Meet CCI Diploma student Belén Fernández
- Written byStéphanie Malm
- Published date 14 November 2025
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Meet Belén Fernández who studied the UAL Diploma in Creative Computing at UAL Creative Computing Institute (CCI). We caught up with her and spoke about her experience studying a CCI Diploma and her project Babel which won the Industry Staff Award at the Creative Computing Festival 2025.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background? How did you learn about the option of doing a UAL Diploma?
My name is Belén Fernández and I’m a final-year BA (Hons) Textile Design student at Chelsea College of Arts, specialising in weave. My practice sits at the intersection of craft, technology and material storytelling. I’m particularly interested in how textiles can become interactive systems that respond to language, infrastructures and territory. Alongside my degree, I completed the UAL Diploma in Creative Computing which allowed me to explore digital making, coding and creative computation as an extension of my textile work. I found out about it by researching UAL’s website back in 2023 and then got reintroduced to the course when technicians from the CCI department came in to do a workshop with us.
Why did you decide to do the UAL Diploma in Creative Computing?
I wanted to expand systems beyond what was visible to the eye: to understand software, hardware and the human behaviour behind these concepts. The CCI Diploma felt like the perfect space to experiment freely and build technical confidence while still thinking conceptually and critically. It also aligned with my long-term goal of developing hybrid projects that connect design, technology, and storytelling.
How was the transition to studying the diploma and how was the transition afterwards?
At first, it was a big shift especially learning new software and programming languages coming from a more tactile background. But the environment at CCI was incredibly supportive and collaborative. It taught me how to be comfortable not knowing all the answers right away and to see technology as another form of design thinking. Returning to my main course afterwards, I feel more confident, more experimental and much more independent in how I approached projects. I now really reflect and consider where my work critically sits in the world.
How did studying help you develop your creative practice further?
The Diploma completely changed the way I think about making. I learned to use hardware and creative coding platforms, prototype interactive installations, and develop digital-physical systems. More importantly, it taught me to work iteratively to prototype quickly, collaborate with creatives from other
backgrounds, test ideas, and, most importantly, to think critically about technology’s role in creative practice. These skills opened doors to collaborative projects and exhibitions, including London Tech Week and the Creative Computing Festival, where I was able to showcase my work and connect with a wider creative tech community.
What was your favourite project you’ve worked on while studying?
My favourite project was Babel, my final project, an installation exploring our shifting relationship with language in large language models (LLMs). Babel constrained an AI to process only SVG graphics, creating a ‘foreign language’ it couldn’t comprehend. The piece exposes a key paradox of our time: in delegating thought to AI, we risk forgetting how thinking happens. Babel was exhibited at the Creative Computing Festival 2025 in London, where it received the Industry Staff Award.
Tell us about your current career and how studying the diploma helped you become more employable?
Since completing the Diploma, I’ve been building a creative practice that bridges design, technology, and material engeneering. The technical confidence I gained at CCI has opened doors to collaborations with digital studios and creative tech labs. It also gave me the vocabulary to speak with both designers and engineers something that’s become key in shaping my professional path. Its also fantastic that I still have access to the CCI space a year after, specially as I can stay connected to the community and my tutors.
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about doing a CCI Diploma at UAL?
Go in with curiosity, not fear. The program is much more than ‘coding’ and you don’t need to even know how to program to belong there, what matters is your willingness to experiment and connect ideas across disciplines. The Diploma gives you tools, but more importantly, it gives you a mindset: to see technology as something you can shape, question, and use creatively.