The International Year Two (IY2) in Art & Design is an ACE pathway qualification that leads to progression into an international degree course in art and design subjects. Starting from year two of undergraduate studies, this course allows students the opportunity to progress to year three of a four-year Art & Design degree (or year two in a three-year course). There are three subject options available for this pathway course:

• Visual Communication
• Product Design
• 3D Crafts

In the Visual Communication pathway, students will learn about the relationship of images to texts, and texts to images, they will be exposed to a wide range of visual traditions and their illustrative fields of communication. They will also be given opportunities to advance their problem solving through creative play with a range of creative image making processes. Students will explore the shape and patterns of employment in their chosen field and create a portfolio and other forms of application material. In other Visual Communication modules, students will engage with interdisciplinary studies and interpretation and analysis of art, design, and media.

Product Design students will be exposed a wide range of design traditions and their fundamental relevance to professional product design standards. The students will evolve their strategies and skills for developing, testing, and presenting design proposals. Due to the significant global importance of fighting climate change, this pathway will emphasize product design sustainability and teach students about new models of ethical design practice and engage in Complete Systems Thinking and Sustainable Design methodologies. Product Design students will be introduced to tools and concepts including Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and be made aware of the global manufacturing logistics, currently challenging ethical practice. Students will additionally be introduced to interaction design and explore the creation and development of  ‘smart’ responsive systems and products within software and data production. Students will explore the shape and patterns of employment in their chosen field and create a portfolio and other forms of application material. This course will engage students in deliberations on key social, cultural, and economic theories and discourses that impact on the production and consumption of product design and innovation. The students will also be given opportunities to explore interdisciplinary studies.

The 3D Crafts pathway course allows students to have an induction into developing approaches to design and questioning pre-conceptions regarding the use of drawing, they will also utilise playful exploration using a range of materials and processes to achieve realisation through making, and ultimately achieving desired or anticipated ideas and concepts. Students will be introduced to a range of contextual possibilities relevant to contemporary interdisciplinary making practices and be expected to make decisions as to how best to approach making for these using appropriate materials and processes and will begin to consider how these relate to their own trajectory. Students will explore the shape and patterns of employment in their chosen field and create a portfolio and other forms of application material. 3D Crafts students will study a range of concepts that have shaped the way that we understand 3D Design Crafts in its wider historical and cultural contexts.

Succesfully completed a foundation course in art and design.

IY2 is designed to be a course that provides the necessary training in both academic English and study skills to allow for a smooth transition to year three of a four-year Art & Design degree (or year two in a three-year course).

• Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, Chongqing, China