriate weekly task to your prospective study. But more importantly you should just be as creative as your current situation allows and not worry if you don’t have a full kit of resources at this point in time.
"If you are more of a designer then follow the weekly 3D tasks. If you are interested in Fashion, Textiles or Crafts then follow the weekly textiles tasks. You can also complete both activities if you plan on taking a combination of these subjects!"
"Remember, at this point we are just trying to help you to develop a creative mind. Once in the studio at college you will have access to a huge variety of materials and equipment to further your creative ideas. I look forward to meeting you in September!"
Careers Guidance
Our careers guidance aims to expand the horizons of all students enabling you to make informed career decisions in order to progress both during and after college.
Carol is our dedicated Careers Advisor for Andover College!
We also have our Sun Progression Mentor Anna!
Anna works alongside the Southern Universities Network (SUN) to help students recognise the routes of progression available to them, and to continue their journey in education!
We recently launched the new Careers Hub located in the College library so come and say hello to Carol and Anna!
Student wellbeing and support
At Andover College we understand that starting college in these uncertain times can be daunting and we aim to make this process as simple as possible.
We have a dedicated team that provide our students with any additional support they need including;
- Counselling
- Carer support
- Childcare support
- Confidential one-to-one services
We have also recently introduced two new members to the wellbeing team ... Arlo and Romeo the Therapy Dogs!
Arlo and Romeo are part of the continued effort from Andover College to consistently improve on and add to provisions for students. They are based on campus with their owners throughout term.
Research has shown that students are significantly less stressed and anxious, and even have increased happiness and energy, immediately following spending time in a drop-in session with a dog present. What good boys!
Social Media
We love to post about all our students on our platforms including their achievements, trips and excellent work - take a look at some of the highlights below and make sure you follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!
Follow Helen!
In addition to the college social media channels Helen has her own Instagram which focuses on the efforts of the creative students from across the Arts subjects - have a look and follow her to keep up-to-date with all things Andover Arts!
In the News!
Kimvi Nguyen, Andover College Art Technician Instructor, featured on episode 4 (Monday 18 May) of Grayson’s Art Show, on Channel 4.
Kimvi and her partner Vinny Montag submitted their work which was chosen for last night’s episode. The theme for last night’s episode was ‘view from my window’.
Kimvi said: “Instead of painting the view from our window, we thought ‘what has been our window throughout the lockdown?’. We realised it had been the view inside our fridge. We went with this idea as we had been constantly opening and shutting our fridge door to reveal the ever changing landscape of our diet, illuminated every time. We worked with a time restraint of an hour to create our submission and the final piece was made from pieces of a bed frame and a bedsheet which we constructed as a curtained window inside our fridge."
Grayson announced on the show last night that Kimvi and Vinny’s work will be displayed in his exhibition which will be created once lockdown is over. He chose their work as he thought it was a ‘beautiful and successful gesture’. It was also a fantastic birthday present for Kimvi! The Art Club Exhibition is being put together as a lasting artistic record of how people have felt together through these strange times together.
We wish Kimvi and Vinny the best of luck with the exhibition. You can watch the full episode here.
Follow our art lecturers on Instagram to keep up with the creative content and inspiration – @kimvi_nguyen, @h_talks_creative_making, @carlie_creative_lecturer and @andovercollege_graphics