The course revolves around the completion of a final written thesis and an accompanying visual component, the Design Environment. Together, these two elements challenge designers to deepen their knowledge in their area of interest and to become actively involved with academic research, theoretical discourses, and their own design practice.

The written thesis complements and strengthens the students’ individual design philosophy and demonstrates their ability to integrate theory and design research with their artistic perspective. The thesis asks students to critically discuss historical, cultural, socio-economic, and political issues directly and/or indirectly related to their chosen research topic, and to situate their inquiry within contemporary cultural, political, and artistic discourses.

The Design Environment expands this process by asking students to curate 25–30 images that locate the topic of the thesis within a broader visual, material, and cultural context. These images may include archival materials, artworks, garments, objects, spaces, campaigns, or other relevant references. Each visual source must be documented and referenced according to the same bibliographic standards applied to written sources. This component emphasizes the visual literacy required of fashion designers and fosters a mode of connective thinking—encouraging students to move fluidly between analytical, academic frameworks and the creative development of their diploma collection.

By bringing together a written cultural studies thesis and a curated design environment, the course seeks to cultivate a holistic methodology in which research, critical thought, and visual exploration mutually reinforce one another.

The addition of the Design Environment acknowledges that fashion designers today must be as critically literate in images as they are in texts. In a world increasingly oversaturated by visual material, the ability to identify, contextualize, and reference images with scholarly rigor is essential. Without this knowledge, designers risk inadvertent appropriation or the uncritical recycling of stereotypes and clichés. By curating a visual research environment alongside the written thesis, students develop connective thinking that integrates analytical academic inquiry with visual exploration, strengthening both their design practice and their critical awareness. This component ensures that students not only produce original, research-informed work, but also engage responsibly with the cultural and political dimensions of images as they translate theory into design.

 Academic Support

The designers will be assisted in the development of their own specific theoretical interests and the supervisory process encourages a reflexive approach to the development of their research. The designers are encouraged to fully utilize libraries, online resources and other research institutions. Students are expected to take the initiative in their research, with Dr. Titton offering a mentoring and advisory role. The course combines group tutorials with one-to-one tutorials from October through January.