Product Design Innovation Summer School, Short Course Programme

This course can be taken alone or in conjunction with the Product Design Technology Summer School that runs during the following week.

This summer course is a series of daytime lectures and workshops that will develop your awareness of product design and innovation in the UK, from idea to manufacture. You will develop your design and interpersonal skills and consider new ways of thinking and better team building – essential tools that are taught in UK design education. A 3D design innovation project will be completed in teams and presented to your fellow students and tutors. This team project has a simple theme: to develop an innovative new product that can be easily adopted by an end user and which will become an integral part of everyday life today, tomorrow and into the next century.

The course covers a diversity of skills and knowledge, including:

• Branding – identify ways in which new products can best be positioned in the busy market place and how you can develop an effective branding and marketing strategy. You will also develop an awareness of how international companies develop, protect and market their brands.
• Drawing – quick and practical workshops in drawing and presentation techniques. Sketching is an important tool for engineers and designers to communicate their ideas, so you will be given the opportunity to develop your sketching skills further.
• Inclusive design – looking at how to create new concepts that appeal to the widest possible audience. Different people have different needs and abilities, so you will learn how to design a product that could be useful for a wide range of people.
• Innovation – designing new solutions that are viable and marketable. You will explore how to develop your innovation skills and provide solutions to design problems. You will develop awareness of how to approach problem-solving and communicate ideas with other people.
• Intellectual property rights – you will learn how to protect your ideas, designs and trademarks so that you can become a successful designer.
• Team building – simple exercises and entertaining projects to help build team spirit and refresh your creative thinking and problem-solving skills. You will learn how to work within a team to achieve an overall objective that produces the required outcome.

This course is delivered by the academic staff from the School of Architecture, Design and Built Environment, supported by guest lecturers and specialist technicians.

It is a valuable opportunity if you plan on becoming a successful professional in the field of engineering or product design and are looking for a worthwhile study experience. It is ideal if you are interested in working on interdisciplinary projects to strengthen your portfolio and are keen to develop new approaches to your work. The ideal attendee will be ideas and solution-driven, open to new ways of working and able to work with others in a positive and inclusive way.