Product Design
Product Design Degree
For students who wish to study product design and gain an internationally recognised, university accredited Product design degree, studying online with IDI provides a flexible, affordable means of achieving their goal. In keeping with the tradition of UK based degrees, IDI’s online BA (Hons) Product Design course has a strong emphasis on designing product solutions for a changing world, and crucially, understanding where these solutions sit within the context of consumer product design.
Product Design has come to play an important role in the creative industries and graduates who hold a Product design degree are highly sought after in the employment market.
IDI’s Product Design Degree course differs from other courses in that it offers a real focus on user needs, design trends, innovation and predictions. Our overall aim in our product design degree is straightforward; we prepare students to meet the expectations of the professional design industry.
Our fully accredited UK university product design degree is delivered online and offers an opportunity for students who might otherwise be unable to attend the University, to study for a University of Hertfordshire award.
This programme specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the course and the intended learning outcomes that you might be expected to achieve.
Module Descriptions Level 4 (Year 1 of Degree) click here
Critical and Cultural Studies 1
This module deals with the history and context of design. Students are introduced to some of the main themes running through design and are asked to explore a chosen theme in detail.
Critical and Cultural Studies L4 Document
3D Design Projects
This module will unify all of the key skills that the students have begun to develop in research, design, problem solving by tackling a set brief involving context research, need analysis, design development and practical skills.
This module will enable students to further their general knowledge of the different aspects of 3D design and extend their range of approaches to design development and problem solving.
This module will enable students to begin to understand the construction of objects and environments and their significance and to further explore the creative potential of visual languages, materials and techniques by the research of the notion of nomadic furniture and its contexts.
3D Design Practices
This module will introduce students to the process of responding to a brief and encourage them to distinguish between emotive and rational design decisions. It will also develop exploration and use of materials.
This module will enable students to gain an understanding, at an introductory level, of user and audience within their design practice.
Students will be asked to choose an object which is precious to them or which 'expresses their personal philosophy'. They will then be asked to design and make 'a vessel to hold' this object.
This process will introduce students to the process of building a coherent argument for and justifying their personal ideas.
3D Creative Processes
This module will introduce the students to the process of researching, sourcing, analysing and utilising materials.
The framework of this module will be based around the creative brief of designing and making a sculptural object, the emphasis of which will be inspired by the specific properties of materials which have been sourced by the students themselves.
This unit will enable students to begin to express themselves creatively in three-dimensional languages and apply basic tools of research, analysis and experiment in a process of design development and problem solving.
This unit will enable students to identify the cultures of particular user-groups and the implications in designed products
3D Creative Processes Document
Product Design Skills
The first part of this module will enable students to operate machinery safely, with competence and engender within them the essence of safe working practices by the means of a tutor lead small table project.
This module will also introduce students to an understanding of the tools available to them on a digital and practical level in the practice of their design investigations.
In the second part students will be asked to respond to a simple design brief: The design of a milking stool. The brief will be deliberately restrictive in order to produce a simple piece of furniture with which to begin to explore the use of CAD and modeling packages within the realms of furniture design.
Students will also be enabled to develop an informed awareness of digital modelling processes and techniques and develop their presentation and visualisation skills.
Product Design Skills Document
Module Descriptions Level 5 (Year 2 of Degree) click here
Critical and Cultural Studies 2
In this module theories of visual communication are introduced or refreshed so that students may use these to evaluate their practical work. Moreover, a written piece allows students to demonstrate their specific areas of interest and show their ability to research and theorise on a chosen subject.
Employability and Professional Development
In this module students will begin to understand their developing practice in relation to the dynamics of industry, including processes of 'life cycle' of design.
Students will be encouraged to develop knowledge of business and industry structures and roles in order to give a sense of possible options for career progression or to enhance their own practice.
Students will be encouraged to develop an awareness of contemporary industry practice and be able to critically understand a range of significant current issues and debates affecting the broader industrial design sector.
Students will be encouraged to develop a range of professional skills appropriate to industry including collaborative working, presentation and time and project management.
Students will be enabled to acquire the self-promotional and marketing skills necessary to establish contacts and work experience through live work, case study research and placement where appropriate.
Product Design:Explorations
Students will undertake pertinent self reflective research led projects to ascertain a sense of their own identity as creative practitioners and their place within the market.
This study will enable the students to realise the creation of their own design style, lead to the production of an initial design 'collection' and be able to identify the direction of their practice in preparation for Level 6.
Possibility of 'learning contract' based study in this module will begin to exercise and engender the ideas of personal responsibility, initiative and negation skills within their studies.
Students will demonstrate their understanding of research methods and design practices and be expected to evaluate their work in the context of professional design practice and some of the broader issues currently affecting design.
Product Reality and Commercial Viability
Within this module students will be enabled to develop professional awareness and gain an understanding of some of design considerations within the product development process by the research into current and emerging technologies, processes and materials available to the product design/furniture practitioner/designer.
Via pertinent research within this module students will gain an understanding of some of the factors influencing product success and viability.
Within this module students will be encouraged to extend their range or research and investigative techniques and will be able to demonstrate a portfolio of skills which enable the practice of product design in a variety of different approaches.
Students will be able to apply a range of communication skills and media within presentation to successfully communicate their ideas to others.
Lifestyles and Futures
Students will be enabled to gain an understanding of how design can be utilised to shape lifestyles and futures by reference to the potential audience of their intended design practice.
Students will be encouraged to be aware of current trends and lifestyles to enable them to be informed about their potential audience and be more reflective regarding design solutions with their own practice.
Students will gain an understanding into trend predictions and customer needs and by due reflection be encouraged to demonstrate a growing sense of identity as creative practitioners.
By means of this module students will be encouraged to extend their range or research and investigative techniques so as to demonstrate a portfolio of skills, which enable the practice of product/furniture design in a variety of different approaches.
Product and the User
Using attained research knowledge (e.g. materials/processes) and skills in level4 students are encouraged to look at the notion of sustainable design in product /furniture design, both past, current and future potentials.
Students will be enabled to extend their range or research and investigative techniques by gaining an understanding of how design can be utilised to shape social, economic and environmental futures.
Students will be encouraged to consider how emergent technology can be integrated and utilised by society and to gain a global perspective to their work.
Students will further enhance their ability to creatively respond to complex issues and balance 'trade-offs' within design responses and will be encouraged to enhance their skill by applying a range of communication skills and media within presentation.
Module Descriptions Level 6 (Year 3 of Degree) click here
Design and Industry
In this module students will extend and consolidate a range of cognitive, creative and practical skills in the context of either: a national or international competition, or an industry set live project.
Projects in this module will help students gain the experience of responding to a typical industry generated design brief. The intention being for students to increase their awareness of current issues and professional developments in the field of product design and development as well as towards their own practice.
They will be able to exercise self-management and self critical awareness in approaching a design brief as well as ultimately expanding the breadth of their final design portfolio.
The Product Design Project
Students will be expected to demonstrate the acquisition of detailed knowledge and systematic understanding of key aspects of Product and Furniture Design , including current developments and debates in the discipline by producing a substantial body of work to demonstrating their own practice.
Students will be expected demonstrate knowledge and understanding of professional contexts, markets and audiences within their design practice.
Students will be able to frame and justify a design brief and deploy a creative design process to solve design problems.
Students will be expected to at an appropriated level exercise independent judgement and decision making and will be expected to plan, manage and assemble a body of work appropriate to gaining employment or for further study in the field of product design.
This module will enable students to facilitate the further development of their personal, intellectual, language and oral skills and they should be able to apply a personal visual, written or oral language which clearly communicates and presents design ideas in a context appropriate to the project.
Via the completion of this module students will be expected to be able to critically evaluate their own performance and identify learning needs within their design practice.
Critical and Cultural Studies 3
In this module students are required to negotiate, research and present an honours level essay that presents and in-depth critical examination relevant to their own practice. Students will consolidate and extend their knowledge and understanding of some of the ways in which histories, theories, cultural, social, technical or ecological issues inform contemporary professional design practice. These theoretical investigations will culminate into a 6,000-word essay.
Critical Reasoning and Evaluation
This professional reflection module consolidates the knowledge, understanding and process of the Design Project module and as such is directly linked with this module.
This module requires students to justify their consideration to market, user, materials, technology, opportunity, form and function of the final design output. The reflection document/report and presentation will contain key information and decisions made whilst undertaking the project.
Product Design Minor Projects
This module provides the student with the opportunity to make an additional entry to their portfolio demonstrating further design abilities. As such the students will engage in a self selected area of study which they have to negotiate with their tutor.
Students will submit a written project proposal, which outlines the scope of the project, their aims and intended outcomes and a projected project timetable. Students are expected to submit a design project that addresses a particular problem or need defined by them and must clearly show the coloration between research, development and final design.
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Product designers design most objects that we use in our day-today lives as well as specialist products, for example medical equipment. Their aim is to improve the way that existing products work and look, and sometimes to produce them at a lower cost, as well as designing entirely new products.
Product designers work along-side collegues and clients as well as consulting with engineers, model makers and sales and marketing staff. They should understand technology, production methods and materials, and be able to meet deadlines and work within budgets.
Employers include manufacturing companies and design consultancies throughout the UK and overseas. New entrants face strong competition for jobs, but demand for experienced designers is high. New entrants usually need a degree or an HNC/HND in product design.
Salaries may range from around £17,000 to over £45,000.
Maquettes
Aim
On completion of this activity you will begin to explore your concept in three dimensions.
Objectives
During this activity you will be expected to start making models of your concept.
Duration
The suggested time allocation for this activity is 10 hours.
Requirements
You will need the following resources and materials for these activities:
Sketch book drawing and mark-making equipment
model making equipment, card, paper, glue, cutting mat, craft knife for example.
At this stage your ideas should be becoming clearer and more defined. This is often a good stage to begin looking at how your ideas look in three dimensions. A useful way to explore your ideas in three dimensions is to make a series of maquettes. A maquette is a scaled down sketch model.
The making of a maquette begins to give you a clearer idea about the exact proportion and scale of your final piece. It allows you to see how the final piece might feel in your hand and look from all angles. It may suggest where you need to make adjustments to your ideas and which type of materials you should use and where.