Product Design, BA (Hons)

Course summary

Product design is about:

• understanding people and society by questioning and reflecting on existing systems

• exploring opportunities for innovative products

Through practical experience, you will learn design research methods used at the forefront of the discipline. These will allow you to explore and understand:

• cutting-edge materials

• technologies

• society

How we teachOur mission is to ensure that you develop your own approach to design. You will develop the skills needed to become a highly employable graduate, entrepreneur or thought leader. These include:

• creative skills

• technical skills

• critical thinking

• interpersonal skills

We aim to produce:

• empathetic, experimental and provocative designers with strong communication skills

• flexible design thinkers who can explore social, economic and environmental contexts and opportunities to design original, useful and thought-provoking products

What you will learnAcross a group of courses, you will explore making, critical thinking and designing using a variety of materials and technologies. These are informed by thought-provoking briefs. You will engage with a range of contemporary issues and future challenges, including:

• the circular economy and sustainability

• product semantics

• speculative design

• the internet of things

Design and Screen Cultures courses are integrated with your practical studio work. These provide a contextual and theoretical understanding of contemporary design. Why Edinburgh?Our lecturers and technicians are highly skilled as makers and researchers. We support our students to:

• develop their own ways of exploring the world through design

• understand the needs of people and the environment

The professional skills and abilities developed in the programme prepare our graduates for a rewarding career in the creative industries. Many of our alumni are now leading practitioners.

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