The Bachelor of Design Innovation (BDI) is a three-year undergraduate degree designed to prepare you for a career in one of the many expanding design-related industries.
At Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, Design is about innovation. While developing the skills and knowledge that industry currently demands, you'll also be pushing the limits and forging the future of design practice. During studio classes and seminars, your teachers will show you how to take an experimental approach to design that encourages creative and thoughtful design solutions.
You'll major in one of seven areas—Animation and Visual Effects, Communication Design, Design for Social Innovation, Fashion Design Technology, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, or Media Design.
A feature of this degree is that it's cross-disciplinary, meaning you'll be encouraged to study and work in subject areas outside Design. This will make sure you gain a thorough grounding in design and its connections with the real world.
Explore the Bachelor of Design InnovationRecommended school subjects
Recommended school subjects include Art, Design, Digital Media, English, Graphics, Media Studies, and Technology.
If you have not achieved 14 credits in an English-rich subject at NCEA Level 3 (for example, Art History, Classics, Economics, English, Geography or History), you must complete a writing-skills course (DSDN 103) in your first year of the BDI.
Degree requirements
Three years of full-time study. A total of 360 points is required.
Major requirements
First year
In first year, BDI students must take the following courses:
- DSDN 171
- DSDN 103
- At least four further 100-level BDI courses
- 2 elective courses
*If you have 14 NCEA Level 3 credits in Art History, Classics, Economics, English, Geography or History, you may substitute DSDN103 or WRIT 101 with another 100-level course.
More information about the Bachelor of Design Innovation design schedule can be found here.
First-year plans
BDI majoring in Animation and Visual Effects
Trimester 1 | Points | Trimester 2 | Points |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| 15 | DSDN 152 (recommended) | 15 | |
| 15 | 15 | ||
Elective | 15 | Elective | 15 |
BDI majoring in Communication Design
Trimester 1 | Points | Trimester 2 | Points |
| 15 | 15 | ||
DSDN 152 (recommended) | 15 | DSDN 151 (recommended) | 15 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
Elective | 15 | Elective | 15 |
BDI majoring in Design for Social Innovation, with a minor in Film
Trimester 1 | Points | Trimester 2 | Points |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| 15 | DSDN 151 (recommended) | 15 | |
| 15 | DSDN 172 (recommended) | 15 | |
| 15 | 15 |
BDI majoring in Fashion Design Technology
Trimester 1 | Points | Trimester 2 | Points |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
| 15 | 15 | ||
Elective | 15 | Elective | 15 |
BDI majoring in Industrial Design
Trimester 1 | Points | Trimester 2 | Points |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| 15 | DSDN 104 (recommended) | 15 | |
| 15 | DSDN 141 (recommended) | 15 | |
Elective | 15 | Elective | 15 |
BDI majoring in Interaction Design
Trimester 1 | Points | Trimester 2 | Points |
| 15 | 15 | ||
DSDN 111 (recommended) | 15 | DSDN 112 (recommended) | 15 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
Elective | 15 | Elective | 15 |
BDI majoring in Media Design
Trimester 1 | Points | Trimester 2 | Points |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| 15 | DSDN 112 (recommended) | 15 | |
| 15 | DSDN 142 (recommended) | 15 | |
Elective | 15 | Elective | 15 |
For further help and advice to navigate your way through your first year at the Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation, visit this page.