We’ll introduce you to a range of product design examples for everyday use, creating and modelling your own new product design ideas. You’ll examine how the materials, form and structure are important parts of design trends, together with recent technologies that can be developed through to final design prototypes. 

Product Maker and Materials Lab
The primary purpose of this unit is to introduce Product you to the act of making and embed it as the most fundamental skill requirement and means to experimental research.

Product Practice Process 1
You'll be quickly orientated within the Product practice context by introducing the fundamental discipline specific making skills and knowledge that provide your learning foundation and inform the design process.

Product Practice Process 2
You'll be introduced to further fundamental discipline specific Product skills and knowledge and to test and develop this learning within given Product practice design brief contexts.

Contextual Frameworks
You'll be introduced to a range of historical and contemporary contexts that serve to locate crafts and design practices within wider social and cultural frameworks, and to promote contextual research as a fundamental aspect of creative practice. Through a series of illustrated thematic lectures, the unit will articulate a range of theoretical and practice-based positions in order to expose the rich diversity of approaches to crafts and design, and to consider aesthetic decisions in relation to wider contextual fields.

You’ll build on design experiences gained in Year 1 with a more commercial approach, with project briefs covering the complete design process, from concept to manufacture. Design themes will cover many different contexts, cultures and business communities. You’ll also undertake live product design briefs with a major design studio, factories or competitions to develop your design concepts. 

Product Ideation and Insight
You'll activate your creativity and stimulate a fluent output of ideas and insights. This is undertaken in an abstract context to encourage a freer and more speculative approach.

Product Practice Exploration 1
You'll explore and develop individual design identity and interest through engagement with Product design project briefs within set topical themes. Briefs require engagement from inception to resolution incorporating all stages of the design process.

Product Practice Exploration 2
You'll extend and develop your exploration of individual design identity and interest. This is undertaken through engagement with industry facing Product design project briefs, set within specific topical themes. Live competition brief options will feature, with organised industry collaborations and work placement possibility also available subject to confirmation.

Contextual Perspectives
This unit introduces you to a range of contextual, theoretical and critical perspectives that encourage an involved and insightful appreciation of crafts and design practices as expressions of meaning and value. With an emphasis on crafts and design as discourse, and drawing on a range of research methods and thematic content, the unit will seek to highlight relationships between creativity, production, mediation and consumption, promoting analysis and evaluation as essential aspects of creative research and resolution, and encouraging a positional approach to studio practice that identifies objects as experiences.

Students in the School of Crafts and Design have the unique opportunity within UCA to add an additional year of study at an overseas institution (either at a higher education establishment or workplace).

This optional year is designed to broaden your educational experience and deepen your understanding of cultural diversity, enabling you to study within a different cultural context and gain fresh perspectives. 

Studying abroad can be a life-changing experience. Living in another country, you'll experience new places, people, cultures and possibilities. You'll develop initiative, independence, motivation and, depending on where you go, a working knowledge of another language – all qualities employers are looking for. You will return to complete your degree with all the benefits of the International Year experience behind you.

To find out more about studying abroad as part of your course please see the Study Abroad section:

• Study abroad information

You’ll develop your own design profile ready for launch onto the world design stage. Early conceptual development establishes your themes and research for the final major project. Product design for batch manufacture will give you the opportunity to work with local factories, to understand production processes and business strategies. To launch your design career, you have the chance to exhibit at national design exhibitions, with major design industry visitors and sponsors.

Product Practice Portfolio
The purpose of this unit is to prime you in complete readiness for constructive engagement with your future prospects upon graduation. It helps to facilitate the transition from student to early stage professional practitioner or adjacent destination.

Product Practice Position 1
You'll commence framing an individual Product practice position. In order to achieve this two routes of pursuit are offered (i) research / exploratory prototyping and testing (ii) research to resolution.

Product Practice Position 2
You'll finalise framing an individual Product practice position and realise a self-initiated, graduate major project that realises individual potential.

Contextual Research and Critical Reflection
You'll conceive, develop and construct a personally meaningful portfolio of contextual research that informs, augments and reflects upon practice, towards the provision of structured narratives that critically engage with a range of contextual and theoretical frameworks and serve to support the positioning of individual practice in relation to past, present and possible future endeavours.

Our Product Design degree benefits from strong connections with both London-based design studios and larger manufacturing companies, generating many opportunities for rewarding work placements and live project briefs. Our industry links include:

• Iguzzini Lighting
• Kenwood DeLonghi
• Philips
• Alexander Rose Furniture
• Quinine
• Ab Rogers
• Tangerine
• Therefore
• Atlantic Transport Development.

Product Design graduates successfully land roles with blue chip manufacturing companies such as Samsung, Apple and Nike, design studios like Frog Design, Tangerine, Design Works and Therefore, advertising and marketing agencies, and many other creative design studios. These are predominantly international and can often include significant travel opportunities.