The cyber revolution has emphasised the dialogue regarding perceptions of value between the mechanically produced and the handmade jewellery piece. The application of modern digital design technology with traditional methods of working by hand in the studio jewellers’ practice raises questions of authorship, authenticity, and artisanship.

South African students in higher education face many challenges other than the requirements of the academic programme. This places additional demands on academic staff tasked with delivering specialised content in support of student success rates. In response, we have introduced a subject intended to support first-year design students in navigating studio and theory subjects in a trans-disciplinary way. This subject covers academic, personal and professional literacies. Personal and professional literacies are the subject of this investigation, in which we question how we can support students in preparation for fast-changing future environments?