Course details
On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.
Contact hours and assessment
Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification.
Year 1
Team Project: You will engage in collaborative teamwork across the design disciplines to generate a wide range of design ideas, concepts and solutions in response to set design briefs, and effectively present to different audiences to communicate your ideas.
Design Communication: You will develop an understanding of the principles of idea generation, design communication and presentation through a range of media. You will explore form and function through manual presentation techniques, apply digital image manipulation, develop part and assembly mock-ups through computer modelling and develop engineering drawings for technical presentation.
Materials and Technology A: You will learn to apply a range of fundamental mathematical and engineering principles to analyse basic product design problems. Lab sessions will develop your ability to select, test and exploit materials and manufacturing processes in the synthesis of product design solutions.
Materials and Technology B: This unit will further develop your knowledge of a wide range of materials and their basic properties in order to understand how these properties may be exploited or modified to satisfy a design requirement.
Design Projects 1: The unit aims to develop a holistic approach to design that is creative, dynamic and structured, thereby encouraging the development of creative and analytical thinking in design. You will create a physical and/or digital model, prototype or visual and present the results in a professional manner.
Design Studies 1: This unit will develop your understanding of contextual and historic design issues and perspectives and your understanding of the application of psychology and physiology for effective ergonomic product design.
Contact hours
The hours below give an indication of how you can expect to spend your time during the first year of this course. You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions. Your independent learning could include reading books and journal articles, working on group projects, preparing presentations, conducting library research and writing your assignments.
- Learning and teaching: 353 hours
- Independent learning: 847 hours
- Non-credit bearing learning and teaching: 28.5 hours
Year 2
Manufacturing and Technology: This unit aims to further develop your understanding of the properties and uses of functional materials, providing you with the sound knowledge and understanding of modern manufacturing for competitive product development. You will also develop your working knowledge, understanding and application of an increased range of physical and technological principles relevant to the design of components, machines and products.
Product Design Tools: This unit will broaden your understanding and application of the principles of product design visualisation, presentation, tools and techniques.
Product Design Projects 2A: You will develop your ability to satisfy both the technological and humanistic needs and requirements of a product in the context of current social, economic and manufacturing requirements and regulations.
Product Design Projects 2B: You solve increasingly complex design problems and expand your ability to employ materials, media, techniques, methods, technologies and tools associated with product design through drawing, modelling, computer visualisation and physical prototyping using skill and imagination.
Management and Commercialisation: This unit will introduce you to the key aspects of business and management that relate to the development and delivery of commercial value, and the issues facing business functions such as marketing, operations and finance.
Design Studies 2: This unit will build on the design experiences in the first year, developing your sensitivity and awareness to aesthetics of design and efficient methods surrounding the product design and development process.
Contact hours
The hours below give an indication of how you can expect to spend your time during the second year of this course. You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions. Your independent learning could include reading books and journal articles, working on group projects, preparing presentations, conducting library research and writing your assignments.
- Learning and teaching: 291 hours
- Independent learning: 909 hours
- Non-credit bearing learning and teaching: 28 hours
Optional Placement Year
You will complete a minimum 30-week work placement which can be carried out anywhere in the world. The placement year offers a chance to gain experience and make contacts for the future.
You'll choose either the BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons) option during your placement year. The BSc option has more focus on the technological areas of design, while the BA option has more focus on the humanistic and contextual issues of product design.
You will be enrolled onto the four-year degree, but can opt out of the placement year.
Final Year
Design Studies 3: You will further build on knowledge built in your first two years, exploring the synergistic relationship between product design aesthetics and ergonomics. The unit will enable you to make informed ergonomic decisions through the application of psychology and physiology.
Business Development: Approaches to strategic management and thinking will be examined to capitalise on your entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen.
Product Design Projects 3: This unit aims to synthesise the broad range of skills and understanding gained during the whole course to identify, develop and solve a Product Design problem, in a professional manner.
Product Design Prototypes: This unit will enable you to gain in-depth knowledge of prototyping material and techniques, manufacture your own advanced product prototype.
Contact hours
The hours below give an indication of how you can expect to spend your time during the final year of this course. You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops and practical sessions. Your independent learning could include reading books and journal articles, working on group projects, preparing presentations, conducting library research and writing your assignments.
- Learning and teaching: 672.5 hours
- Independent learning: 527.5 hours
- Non-credit bearing learning and teaching: 60 hours
