After O/L students with a knack for creativity will have a unique opportunity to explore their talent through AOD’s Design Foundation programme commencing in January 2019 leading to Bachelor’s Degrees and powerful careers. Presenting an early pathway to get into one of the most dynamic career options of the future, AOD invites after O/Ls students to its Design Foundation Programme which is a special course with an all-encompassing curriculum that walks students through several design disciplines leading to indemand careers—such as fashion design, fashion marketing, interior design, visual communication design and animation design—with the help of an expert international faculty. After completing the programme, the students have a guaranteed place in a 100% internal Northumbria UK design degree of their choice, which can be completed at AOD. The programme is delivered by an experienced international faculty led by the Programme Leader of Design Foundation at AOD, Scottish designer Kat Scott hailing from her studies and training in Edinburgh. Kat spoke about the importance of following a design foundation course for any student who is serious about qualifying as a designer with a globally-recognised qualification.

“Foundation studies in design are really important because it helps you understand how to begin to apply your creativity through different media. Even if you are an inherently creative person with natural talent, this still applies because foundation studies are where you discover what design stream resonates with you best and uses your talent the best way possible— like fashion, animation or interior design? And of course, for the students who have no previous experience in art and creativity, it is an absolute must if you want to be a professional designer. It’s the best place to begin your life as a design student.” Most students leaving middle school or even high school have limited knowledge about contemporary creative arts and their modern applications such as film, cuttingedge fashion, illustration, branding design or digital app design etc. This means that often, students looking to enter design degrees do not have the fundamental studies required to harness and apply their creativity in commercially applicable ways—which is what design essentially stands for. AOD Design Foundation Programme bridges this initial knowledge gap and prepares students for higher education in design through preliminary studies in all creative essentials from ideation, brainstorming and the processes of communicating your ideas through different media from drawing, basic photography, painting, illustration, sculpture, collage etc.

Similarly, the programme also familiarises students with digital channels of creative expression which are an essential aspect of contemporary design. The AOD Design Foundation programme also offers a secure pathway into bachelor’s degree level studies in design with guaranteed placement in a Northumbria UK design degree at AOD. Students can enroll for the programme in both Colombo and Kandy and then get direct entry to the Degree programmes offered in Colombo. These degrees which are available in Fashion Design, Visual Communication Design, Interior Design, Fashion Marketing or Animation Design at AOD, annually accept the students filtered through the Design Foundation Programme as qualified to join the undergraduate studies and from there, successful careers or even postgraduate studies at Masters level and beyond. Due to the comprehensiveness of the programme and because it allows early access to younger students, AOD graduates who started with this programme have gone on to do great things at a very young age.

The success of the graduates who started their design journey with the AOD Design Foundation Programme bears testimony to this. Oshadi Paranawithana who was a first class degree awarded graphic design graduate who was nominated to represent Sri Lanka at Spikes Asia Award through the legendary LOWE studio started her design journey with the AOD Design Foundation Programme. Other examples include Sawsan Ahmed who won the national award for special achievements in the Maldives from the president and Bhagya Withana who went on to follow her masters in design management and entrepreneurship in Australia and currently works in Fashion digital marketing. It is a course that sets the foundation for students to find great success wherever they go in design. With introductions to major design disciplines and hands-on experiments that allow the students to get a taste of working in each creat ive sector, the AOD De s i gn Found at i on Programme serves as a practical and easy-tounderstand pre-university course. It is delivered at AOD’s high-tech design studios and industry standard computer laboratories along with unlimited access to Sri Lanka’s largest dedicated design library situated at the campus. 

For free design career counselling, or to understand more about the Design Foundation programme and studying Fashion, Fashion Marketing, Interior Design Studies, Visual Communication Design and Motion Graphics & Animation Design with 100% internal design degrees from Northumbria University UK, reach AOD Colombo on 0775727772, 011 5867772, AOD Kandy on 081 4 548322 email [email protected] or walk in between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday - AOD, 29, Lauries Road, Colombo 4. www.aod.lk