The mobility action has been planned to coincide with Phase 1 of the Multimedia Development Project at the Institute of Art and Design. It is our intention to introduce Multimedia studies at National Diploma Level for scholastic year 2004-2005.

Concept, creativity and technology were the three distinctive features evident on the various Multimedia courses offered in the design colleges we visited. Specialist studies vary from college to college but there is a strong emphasis on a balance of competences necessary to satisfy today's growing digitally based animation industry (eg advertising, 3D animators and modellers), interaction design (eg internet, interface management), creative communication (eg website designers). Furthermore it was confirmed that the creative exploitation of digital technologies in design for communication is typically a feature of art and design courses of study.

The inclusion of key members from the Institute's management team has ensured that priority aspects of the Multimedia (Art and Design) Studies project will be given the necessary attention. Potential problems have been identified and will now be focused on in the planning phase, rather than later on during setting up, which is both time and cost consuming.

The programme of visits of three educational institutions in the UK namely Sussex Downs College (Eastbourne), the Slade (London) and Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication (Kent) together with our participation in Video Forum, the largest Multimedia event of the United Kingdom, held at Wembley, provided us with a balanced mix of paradigms, all of which warrant appropriate consideration during this planning project.