Product Design with Professional Experience BSc(Hons)

Overview

Product design is the process by which an object or service is conceived, made tangible and brought to market.
This can be a complex process and product designers are frequently required to demonstrate expertise in an broad range of fields, combining creative insight with business acumen and engineering knowledge.
This course, which is accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED), offers you the opportunity to develop the broad range of skills and knowledge required for successful product design practice.

Course duration
Full-time: 3 years
Part-time: 4 years (max 8 years)
With placement year 4 years

UCAS code W242
Course content

Course structure

Project work is fundamental to the course. Projects are supported by subject modules in areas such as engineering and technology, human user design, and communication skills such as CAD and modelling. Subject modules are delivered through lectures, workshops, labs, tutorials, seminars and practical design work. This provides a dynamic and engaging learning experience which becomes increasingly more sophisticated as you progress through each year.
As part of your course, you will have access to a professional design studio and the use of facilities such as the Brighton Creativity Centre, the Design Council Archive and a variety of specialist workshops and laboratories.

Areas of study

Year 1 of the course provides a foundation of technology fundamentals, professional design practice and communication skills. Particular emphasis is placed on the way that people and products interact through, for example, the study of culture, society, ergonomics and aesthetics. These subjects are explored again in year 2 but from different perspectives and with an increasingly more sophisticated and deeper level of understanding.
In year 3 you are encouraged to undertake a year of work experience. This experience can prove invaluable in shaping your final year choices and career paths. Students have worked with manufacturing and design consultancies such as Jaguar Land Rover Ltd, Nokia, Mars Ltd and PDD.
The final year focuses even more heavily on learning through practical project work which is exhibited locally and nationally on completion. Final year project themes are often industrially generated through working in conjunction with both small and large organisations. There is also an opportunity to choose from a selection of career-enhancing course options and opportunities for further study in product innovation at postgraduate level.

Syllabus

Year 1
Design project
Professional Practice
Design Communication
Design Technology
Design Studies
Historical and Critical Studies
Year 2
Design project
Professional Practice
Design Communication
Design Technology
Design Studies
Historical and Critical Studies
Year 3
Optional industrial placement
Final year
Design projects
Professional Practice
Design option
Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements
individual offers may vary
A-levels:
ABB including a suitable technology-based subject.
BTEC
DDD.
International Baccalaureate:
34 points, specified subjects.
Access to HE Diploma
pass (at least 45 credits at level 3), with 30 credits at merit or distinction.
GCSE (minimum grade C) or Access Equivalent
at least five subjects including English language, mathematics and a physical science.
Foundation degree/HND
may enable you to start the course in year 2.
For non-native speakers of English:
IELTS 6.0 overall, with 6.0 in writing and a minimum of 5.5 in the other elements.
Other:
Recognised foundation programme in relevant area or relevant professional experience will be considered.
Location

Location Moulsecoomb
Career opportunities

The cross-disciplinary nature of the course equips you with the ability to meet the demand for design and innovation in a wide variety of industrial professions ranging from traditional manufacturing and design consultancy through to creative industries.

Visit the careers centre website.
Fees and costs

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2012-13. Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study.

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take. Different rules apply to research degrees - please contact the Doctoral College for advice.

To help you plan for your time here we will be providing further information about what is included in your tuition fee, and any optional costs you may need to budget for, later in the autumn.

Our website wwww.brighton.ac.uk/money provides advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee paying status.

BSc Hons Product Design with Professional Experience [P1EG028]

UK/EU 9,000 GBP
Island Students 9,000 GBP
International 12,900 GBP

When on a placement (sandwich) year, students pay a reduced fee in the placement year of this course. This is currently £750 for Home and Island Students and £1,760 for International students. This fee is likely to increase with inflation.
Student views

Clare Colbourn

The teaching level has been excellent and I have had the opportunity to investigate one of the real-life robots from Robot Wars. That was a fantastic lecture!

Emily Brooke

"I have genuinely loved my course! It has a strong professional leaning, which I particularly enjoy, and feel has equipped me extremely well to enter the 'real world'. It is also the business side of design I am keen to be involved in, and why this course is also so exciting to me!"

For her final year project Emily invented a device that projects a bright green laser image of a bike onto the road ahead – alerting motorists and to their presence. Her invention is being hailed as a potential life saver and has won her a place at a prestigious USA college on an Entrepreneurship Programme. BLAZE is a small, battery-powered device that attaches to the handlebars of bicycles, motorcycles or scooters, and projects a laser image ahead onto the road. A bright green bicycle symbol travels ahead of the cyclist, alerting others to its presence. It has the option to be flashing, maximising perception, and is visible even in daylight.

"I wanted to tackle the issue of safety of cyclists on city streets by increasing the visibility, footprint, and ultimately the awareness of the bicycle. Eighty per cent of cycle accidents occur when bicycles travel straight ahead and a vehicle manoeuvres into them. The most common contributory factor is 'failed to look properly' on the part of a vehicle driver. The evidence shows the bike simply is not seen on city streets. Even when lit up like a Christmas tree a bicycle in a bus's blind-spot is still invisible. With BLAZE, you see the bike before the cyclist and I believe this could really make a difference in the key scenarios threatening cyclists' lives on the roads. I'm extremely grateful to BeePurple, who I think offer a fantastic service. I initially approached them for advice on protecting my concept and taking out a patent, which led on to applying for the Award, which led to this opportunity."