BSc (Hons) Product Design

The UK is at the forefront of product design, but for the country to maintain this position, it needs new talent, people with the imagination and drive to create the next generation of industrial and consumer products. This course is designed to produce industry-ready specialists who can design, prototype, test and improve products. You will study using a mix of traditional learning and the very latest techniques, including cutting-edge software programmes and 3D printing, and graduate with a fully developed portfolio of work.

Employability is understood widely as encompassing knowledge, skills and a professional attitude which your tutors expect you to display in all your units. All University of Bedfordshire courses aim to help you to be prepared for the world of work, specifically as designers you need to disseminate your design to others, present the novelty of your proposals in a professional manner, this is what the course will assist you to do. The Careers Service is there to support you throughout the three years of your study. Our curriculum gives you skills that are valuable for a career within various industries, but is also relevant for a much wider range of applications such as media, fashion and applied art. The course also offers the opportunity of a Professional Practice Year for those that choose to develop more hands on experience.

This course is taught by experienced professionals with a focus on pragmatism and industry requirements. Guest lecturers are also invited to share their current experience with students. The course specifically encourages the students to attend specialist seminars and trade shows to further their exposure to the current developments in the industry. Currently the School of Art and Design has scheduled `Industry Fridays, where professionals from industry present and share their work and experience with students, providing them with invaluable tips and stimulating different ways of thinking.

By presenting your portfolios and analysis as part of your assessment, you will also develop your presentation and communication skills, deemed to be essential transferable skills by the industry. Furthermore, the course has a strong vocational and employment related focus; this is exemplified in collaborations with professionals from the related creative industries. We aim to have assignments each year that are linked to a `live client. Representatives set a brief and give feedback on your `pitches or presentations, just as is common in the industry.