BSc (Hons) Product Design with Foundation Year

Why study this subject?

If you find yourself admiring the small details of a product, wondering how it was made, and thinking how you could make it more efficient, then this course may be perfect for you.

Use your love of Product Design and problem solving attitude to bring your ideas to life, and change the future in all things tangible. You can design products that answer a need whilst ensuring ethical and social issues are addressed.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

Embrace the technical side of design. You’ll use a range of industry standard 3D CAD and CAD/CAM systems, and some fantastic workshop facilities to produce 3D models, fully working prototypes, computer models and animations to demonstrate your design solutions. You’ll explore different solutions for a number of areas, working with real clients as you use your expertise to create products with a purpose.

We’ve invested in workshops that replicate those you’ll find at global product companies. We keep on top of the best equipment, using professional facilities and software for your designing needs. Our course is also accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED).

Our staff are all designers themselves and keep updated on the challenges that surround the industry. You receive group and one-to-one teaching as we fully support you throughout your studies. While independent study makes up most of your time, staff and peers are never too far away to bounce ideas off when you’re in the workshop.

With London only a short train journey away, we are perfectly placed for you to discover some beautiful product design. It also means we can bring in industry professionals to run a range of masterclasses, as well as enabling you to get the opportunity to work on a series of live briefs for real clients in our well-equipped studios.

What facilities can I use?

Using our state-of-the-art facilities, you will undertake computer-aided design with our 3D CAD and CAD/CAM systems, as well as having access to some fantastic workshop facilities to produce 3D models, fully working prototypes, computer models and animations.

What will I study?

With your skills as a product designer, you’ll be able to adapt to many different areas. We look at special effects, medical equipment design, games environment design, technical illustration, model making and architectural visualisation. Part of the role involves working closely with clients as you examine exactly what they want as an end product.

We believe that Product Design has a major role to play in the technological revolution. We’re developing students who can make a difference. Already, our graduates have gone on to work with huge companies such as Maclaren, Nokia and Microsoft. Even our current students create products that get taken forward into manufacture.

How will I be taught and assessed?

This course is offered as a four-year programme, including an initial Foundation Year. The Foundation Year will allow you to develop your academic study skills and build confidence in your abilities, identifying your own strengths and development needs for progression onto an undergraduate degree.

We give you opportunities to gain valuable experience working as a product designer. Throughout the course, you’ll work on real briefs, interacting with clients as you work on creating products for their business.

Product design skills can equip you to work in areas such as special effects, medical equipment design, games environment design, technical illustration, model making and architectural visualisation. Part of the role includes working with clients and getting to understand exactly what they want as an end product.

This course is 75% practice-based so you will have ample opportunity to develop your subject through a hands-on, experimental approach. This will involve access to workshops to support the design process.

This course has been designed with inputs from industry practitioners and professional organisations to meet the requirements of the graduates in the field of Product Design.

You will also learn through:

• Lectures, seminars and workshops
• Guided research and reading
• Laboratory experiments
• Examination of projects, simulated or real
• Analysis of work-based scenarios
• Independent learning through individual learning plans
• Tutored classroom sessions
• Visiting speakers and guest lecturers.

Our graduate network continues to spread through many companies in the industry. You’ll be a part of this network, gaining valuable contacts with a variety of work opportunities. Many former students often ask us to suggest people for their own organisations.

With experience, you’ll have the vision and integrity to respond to the needs of society.

Placements Plus

BNU is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.

We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.

Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student, to increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.