About this course
Product designers are the creative minds behind the products, services, and experiences we use every day. If you're passionate about shaping the future of technology and design, then product design is your gateway to an exciting and evolving field that makes a real impact.
Our teachers don’t just teach. They’re collaborators, constantly encouraging you to develop your own unique style. We’ll plug you into the industry from day one, pushing the limits of your creativity with real-world projects. You’ll dive into hands-on work, using the latest software and techniques to bring your ideas to life.
You'll discover how designers lead projects and connect with different experts. In our studio, you'll build confidence and skills, developing your ideas from sketches to working prototypes. With opportunities for placements, competitions, and exhibitions, you'll meet and impress top industry professionals.
Designed with input from leading employers in product design, our course gives you the skills and connections to follow in the footsteps of our successful alumni, who work with brands like Adidas, Sony, and the BBC. Join us and turn your creative vision into reality.
Explore the work of our graduating students in our Student Showcase.
Compare our courses to find out how this course differs from BSc (Hons) Product Design and BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design.
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2nd most sustainable university in the world (UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2024). -
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NTU is ranked Top 15 for Art & Design (Complete University Guide 2025). -
You’ll work on live project briefs with real industry clients. We’ve already welcomed the likes of Nestlé, PepsiCo, W'innovate, Herman Miller and Speedo onto the course, and that list of big-time industry partners is growing all the time.
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Main image: Work by Lucy Glover
What you’ll study
Embark on a dynamic journey in product design, unlocking your creative potential. Develop a unique design style and toolkit for your career. Embrace risk-taking, challenge briefs, and graduate with skills valued by top employers. Dive into contemporary design evolution, learning to create innovative products based on solid design principles. Experiment with materials and techniques in our hands-on studios.
Here’s a year-by-year breakdown of what you’ll be studying during the course.
Year One
- Introduction to Design (20 credit points)
- Professional Design Contexts (20 credit points)
- Design for Markets, Users & Manufacture (60 credit points)
- Design Communications (20 credit points)
Year Two
- Professional Practice (20 credit points)
- Advanced Design Communications (20 credit points)
- Design Production, Markets & Innovation (20 credit points)
- Elective Design Project (40 credit points)
- Exploring Design Futures (20 credit points)
Year Three
- Placement
Final Year
- Commercial Project (20 credit points)
- Exploration & Context (20 credit points)
- Self-Directed Projects (Product Design) (80 credit points)
Introduction to Design (20 credit points)
- You'll develop essential design skills, focusing on safe studio and workshop practices.
- You’ll master essential design communication skills, using a mix of 2D and 3D media. From sketching to basic modelling and presentation techniques, you'll gain the creative tools to bring your design ideas to life.
- This module will boost your design skills, spark creativity, and help you solve real-world problems. You'll learn to think critically, reflect on your work, and tackle modern design challenges.
Professional Design Contexts (20 credit points)
- On this module you’ll learn about key design theories, apply them in hands-on projects, and showcase your work through research and presentations to peers and tutors.
- You’ll explore your future as a designer, discover industry opportunities, and develop your unique design identity within the profession.
Design for Markets, Users & Manufacture (60 credit points)
- You will develop your design skills through hands-on projects, exploring the practical aspects of design, including markets, users, and manufacturing, to enhance your creative process.
- Explore key elements like commercial context and user needs, applying them to real-world design scenarios that showcase your creativity and technical talents.
Design Communications (20 credit points)
- This module will allow you to enhance your design skills and communication techniques, learning through sketching, Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D modelling. Develop your unique design processes while exploring creative ways to present ideas.
- Build your confidence with hands-on projects and presentations, mastering digital tools and effective communication.
Professional Practice (20 credit points)
- Explore design’s past, present, and future. Get hands-on experience through industry insights and discussions, helping you map out your future in the design world with practical, real-world knowledge.
- Develop your critical and analytical skills and learn essential topics like design management, sustainability, and commercial awareness. Understand the wider design industry, including the roles and responsibilities of designers, manufacturers, and consumers, preparing you for a successful career.
Advanced Design Communication (20 credit points)
- Sharpen your design skills and master advanced communication techniques with CAD software, sketching, and model making to bring your ideas from concept to creation. Perfect for refining your design process and industry-ready portfolio.
- Boost your design communication expertise, from graphic visuals to rendering methods, enhancing your CV and portfolio. This module equips you with essential skills to excel in other Level 5 modules and stand out in the design industry.
Design Production, Markets & Innovation (20 credit points)
- Build on your first-year skills with hands-on design projects that mirror real industry challenges. Tackle briefs involving user-centred design, ergonomics, digital tools, and shifting markets to boost your confidence as a future product designer.
- Explore dynamic, live design briefs that reflect the real-world demands of the industry. Develop a range of professional outputs including CAD work, prototypes, and technical reports, all while focusing on user needs and market trends.
- Gain practical experience through industry-focused projects and competitions. These real-life briefs will enhance your understanding of product design, market analysis, and commercial awareness, preparing you for a successful career in the design profession.
Elective Design Project (40 credit points)
- On this module, you’ll choose from a range of exciting themes and work on a project you’re passionate about. You’ll develop and build on the key skills you’ve gained so far.
- You will get hands-on with design-focused tasks like selecting materials, prototyping, and testing. Show off your independence and risk-taking with practical work that’s clearly communicated through visuals, writing, and presentations.
Exploring Design Futures (20 credit points)
- Explore and research a subject of your choice based on course themes, crafting a research portfolio that showcases your findings, trends and ideas. This will guide your elective project work and set the stage for your creative direction and choices.
In your third year, you'll have the opportunity to take a year-long, full-time placement. This year in industry will offer you hands-on experience, adding invaluable knowledge and skills to your CV. Many students return to their placement company after graduation, having developed a useful network of contacts within the industry.
Recent placement destinations have included Nestlé, Lego (Denmark), The Walt Disney Company, Adidas, Urban Outfitters and Nestlé, working in roles such as toy designer, junior designer, assistant designer, and Disney Design and Creative Intern. The majority of placement roles include paid salaries.
Successful completion of the placement year leads to an extra qualification – the Diploma in Professional Practice.
You'll also have the opportunity to undertake a European Project Semester during your third year with one of our partner universities. This option allows you to spend half a year studying abroad, and the other half gaining work experience on placement. We've got links with Universities in Spain, France, Austria, The Netherlands and Germany amongst others.
Commercial Project (20 credit points)
- This module encourages you to explore real-world design challenges through dynamic, self-driven projects with live industry partners. Apply your skills to develop innovative solutions and see your work make an impact in the commercial world.
- Projects are set by industry or recognised student competitions. This has previously included brands like Habitat, Made.com, Starpack, Allermuir and Howdens.
Exploration & Context (20 credit points)
- This module allows you to dive into a topic you’re passionate about. Research and create a scoping document that highlights your key findings, setting the stage for your future design work.
- You’ll use this module to explore relevant subjects and set the foundation for your self-directed project.
Self-Directed Projects (Product Design) (80 credit points)
- You'll explore, research, and create your own design concepts. Build your skills, develop your portfolio, and make a personal impact on contemporary design through self-regulated, innovative work.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Video Gallery
How you're taught
You'll learn through a mix of:
- lectures - covering the key theories
- seminars - smaller-group sessions perfect for learning key skills and collaborative working
- studio projects - working both independently and as groups
- workshops - supported by our team, you’ll experiment with materials and facilities such as model-making and 3D printing
- live briefs - from industry and competitions.
A placement year may be taken between year 2 and year 3 of study.
Beyond scheduled sessions, embrace independent study—preparing for lectures, researching, completing coursework, and expanding your portfolio through directed reading. Benefit from the insights of external professional practitioners, ensuring a continual enhancement of your learning with real-world perspectives.
100% of BA (Hons) Product Design full-time students are satisfied with the opportunities they have to give feedback on their course (NSS, 2024).
100% of BA (Hons) Product Design full-time students feel they have had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth (NSS, 2024).
Our Product Design community
Dive into our dynamic Product Design community — a blend of creativity, support, and challenge. Collaborate seamlessly with classmates, tutors, and experts to shape your unique design identity from day one. Embrace teamwork to tackle diverse design activities, from idea experimentation in our studio to crafting CAD models and prototypes in our workshops. This environment is designed to inspire and prepare you for the creative challenges ahead in your studies and career.
Study trips
Field trips and study visits are an important part of your learning. Trips may include site visits and visits to practices, museums, exhibitions and events. Where a trip is mandatory it will be aligned to your modules and inform project work, and substantive costs – including travel and accommodation – will be paid for by the school. Optional trips may also be organised which can provide additional opportunities to enhance your knowledge and experience. Optional trips may incur a cost to the student. A valid passport and any associated visas will be required for trips outside of the UK.
Design studio
You'll benefit from dedicated studio space on the course. Our studio-based environment encourages experimentation with new methods, styles, and techniques, and pushes you to take your practice in any direction that motivates you. This approach reflects how the industry works and prepares you well for the collaborative approach that you'll practice throughout your career.
Live projects
As part of some modules, you'll work on live project briefs set by real industry clients. This can involve visits and workshops led by design teams from industry, and delivering presentations to them, providing the opportunity to showcase your skills and ability to potential employers. Previously our students have worked with Nestlé, PepsiCo, Speedo, W'innovate, Instrmnt, Herman Miller, and Matter on a range of exciting projects.
Competitions
As well as working on briefs as part of the course, we encourage you to enter external industry competitions to challenge yourself, broaden your skillset, and add to your CV and portfolio. Our students have won national competitions including the BPMA Student Design Innovation Awards and the Student Starpack Awards, been awarded high-profile prizes at New Designers, and exhibited their work at huge events like the Global Grad Show during Dubai Design Week.
How you're assessed
People excel in different ways, and we want everybody to have the best possible chance of success. You will be assessed through:
- coursework, this will make up the majority of your assessments and will consist of reports, logs, reflective journals, a portfolio of work, reviews and visual essays
- exhibitions, showcasing your work and project outcomes.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to prepare you to succeed in the design industry, through work placements, working on real projects from industry, input from industry professionals, and contemporary course content.
CSD accreditation
By enrolling in this programme, you'll gain complimentary student membership of CSD for the duration of your studies. This is the first step in a professional design career offering graduates exemptions in the application process, timescale and costs in achieving ‘Chartered Designer’ status.
Sandwich placement year
In your third year, grasp the opportunity for a year-long, full-time design placement to apply your skills in a real-world setting and explore career options. The skills developed in Years One and Two, along with a curated design portfolio, are complemented by support from our Employability team, assisting with opportunities, CVs, and interview preparation. This industry experience not only enhances your final year work but also establishes valuable connections, with some students returning to their placement companies post-graduation.
Students typically gain placements in product design companies across the UK and abroad. Recent destinations have included: Disney, Hasbro, Nestlé, Tesco, Philip Watts Design.
Professional qualification
Successful completion of the 36 weeks leads to an extra qualification of Diploma in Professional Practice, which will further enhance your CV.
Where do Product Design graduates from NTU work?
NTU has a strong product design alumni community with many graduates working in senior positions in leading national and international companies.
Graduates from this course include design engineers, product designers, CAD designers and visualisation managers. Recent destinations include: Sony, Matter Design, Mothercare, Games Workshop, Nestlé, LEGO, Next, Molton Brown.
Our Employability team
Our expert Employability Team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies and for up to three years after completing your course.
NTU Enterprise
You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their own businesses.
Final Year Showcase
Check out our NTU Design Industries Virtual Student Showcase, an online exhibition celebrating the work of our Class of 2023 graduates.
Keep up to date with our current Final Year Product Design student work on Instagram - @NTUDI
What our students are doing now
Walking stick which could ‘change the lives’ of disabled people
Disabled people whose walking sticks regularly slide over while they’re paying at the till could soon have their lives improved thanks to a new design by a Nottingham Trent University (NTU) student.
NTU Product Design Students Success at New Designers 2024
Simplexity in Design Exhibition - Milan Design Week 2024
Campus and facilities
Studio space
Our Arkwright studio is a big, open, creative space where you'll spend a lot of your time as a Product Design student. This is where you'll collaborate, undertake group and individual work, sketch, develop projects and soft modeling, and have presentations and critique sessions. Fitted with plenty of desk space and computers with all the software you need, you'll be well equipped and supported by our academic and technical teams.
Specialist facilities
At the University's City Campus, you'll have full access to our range of specialist equipment and spaces based in our Arkwright and Maudslay buildings. You'll be supported by a team of expert technical staff who will teach you to maximise the use of our resources and facilitate your development as a designer.
You'll benefit from our dedicated studios and workshop facilities, and full IT and CAD suites.
Specialised equipment includes the following:
- Rapid prototyping modellers: these machines quickly create a 3D object from a virtual computer model using a highly advanced laser process.
- Waterjet cutter: the latest generation precision technology capable of cutting up to 150mm in almost any solid material such as glass, steel, granite, marble, aluminium and rubber.
- a CNC (computer-numerical control) router and laser and plasma cutters.
- Bandsaw machines, lathes and circular saws to cut a range of materials including wood, foam, plastics and metal.
- Sanding machines, used to prepare surfaces and furniture for a high quality finish.
Take a look at the facilities, equipment and spaces you could use as a Product Design student.
Access to our workshops and labs
Enjoy scheduled access to well-equipped workshops and labs throughout your academic journey, tailored to meet project-specific needs. Additionally, our studio spaces are available for daily bookings, offering flexibility to accommodate your creative workflow. Outside timetabled hours, select machinery remains accessible, with priority given to timetabled students, but open to all when space permits.
Dedicated resource centre
Students in the School of Architecture, Design and the Built Environment have access to a dedicated resource centre. This centre, based in the Maudslay building, enables students to undertake private study in a facility equipped with computers, large format plotters and desk space, together with journals and publications – both current and archived.
Entry requirements
UK students
Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).
Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent).
Other requirements:
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications (two of which must be A-level equivalent). We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Other requirements:
Additional requirements for international students
If you need help achieving the academic entry requirements, we offer a Foundation preparation course for this degree. The course is offered through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) based on our City campus.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
Sign up for emails
Sign up to receive regular emails from the International Office. You'll hear about our news, scholarships and any upcoming events in your country with our expert regional teams.
Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
