The Royal College of Art Launches Two New Courses for Critical, Future-Ready Creative Skills
The Royal College of Art, a historic arts institution founded back in 1837, has long understood the value of adaptation. For today’s creatives, artists, and designers, the rapidly shifting job market has created uncertainty around long-term career paths, while demand for specialized skills continues to grow. The RCA is stepping in with a clear pathway into new creative practices, offering two brand-new courses to help creators expand their expertise: Introduction to Animation: Contexts and Process and Design Without: A Neville Brody Masterclass.
With more than 30,000 alumni worldwide and around 2,500 students across its four schools — architecture, arts & humanities, communication, and design — as well as dedicated research centers, the RCA is directly addressing the transformations brought by emerging technologies. The college is also exploring how these technological shifts will shape daily life and work. In today’s creative landscape, one question stands out: what skills will define the future workplace?
Design Without: A Neville Brody Masterclass is an experimental program aimed at experienced creatives and working professionals. It challenges participants to move beyond predictable creative habits and lean into innovation and play. Leading the course is Professor Neville Brody, a legendary designer and typographer famous for his groundbreaking work with publications including The Face and Arena, as well as his visual collaborations with musical artists like the electronic band Depeche Mode.
“Seasoned creators deserve space to question their own creative assumptions,” Brody explains. “In an era defined by AI, taking genuine creative risks and breaking free from routine has only gotten harder. This course isn’t about creating a flawless final product right away. It’s about embracing the process of responding, experimenting, and growing — as a way to spark new learning, change, and creative renewal.”
Introduction to Animation: Contexts and Process marks another new offering from the RCA, a school that has led the field in animation education for more than 40 years. Honoring its long-standing legacy, the course welcomes absolute beginners and career changers alike, guiding them into the fundamentals of animation while building practical, professional skills. It is led by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Bunny Schendler and developed by Samantha Moore, also BAFTA-nominated and head of the RCA’s MA Animation program. Through hands-on studio work, participants gain insights and techniques drawn directly from the college’s highly respected master’s program.
These two new courses join the RCA’s established lineup of short programs, including its popular Typography course. Taught by Adrian Shaughnessy — designer, writer, publisher, co-founder of design studio Intro, and former RCA tutor — in collaboration with Astrid Stavro, a designer and president of the International Society of Typographic Designers, the course remains a staple for creatives looking to refine their craft.
Across all its programs, the RCA provides space for both foundational skill-building and experimental exploration. The new courses are designed to challenge existing methods, expand creative perspectives, and even prepare participants for advanced study at the master’s level. Reflecting on his experience at the RCA, CEO and executive creative director Mike Bennett describes it as “an incredible creative boost to any career. It reminded me all over again why I chose design in the first place.”
