Do you want to Design cool things that people need? Product designers work at the pre-engineering stage of new product development, identifying need and using their creativity, imagination and skills to design exciting solutions to meet that need. The great thing about being a product designer is that you are never limited because the range of products that we need is vast, everything from a safety pin to a jumbo jet. Think of all those products you use every day, mobile phones, headphones, sports equipment, cars, medical devices, apps and so much more.

 

Product design as a disciple sits between Art and Engineering where creativity is let loose to explore and invent new ways of doing things and then making them real. Be inspired by product designers like Ross Lovegrove, Dieter Rams, Neri Oxman, Hartmut Esslinger and Monika Mulder.

 

On the course you learn the skills of being a designer, sketching, model making/prototyping, creative problem solving, visual communication and working as part of a team. You will be using programmes like Solidworks, Photoshop, Illustrator, In Design and more. The skills of sketching and workshop form a central pillar of the programme and are an intrinsic part of the delivery over the four years.

 

This course was the first of its kind nationally and has 50+ years' experience in design education. We use studio-based education, a dedicated space where students work together on their designs and learn through making and doing. The student staff ratio is approx. 1:10 which means you get very high contact time with lecturers supporting and guiding you through your design development.

 

Course Structure

This is a four-year honours degree with the first two years being core, where you learn the skills and processes needed in Design. The course is project focused where you learn through doing. While supported by traditional lectures the majority of your time is working on projects in studio with individual and groups tutorials to guide your designs. It is 100% continuous assessment with no formal written exams.