Our Product Design Innovation course aims to prepare you for global employment as creative, innovative and strategic problem solvers.
Course overview
You will be expected to work collaboratively in an internationalised, cross-disciplinary and transcultural context. The focus of the course is on employing research and critical and creative thinking skills to solve complex 3D design problems, with imagination and insight.
- Research and critical and creative thinking are at the heart of all projects, as is ensuring you recognise sustainable and ethical approaches.
- You will have the option to apply for a ‘professional experience’ opportunity2, designed to further develop your skills and knowledge with the aim of maximising your employability prospects. See modules for more information.
Why you should study this course
You will be guided towards creative, imaginative and innovative ways of problem-solving and investigation.
We aim to provide you with multiple options for the expression of creative explorations, including academic writing, poster design, multi-media outcomes, model making, oral and visual presentations, digital portfolios and online content.
Key features of the course are the opportunities for working with live client projects2 and where possible, Collaborative Online International Learning projects (COIL)2.
- Specialist design studios feature drawing tables, presentation equipment, wireless internet access, supported by a dedicated print bureau for 2D outputs up to A0 size and the CSAD Art Shop.
- Extensive facilities4 include state-of-the-art laser cutting, rapid prototyping, desktop CNC milling, 3D printing facilities, paint spraying, scanners, two large block material workshops and handwork shops.
- Computing suites offer modelling, animation and analysis software, as well as graphic and word-processing packages, including Alias, Maya, Adobe Creative Suite, Rhino, Vector works, RAMSIS and Jack ergonomics software. Visualisation is supported with software such as Bunkspeed, Showcase and VRED.
What you'll study
During semester 1 you will focus on collaborative learning experiences and the development of a community of postgraduate learning.
It will focus on creative processes, user contexts and provide a theoretical and practical introduction to academic standards of research and ethics which are core to level 7 study. This is parallel to the first specialist module where you will be expected to personally reflect on prior knowledge, experience and aspirations and think about future goals.
In semester 2, you will critically develop your specialist practice/interests and start to question where personal boundaries and creative activities can be furthered or built upon at postgraduate level. You will work closely with peers and consider your own practice in a professional context. Importantly, you will, through negotiation and mentorship, begin to develop a clear and research-inspired project focus for your Final Project, which takes place in semester 3.
Structured around the three themes of?communication, collaboration and creativity, we focus on the design of products that interface directly with people and are manufactured through methods of mass production. Within competitive markets, the ability to interpret and manage ‘user’ perception and expectations is just as important within the overall design process, as the functional, operational and production considerations.?
Careers and opportunities
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Undertake research and evaluative reflection in order to synthesise and articulate an advanced knowledge of the theoretical and thematic concerns within product design and innovation practice.
- Deploy skills, techniques and technologies with originality and imagination in relation to a defined discipline for continued product design and innovation practice at an advanced level.
- Realise complex and ambitious artefacts/projects for identified and diverse audiences and contexts.
- Contribute to the shaping of a global contemporary discourse by engaging with innovative, experimental, hybrid and creative approaches to design practice.
- Demonstrate advanced personal skills, judgement and critical awareness enabling problem-solving and innovation applicable to a wide range of creative, professional, social and collaborative contexts.
- Critically and creatively engage industrial design insights and experience to manage innovative design activity and effective stakeholder/professional engagement.
This course encourages you to develop your ability to design products with significant engineering or technological content, to optimise solutions for specific consumer and professional markets and develop products which delight end users.
It is designed to prepare you for leadership and decision-making positions within product design agencies, manufacturing companies, design consultancies, research and development departments, research institutions and government bodies.
Professional enhancement is central to our ethos which is why we encourage collaboration with industry practitioners and work on ‘live’ briefs2.
Upon completion of your final major project, you will have the chance to take part in a degree show2.
Where our graduates work
Recent graduates have gone on to win design posts in prestigious international companies, including:
- Lenovo – (Designer) China
- Asus – (Designer) Taiwan
- JbnJaws Production (Creative Lead) India
- TC Product quality people (Product Development Technician) UK
- Inclusive Product Design (Freelance Designer) UK
- Central Academy of Fine Art (Lecturer) China
- Shanghai Design Agency - (Designer) China
- Heshan Qing Ye Weaving (Manager) China
- Tata Interactive Systems (Designer) Germany
- Les Sismo (Product Designer) Paris
My name is Kavisha Prince Anthony, and I always had a dream of studying abroad. Thankfully, that dream came to life since I applied to the Study Advisor. I was able to receive my visa within four days. I also had some visa refusals in the past; I had about six UK visa refusals in the past, but thankfully, it was not an issue since the Study Advisor was able to make things work this time. I highly recommend Study Advisor for your dreams of going abroad, whether it be the UK or any other European country there is.