London College of Fashion

BA Hons Fashion Jewellery

Induction Guide 2013-2014

BA Hons Fashion Jewellery

Welcome to London College of Fashion Congratulations on your achievement in gaining a place on the BA Honours Fashion Jewellery course. You were accepted on the evidence of your potential to succeed on the course and over the next three years you will need to work hard to fulfil that potential. During your first term, you will need to make considerable adjustments from your experience on preparatory level courses. You may, in addition be new to London or even to the UK. Whatever your previous experience or expectations, you can expect your first term to be demanding, exciting and maybe, at times, stressful. Self-motivation, full attendance and complete engagement are key requirements to help you settle in – to feel part of your tutor group, your course and ultimately of London College of Fashion. The Autumn term will help you settle in, it will build your self-confidence by preparing you for independent study. During this period, you will be timetabled for the Introduction to Study in Higher Education unit. This unit will help you to make independent use of college/university facilities as well as other external information sources. It will encourage you to question, to research and analyse through verbal and written debate. Research, group activities, reflective evaluation and critical discourse

will all play a role in this orientation period, and throughout it you will be expected to work independently as well as with your peers and your course team. The course helps you to fulfil your individual potential, not just in practical areas of study, but in making the most of your interpersonal skills, your creativity and intellectual capacity. In order to achieve your personal best, it is important that you commit yourself fully to the course, area of study and to LCF. Be assured however, there are well established support systems within the College and University to help you overcome difficulties you may experience along the way – our aim is to help you achieve your best. Remember at all times that personal responsibility (checking Moodle, reading project requirements, balancing tasks) plus good communication (getting to know peers, subject tutors, Course Director) are necessary in order to maintain your stability on the course. Good luck and most of all enjoy!

2D design 3D design and Workshop Practice This first term introduces you to research, design skills and workshop study. When you arrive you will all have different levels of knowledge, but the aim of this term is to provide you all with a firm grounding of core skills, and to give you the confidence to progress. An equipment list is included in this document. We would like you all to purchase this equipment before your induction day at Mare Street. If this presents a problem you should aim to come fully prepared and equipped for your first class. You are responsible for your own equipment and should not come into class without it. Borrowing from other students can be disruptive and can slow things down – we start you off on an intense programme, which will make demands on you throughout the course so it is important that you are well organised and prepared. Ensure that you permanently mark the tools you purchase using enamel paint for example, to identify them and to avoid misplacing them. Design and workshop practice are intrinsically linked on the course, and you will be encouraged to relate your 2D and 3D practice and, with initial guidance to ultimately work independently in both areas. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Collect research imagery to illustrate taught content so that you are constantly making connections between the 2D and 3D. You will be required to compile an ongoing Workshop Technical File, which will carefully document processes, techniques, technical information and materials with visuals and notations. You will be guided in the presentation of the Workshop Technical File, but essentially it should be clear and informative since it will function as a form of reference for the future. You are expected to compile, research and develop this file in your own time. You will be introduced to a new vocabulary and your Workshop Technical File will provide valuable support. In addition, it will help your tutors to monitor your progress and understanding. Your workshop and design sessions will provide you with all the basics that you will need at this stage of the programme. However it is up to you to develop and expand upon this learning in your own time. Practicing the processes and techniques you have learned will be essential to ensure effective learning. (Open Access will be scheduled to you for non-taught sessions) Managing College and Part Time Work Many of you will, by necessity, take on part time work whilst at University. Some of you may also be parents of young children, or have other family commitments. Your tutors of course understand the potential impact of outside pressures on your studies, and you should make them aware of your personal circumstances at your first tutorial. We will endeavour, wherever possible to inform you of your timetable at the start of term in order that you might plan around your course. These are useful points to remember:

o Taught time really is essential to your progressing on the course – and should not be missed at any cost

o Evening sessions, after 6.00pm are only very occasionally included but generally

classes are between 9.30 and 5.00.

o Prompt arrival at taught sessions is vital, since late arrival disrupts the class and is discourteous to your tutor.

o If you are unavoidably delayed your tutor may deny you access to the class until a convenient stage of the lesson/lecture to minimise disruption

o Although the majority of sessions are timetabled at Mare Street & Golden Lane ( see

site details below) there will be sessions booked at other sites. Every attempt is made to avoid cross-site travelling.

o It is essential that you put your studies first – remember it is a full time course and you

are expected to be engaged on a full time basis through self directed learning, full attendance and concentration.

o Please read carefully all information relating to University policies on attendance – it is

important that you are aware of how they affect you

Glossary of basic terms : Jewellery

Maquette 3D sketch representation of your design, also ‘sketch model’ Prototype 3D final model, also called sample. 2D visualisation a drawing or sketch indicating an idea in 3D Scriber sharp pointed tool for marking out Centre punch tool for making a mark or small dent to locate drill Piercing saw a vertical action saw with fine removable piercing saw blade for cutting sheet

material. Coping saw Larger version of above for thicker material; removable blade, coarser teeth Hack saw Removable blade, wider than above; horizontal action. Various sizes. For

cutting thick wire, rod and tube. Band Saw Mechanical saw located in machine workshop for cutting sheet material. Snips Scissor action, various shapes and sizes, used for cutting sheet metal, solder Shears As above but larger, for heavier gauge (or thickness) of metal Guillotine bench mounted cutter for sheet material, vertical action shearing action. Side or end cutters For cutting wire – do not use snips or shears to cut wire as it damages the

blades. Stanley knife, Hand held blade for cutting paper, card, sheet plastic and scalpel thinner materials Pliers Very many varieties of shape size and use but include functions of gripping

shaping and bending. Vise Attached to bench, movable, designed to grip and hold work/material in its jaws

(you may need to protect the work to prevent it marking) Hand vise As above but small hand held Files For shaping and smoothing surfaces with abrasive action – they are available in

a wide range of shapes and sizes Hammer Very many varieties of shape, size and use but all comprise a steel head with

wood handle – used for shaping, forming. Mallet Wood or hide version of hammer – used for shaping but without stretching

metal. Various shapes and sizes available. Soldering Joining sections of metal with heat, using a melting metal alloy medium Flux Assists the soldering process by aiding flow of solder Welding Joining material generally by melting them together with heat, electrical

resistance or ultrasound

Riveting Joining material with the use of mechanical rivets – similar to miniature bolts passing through holes drilled in two sheets of material

Drill Device for making a hole in a material. The drill bit is the component that fits

into the chuck or jaws of the drill which can be hand or machine version. Hand drill sometimes called a drill brace.

Pillar drill Floor mounted power drill Bench peg Wooden ‘V’ shaped device for helping to secure work at the jeweller’s bench. Hearth Area for heating metal – in preparation for working or casting. Annealing Heating metal to prepare for working on – annealing makes it more malleable,

workable Rolling mill Polished steel rollers for thinning or imprinting material. Wet & Dry Abrasive paper used to smooth materials using progressively finer grades, in

preparation for polishing. Polishing A series of processes involving wax compounds aimed at creating a scratch

free polished surface. Doming Block A brass block with concave hemispheres for forming non-ferrous metal Stake Steel former for shaping non-ferrous metals Please note that we aim to introduce you to a range of 3D equipment and processes These are deliberately not limited to jewellery techniques; you are encouraged to work with a wide range of materials and should not be afraid to experiment by applying what you are taught to alternative materials when appropriate.

Glossary of terms: Design Research - sources used to provide you with inspiration that lead towards the development of a project. This is split into two main areas: primary research is generally considered to be sourced by the researcher and original in content whilst secondary research is the analysis of images or ideas that come from existing sources. Design Development - this is basically the process of designing and will show the analysis of your research and evidencing how you are creating ideas. This is a wide area and specifics will be covered in design class but for example will generally be depicted through drawing, illustration and image making. You may also be required to consider analysis through annotation. Collage is a good way to bridge between research and design. Annotation - a way to evidence your process or design path. Annotation can be used in either visual (illustrated) or written forms and provides an explanation of your work to outside viewers such as peers, design tutors or later on potential employers. It also helps to clarify for you, the analysis within the design process. Design Process - the journey and order of development from research through to design development and final selections. This process often becomes more focused through the progression of a portfolio and includes both 2D and 3D work. Line up - generally a single page that shows all of your products in one line. Line ups can be either in a finished format showing the complete collection or used as part of the development process to show consideration of how you are beginning to see products / accessories working together. Range Plan- your range is a considered collection or ʻfamilyʼ of products thematically linked through design details, fabrics and / or colours. A successful range offers alternatives and options for consumers whilst maintaining the design concept. Muse/Woman/Man - we often will ask you to consider this. Who you design for is of great importance and goes beyond generic customer / market level. Drawing - any visual way of documenting your design ideas and not just limited to pencil and paper, consider other ways of drawing that you might apply. Illustration - normally considered a more complete or presentation standard of drawing. Proportion/Scale - a consideration of the 3D volume of your designs or products and the related size to the body and function. Details - the components that make up a product, for example; clasps, closures, handles, fittings, hinges, ties, stitches, links, hooks, rivits, magnets, pockets, pins etc. These are all areas that can be designed and resolved using in depth and thorough research. Finishes - Atmosphere, quality and market level are also determined by how products are finished and constructed: raw edges, polished surface, plating, turned seams, hems, burnished, pocket openings, linings, stitch size, fittings, thread colour, metal finishes etc . Fastenings / Fittings - how the product functions is closed or worn. Using your research will dictate as to why you might choose hooks, hinges, buttons, zips, poppers, toggles, clasps, buckles, studs, magnets etc.

Portfolio - a final body of work handed in for submission. We tend to use this instead of talking about sketchbooks as we ask you to work on loose sheets which then are edited, re-presented to form a final portfolio.