Courses: Product Design
'Students will have a flair for design and want to develop their skills'
Published: 27 February 2007
What are the entry requirements?
At Birmingham UCE you need either 240 tariff points; a BTEC national diploma with an overall grade of at least MMP (two merits and a pass); a Level 3 diploma in foundation studies (art and design) with merit or distinction; an international Baccalaureate with 28 points; or some sort of equivalent qualification or experience.
Who applies?
Students who apply have a flair for creative design and want to develop their skills within a professional context, looking ahead to a career. They want to pursue the design and understanding of complex projects in a chosen field of study and get to the point where they can practice independently, with confidence .
Music, sport and fashion are relevant hobbies as they lend themselves towards contemporary product design knowledge. Social skills, writing, drawing, reading design journals and an ability to communicate ideas are all elements useful for the course.
What does the course involve?
Each year, students spend approximately 80 per cent of their time in studio-based study - seminars, workshops, presentations and computer-aided design - and 20 per cent on theoretical and historical studies. In their final year, students will research a topic that complements their personal project and present their findings in an extended essay.
Working on collaborative live projects with the industry is a large element. This gives the student an opportunity for real-world experience in a company. Students have also been offered positions in these companies after graduation.
There are opportunities to study abroad for up to one semester in the second year in countries such as Italy, Finland and Hong Kong.
How long does it last?
Three years, which includes the opportunities to study abroad on exchange programmes.
How would I be assessed?
There are 10 modules in a year and each one has a set of learning outcomes that have to be met. Assessment takes place throughout the course and is divided into two types. Firstly, there is formative assessment to inform students of their progress. Students receive regular feedback on their modules through tutorials and critiques, where they present work in progress to tutors and or fellow students. Then there is summative assessment, when work is assessed at the end of each module. The briefing for each module tells students what they should expect and what they need to do to be successful. Students must pass each module to progress to the next level.
At the end of each year, your work would be reviewed and progression onto the next level depends on successful completion of all modules.
For theoretical and historical studies, the assessment will take place in a variety of forms, including written essays and presentations.
Are there opportunities for further study?
Opportunities for postgraduate study and the chance to do a PhD are offered to all successful students who complete their degrees within the school of product design at Birmingham UCE, and the same is true of many other institutions. Birmingham UCE also has an MA product design programme.
What career options are there when the course is completed?
Students can go on to use their acquired knowledge and skills in a variety of jobs, including in-house and consultancy design practice, design management, design entrepreneurship and teaching.
Starting salaries are in the region of £19,000. However, most graduates are often rapidly promoted and receive an accelerated salary increase, depending on their contribution towards the company.
Panch Suntharalingam, programme director in product design at Birmingham UCE, www.uce.ac.uk
Current student: Charlotte Davies, 21, is in the third year of her industrial design course at Birmingham UCE
"I studied fine art, graphics and communications. I then did a foundation diploma in art and design at Bournville College. I decided to do a course that that I would enjoy and that would give me options.
Some of the projects I have been involved in have been designing cutlery for people with arthritis, designing a timepiece and designing a power tool.
You have to do a lot of sketch work along with annotation to get your ideas across in your weekly tutorials. In the first two years you have more than one tutorial a week to discuss your project's progress with your tutor, but in the third year it is all about organising yourself to get everything finished on time."
Recent graduate: David Cameron, 25, is a product designer
"I graduated in 2005 and began work immediately as a porter and white van man - I had a lot to pay off from my final year project. I then sat down with a friend and began to write out an informal business plan.
We went to the Milan furniture fair to market our work by running a complimentary taxi service. The main idea was to meet and greet those in the industry and show our portfolios. It was a great experience and led on to exhibiting at the Design Museum for the Design Mart exhibition, which is now on tour.
We are currently working towards the Great Brits exhibition in Milan, and we are also developing other products and furniture for design companies. It's a lot of hard work and extra hours, but I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't enjoy it so much."
WEB WATCH
The National Centre for Product Design & Development Research
Information on graduate training www.pdronline.co.uk
Design Museum
Have a day out and get some ideas! www.designmuseum.org
&made
Check out Dave Cameron's website www.and-made.com
