Furniture Design for Beginners Short Course
Course description
Course overview
This fast-paced course combines conceptual and practical skills in furniture design and modelmaking, representing a fast track to understanding and learning about professional furniture design practice.
Packed with specialist knowledge, it will tap into your creativity, encouraging you to experiment with ideas for your designs. It will also give you useful insights into the practical aspects of design such as batch production, costings, technical restraint and ergonomics.
You will get a comprehensive overview of key areas of current professional furniture design practice. This course offers you the perfect balance between conceptual design processes and the practical tools to transform your ideas into three-dimensional reality.
This course is available to study both online and on campus. The price and duration vary depending on the mode of study, allowing you to choose the option that best fits your schedule and preferred learning style:
- Online learning offers a more flexible, part-time approach, ideal if you are balancing study with other commitments
- On campus classes provide a more immersive, intensive learning experience in a shorter timeframe
Please check the location assigned to each date in the booking section to ensure you select your preferred study option.
The on-campus version of this course will include a visit to a furniture showroom to consider design moves and necessary compromises to reach a viable product solution.
Who this course is for
Beginners with an interest in furniture design, though all levels of previous experience are welcome.
Graduate and practicing designers wishing to explore this specific area in more depth.
Some previous students have used this course as a starting point for further studies in product and furniture design.
Key information
Topics covered
- Researching and understanding the client's needs
- Originating new ideas and developing concepts in 2D and 3D
- Modelmaking, drawing and sketching
- Experimenting with wood, wire, metal and plastics
- Testing your ideas in scale and 1:1
- Presenting your final design in a 3D presentation model
Learning outcomes
- Identify key moments in the evolution of contemporary furniture design through technological innovation
- Recognise the chair as a structural challenge and how material choice can affect the design strategy
- Identify and use appropriate tools and materials for modelmaking
- Gain and apply knowledge of Ergonomics and the bodily experience of furniture
- Visualise a product proposal with image editing software
- Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials
On campus
- A range of pencils (minimum 2H,HB,2B,6/8B)
- Sketchbook (A4 or A5 size)
- Laptop (if you have one)
- Camera (could be a camera phone)
Material provided by us:
The course fees include everything else that you will need for studio and workshop practice, apart from any specialist materials and fabrics that you may wish to buy.
Online
If you are taking this course online, please see our Guide to taking online short courses.
Learning resources
You may want to look at current London exhibitions at the Design Museum, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, V&A , Science Museum, The Natural History Museum, and Somerset House.
International exhibitions include Salone del Mobile Milan, IMM Cologne, Stockholm Furniture & Light Fair and Toyko Design Week.
Tutor
Stefano Santilli
Having studied fine art, 3d design and then an MA in Design, Stefano set up a studio for furniture and interiors. He has worked on projects for The British Council, The Crafts Council, The Museum of London and many private clients in the music industry. His work has been produced for Heals, Ruth Aram, Purves & Purves, The Furniture Union and for Nordwind with The British European Design Group. His worked has featured at exhibitions in the USA, Singapore, Germany, Switzerland, Finland and at trade events in the UK.
Combined with a studio practice in East London, Stefano is a multi-award winning lecturer, having taught at several UK design schools, including The University of Brighton, The University of Westminster and The University of The Arts, London. For many years, he has been a visiting lecturer on the Industrial Design Programme at The University of Lund, Sweden and guest lectured in the design school of The Politecnico di Milano and The University of Sharjah. Currently he is an associate lecturer on BA Product and Furniture Design at Chelsea College of Arts, UAL.
Book a course
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