Product Design – BA (Honours)

At a glance

Learn the research, design and development skills needed to develop new and original products for the marketplace. Throughout the course, you work on sponsored live briefs for well-known companies to build portfolio that will catch the eye of future employers.

Key points
• Learn the how to develop original products for small- and large-scale production.• Build up career-ready skills with sponsored briefs for well-known companies.
• Build relationships with internationally renowned companies such as Morphy Richards and Ideal Standard.

What is product design?
Product design combines art and technology to create solutions which improve our daily lives and create new opportunities for industry.

This course

Learn to design products that are original, attractive, usable and functional. On this course, you gain the skills needed to produce imaginative design solutions for predominantly large-scale production. You also learn about the factors that make design rational, suitable for manufacture and affordable.

We help you to think like a designer, and develop the ability to design and present work to a professional standard. You gain skills in industry standard computer-aided design software that employers look for.

By developing your skills in research, design and development, you develop a clear understanding of social, market, technological and materials-based trends and of what products mean to users.

You also get to build up your industry knowledge by taking part in sponsored, live projects for well-known companies such as Morphy Richards and Ideal Standard. Throughout the course you’ll continue building a portfolio of work to start your career.

Our live projects and industry links help our students develop career opportunities by linking up with internationally renowned companies.

Year one includes projects focusing on • workshop, drawing and computer skills • contextual, business and marketing studies • manufacturing, technology and human factors.

Year two involves • live design projects • visual and presentation skills • product materials and manufacturing • an overseas study tour.

In year three you become more self directed, and complete a substantial major project which you choose yourself.

Key areas of study
Key areas include • live design projects • computer-aided design • materials and manufacturing • business and marketing • research and development.