Course overview

This course has been accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) for Incorporated Engineer (IEng) status and also has been accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED).

This accreditation provides a fast track to membership and enhances the value of your course to subsequent employers.

From the humble can opener to the dust bag-free vacuum cleaner, we are surrounded by product innovation. We take so many of these devices for granted, but have you ever stopped to think about how clever some product designs really are? Have you ever thought if only someone would invent that? If you have, you will appreciate that there’s huge scope for being radically creative – to design faster, easier and less costly ways of doing things.

We’ve created a mix of studies that embraces an appreciation and use of technology, combined with the development of creativity and artistic skills. Key to any design process is the ability to have a feel for physical scale and manufacturing processes so that your products function well, look great and respond to a user or client brief.

We offer terrific facilities to nurture the budding designer. You will often be working with our state-of-the-art CAD system or getting creative in our excellent facilities. We’ll help you develop your creativity in a very real way and prepare you for an exciting and potentially well-paid career in product design.

Study is based upon the analysis of real products and processes, developed from the experience gained by staff who undertake consultancy and research programmes and have first-hand experience of commerce and industry. Group and individual projects allow you to put your knowledge and skills into practice, making use of our strong links with industry and business.

The course shares its first year with the BSc (Hons) Computer Aided Product Design course. This means that you don’t actually have to commit to one or the other until your second year. If you study product design and innovation, you will spend more time working on artwork development and physical 3D modelling, while students on the computer aided product design course will concentrate on high performance computer imaging and rendering.

This course was created by the School of Engineering in conjunction with the School of Art, Design and Media and the Centre for Enterprise. It has also been formulated with the assistance of a number of employers with whom we have close links with through the Regional Centre for Manufacturing Industry. Our courses include a balanced mix of studies that embrace an appreciation and use of technology and design skills, as well as foster creativity and innovation.

The School of Engineering (SoE) is home to the Regional Centre for Manufacturing Industry, so we work with some of the very latest equipment. The School is particularly proud of the outcome of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), which has recognised and placed SoE amongst the top research active schools in the UK. Research within SoE has been assessed as internationally recognised at the level of 85 per cent – with 45 per cent of the research assessed as internationally excellent. This research excellence underpins the high quality of teaching, learning and project implementation of our courses.

Product designers are the key to success and profit, particularly in the mass domestic market and the creative industries. Effective designers respond quickly to new needs arising in the marketplace. This requires flair, skill and a truly professional approach. You will also have to be aware of fashion and new trends. Above all, you need to enjoy creating items to fulfil a need and have the flair and professionalism to follow ideas through.

Everything in life starts with an idea. If you are an ‘ideas’ person then you will enjoy product design. If you really appreciate what is going on in the physical world, have a technical interest and you’re bubbling with artistic flair and want to learn more, this course is for you. If you can see the beauty in shape and form or be inspired by subtle blends of curves, complex surfaces, texture or colour, then you have the right outlook. If you seek to find a better answer or long to make the world a better place, you have the right temperament too.

Our expectations are high and we take a professional approach. There is a need for dedicated and talented designers out there and we can nurture your talent.

Career focused

The entrance criteria of this degree have been designed to comply with the requirements of the major engineering graduate programmes. Competent students can have the opportunity to apply their skills to real-life practical problems as part of the department’s partnership scheme with charities, local and global organisations. Please view the 'Career prospects' section for further details.

To find out more about placement opportunities in the Faculty of Technology, please visit our Placements Office pages.

Course content

On this degree course you will receive a thorough grounding in design, enabling aesthetic and technological skills to be nurtured and developed. Studio environments will be used for making and testing models. You will also learn to use sophisticated industry standard computer software and rapid prototyping equipment to check and evaluate final designs.

Year one

You are introduced to the concepts of product design and innovation as well as computer aided product design and Photoshop. This period will bridge any gaps in your artistic and technical knowledge, providing a basis for further study. By the end of the year you will have a good working knowledge of CAD, an all-round understanding of technical fundamentals, enhanced illustrative techniques and better communication skills. Units taken are:

• Introduction to Design (20 credits): the more formal language of engineering drawing is introduced using pencil, paper and 2D CAD. A ‘design/make/test’ project is also carried out as part of this unit.
• Introduction to Technology Concepts (20 credits): knowledge of the physical laws of nature is crucial for designers. These are introduced and reinforced by means of tutorials and practical sessions.
• Introduction to Materials and Manufacture (PD) (20 credits): you will explore the types of materials and how they are used by designers.
• Communication and IT (20 credits): an introduction to the processes and the language of the business world. This unit also addresses use of information technology and here valuable transferable skills are developed.
• Introduction to Illustration Techniques 1 (20 credits): your graphic communications skills will be enhanced by working to design briefs to develop your designs.
• Computer Aided Product Analysis and Illustration (20 credits): the industry standard software package, Photoshop, is used to show how computers can contribute to the creative process. Also within this unit, you will study the design of existing artefacts, which will be completely dismantled in the quest to discover how they came to be as they are. This involves some lectures, group work and practical laboratory sessions.

Year two

You will have the opportunity to choose your preferred design path from:

• product design and innovation
• computer aided product design

The second year of Computer Aided Product Design makes more use of high performance rendering computer software to generate images, while product design and modern materials examines relevant materials in more depth. Units taken are:

• Materials and Manufacture (20 credits): the materials available to designers and how they are fashioned into useful artefacts is explored further, building on year one work.
• Illustration Techniques (20 credits): building on skills gained in year one, you will translate your designs into 3D models and respond to an industry-standard design brief.
• Computer Aided Visualisation (20 credits): you will be introduced to solid modelling and the associated benefits for the designer through the industry standard software CAE package ProE (Creo Elements).
• Conceptual Design (20 credits): the process of design, right from the very start, will be studied. This will include the identification of the need, product design specification, idea generation process, problem solving strategies and evaluation techniques.
• Research Methods for Product Designers (20 credits): in order to develop your design into a user-based product you will establish a user need based on observations and interviews.

Students also choose one of the following options:

• Product Analysis (20 credits): the design of artefacts is studied in order to determine why they were designed as they were. These artefacts are slightly more complex than those looked at in year one and some alternative design philosophies are explored.
• Student Enterprise (Planning and Delivery) (20 credits): this unit introduces you to the many aspects associated with the reality of running a small business.

Sandwich year (optional year in industry)

Designed to enhance employment prospects, the work placement is taken after the second year, when you will have completed enough academic study to take full benefit from the placement. Although not a requirement of the course, it is strongly recommended and often makes a substantial difference to what you get out of the course and what you can offer when you embark on your career. We have a dedicated placement office to help you with this.

Final year

More detailed studies of product design continue in the final year, but the emphasis is on project work and providing the opportunity to put into practice all your knowledge and new skills. For this important period of your studies, we make use of our exceptionally strong links within industry and various design centres. Many projects in the final year are linked with local industry via the School’s Regional Centre for Manufacturing Industry. The final year also brings together management themes introduced earlier in the course. Units taken are:

• Individual Project (40 credits): this project brings together the work of previous years and focuses on the design of something that is of particular interest to you. The scope for project work is vast.
• Human Centred Product Design (20 credits): you will explore the vast range of human factors that influence product design and facilitate the creation of artefacts better suited for human use.
• Preparation for Product Launch (20 credits): you will take forward ideas from year two enterprise work and will network with commerce via workshop activity.
• Integrated Engineering Business Project (20 credits): working as part of a team, students work on broad based design problems. The unit addresses the formation of a company; the allocation of tasks and responsibilities; the winning, financing and operating of commercial contracts and builds on project management skills.
• Advanced and Modern Materials (20 credits): you will gain an understanding of the classification, characteristics and performance capabilities of high performance modern materials. This includes methods of fabrication, strengthening, protecting and consideration of possible future trends.

Teaching and assessment

You will be taught a wide range of topics involving product design, enterprise, marketing and business. Practical experience is emphasised throughout the course and you will be encouraged to utilise application software relating to the area of study, solve problems and put your own ideas into practice.

You will be taught through a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials (personal and academic), laboratory sessions, project work, CAD system activity and open access study. Assessment is largely on a continual basis through a mixture of coursework, mini projects, presentations, examinations, multiple choice tests, essays, portfolio work and case studies. It is geared towards the subject matter in a way that encourages a deeper understanding and allows you to develop your skills.

All students are allocated a personal tutor. Regular meetings are timetabled and used to help you with personal and professional development (PPD) and take full advantage of the facilities available.

Career prospects

Placement opportunities

In the Faculty of Technology we feel that students should be given as many opportunities as possible to gain meaningful work experience and build employability skills throughout their studies to make them more attractive to future employers.

Working with other University services, the Faculty’s Student Placement and Employability Centre (SPEC) ensure students have access to a range of volunteering and work experience opportunities, including year-long industrial placements (either in the UK or your home country), and provide support for the different types of application processes.

Examples of roles our students have taken up as placement roles include:

• Product Designer at Interign
• Undergraduate Engineer at Elta Fans
• Production Drawing Assistant at Sunseeker

Types of placement roles that could be relevant to this course include:

• Production Drawing Assistant
• Design Engineer in Aerospace
• Undergraduate Engineer

To find out more about how you can gain work experience whilst studying BSc (Hons) Product Design and Innovation, please visit our Placements Office pages.

Graduate roles

A career in product design promises to be challenging, fulfilling and well paid. Whether you are designing a new food container, part of a computer or maybe the next generation of mobile phones, there is no doubt that your career will bring you an incredible sense of satisfaction as well as achievement.

The BSc (Hons) Product Design and Innovation is also firmly grounded in reality, so you’ll also be able to offer knowledge and experience in manufacturing design in addition to proof of your creativity.

Facilities and features

The School of Engineering is home to the Regional Centre for Manufacturing Industry, so we work with some of the very latest equipment. For example, the capability exists to ‘digitise’ existing artefacts, such as studio sculptures and then take the image for computer enhancement. The computer model can then be modified as required, tested and modified some more if need be. The process of rapid prototyping can then be used to check and evaluate the visual aspects of the final design.

We therefore offer terrific facilities to nurture the budding designer. You will often be working with our state-of-the-art CAD system or getting creative in our excellent facilities. Study is based upon the analysis of real products and processes, developed from the experience gained by staff who undertake consultancy and research programmes and have first-hand experience of commerce and industry. Group and individual projects allow you to put your knowledge and skills into practice, making use of our strong links with industry and business.

Maths Café

The Maths Café is a daily drop-in facility, where ANY student of the University can receive help on any maths or statistics problem they encounter in their studies. We operate in a friendly, informal location which we hope will encourage students to visit us. Handouts on key topics are available to take away. Students can be shown how to use computer aided learning packages, which can be accessed from any computer attached to the University's computer network.

Entry requirements

View all the entry requirements for BSc (Hons) Product Design and Innovation for the academic year 2013/14 (opens in new window).