Sustainable Product Design with Professional Placement

Become a conscientious product designer equipped to make a real difference.

The growing urgency around climate change and the importance of social justice underpinned by economic sustainability are prompting a radical design rethink, where product performance is measured not just by profit but by a positive effect on our environment and community.

This degree will equip you to make a real difference. You’ll learn human-centred design skills to develop inclusive and socially responsible products, exploring design strategies to reduce waste and use materials responsibly. To successfully pitch your ideas, you'll master confident communication skills through powerful visuals, prototypes and presentations.

You will:
Develop digital product design and manufacturing skills with access to modern 3D printing and CNC technologies
Get hands-on in the workshop to prototype your ideas through a broad range of materials and processes
Design and create your own projects, either independently or with an industry partner
Proactively build your network and develop career pathways, with opportunities to meet industry practitioners and take on live project briefs
Tackle live industry briefs and team up with students from across the University on collaborative projects

Throughout this Sustainable Product Design degree, you’ll develop a detailed understanding of design theory, processes and practices, with a focus on human-centred design. You’ll learn to critically evaluate sustainable design approaches and develop hands-on and digital manufacturing skills. You’ll also acquire vital professional practice skills, including how to communicate your ideas (through CAD and visual communication), team-working and network-building.

Year one:
In your first year, you’ll develop creative and conceptual skills by exploring major global issues, the visual language of sustainable design and its critical and theoretical processes. You'll learn to professionally communicate your ideas through drawing, model-making and 3D computer-aided design (CAD). You’ll also discover the strategies designers use to develop sustainable products and begin to understand how to evaluate and defend sustainability claims.

Modules
Creativity & Communication
Sustainable Design Principles
Life Cycle Thinking
Design Ethics

Year two:
In your second year, you’ll study inclusive design and human-centred research before delving into collaborative projects with other courses and industry partners. You’ll also develop your CAD and digital manufacturing skills and debate the contexts, concepts and ethics of the industry. Focusing on the business of design, you’ll explore what’s involved in producing a product – from intellectual property to cost and profitability.

Modules
Design & Business
Inclusive Design
Collaboration
Circular Economy

Year Three:
You’ll be responsible for finding your own placement, with support from the Employability team.

Choosing this option will enhance your industry experience and skills while studying.

How you’ll study during your professional placement:
You’ll spend time working in a professional context, as part of a business or organisation. This can be in one role, or up to three, and must be for a minimum of 24 weeks.

You’ll develop in-demand workplace skills, deepen your insight into industry and grow your network of contacts, all of which could help you get ahead in your career after graduation.

Throughout this year, you’ll develop a portfolio of work that includes critical self-reflection on what has been learned from the experience. You’ll be required to evidence your experiences, the skills you’ve learned and your professional growth.

Year Four:
You’ll explore current and original design opportunities, develop your ideas through tutorials and team discussions and turn your concepts into prototypes using skills like digital manufacturing. By delivering one-to-one and group presentations, you’ll focus on professional practices and management. There’ll be opportunities to gain real-world experience and make valuable connections by working with external project partners and meeting project partners and startups.

Modules
Design Drivers
Design Visions
Design Ambitions
Design Futures

As part of our process of continuous improvement, we routinely review course content to ensure that all our students benefit from a high-quality and rewarding academic experience. As such, there may be some changes made to your course which are not immediately reflected in the content displayed on our website. Any students affected will be informed of any changes made directly.

100% of your assessment will be coursework.

Assessment methods:
Continuous assessment with no formal examinations