What is Product Design?
Product design is a discipline, a unique one where creativity and technology meet, and innovation thrives. We’ll give you the tools you’ll need to develop as a creative and analytical thinker, and the freedom to discover and develop your own individual design style, vision and philosophy.
What is the difference between our courses?
BSc (Hons) Product Design focuses on the underlying technology of product design, exploring the design of sustainable products for manufacturing, digital, industrial, electronics, and medical applications.
BA (Hons) Product Design focuses on the design of products, systems and services, including consumer goods, digital and electronic devices, sustainable products, sports, medical and healthcare equipment, packaging, and transportation.
BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design specifically focuses on furniture, lighting and interior/ exterior sustainable products for the home and contract markets.
Entry requirements differ for each course and you need to submit a portfolio and attend an interview for our BA Product Design and BA Furniture and Product Design courses. You will not need to submit a portfolio or attend an interview for the BSc Product Design course.
Course length
Three years full-time or four years with a sandwich year.
Entry requirements
- A-levels – BBC; or
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM; or
- 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)
- GCSEs – English and Maths grade C / 4.
Key modules
- Design Fundamentals
- The Developing Design Technologist
- Applied Design Technology
- Professional Practice
- Applied Materials and Technology
Sandwich year
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 Triumph Motorcycles, Aevena (USA), Demand, and Bentley Motors Ltd
You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise
Professional progression
NTU has a strong product design alumni community with many graduates working in senior positions in leading national and international companies.
Recent graduate destinations include Dyson, Triumph, TATA, Cummins Ltd, Jaguar Land Rover, Solid Solutions, AECOM, Brett Martin, Harkess-Ord and Accuride.
Visit our course page to find out more.
Course length
Three years full-time or four years with a sandwich year.
Entry requirements
- A-levels – BBC; or
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM; or
- 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)
- GCSEs – English and Maths grade C / 4.
- An online interview where you'll present your digital portfolio
Key modules
- Design Fundamentals
- The Developing Product Designer
- Applied Product Design Practice
- Professional Practice
- Product Design: Context and Identity
Sandwich year
In your third year, you'll have the opportunity to take a year-long, full-time placement.
Students typically gain placements in product design companies across the UK and abroad. Recent destinations have included: Disney, Nestlé and Tesco. There are a wide variety of jobs available within the industry. The majority of our students have worked as packaging and design interns and in product development roles
You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise
Professional progression
Graduates from this course include design engineers, product designers, CAD designers and visualisation managers. Recent destinations include Sony, Mothercare, Games Workshop and LEGO.
Visit our course page to find out more.
Course length
Three years full-time or four years with a sandwich year.
Entry requirements
- A-levels – BBC; or
- BTEC Extended Diploma – DMM; or
- 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)
- GCSEs – English and Maths grade C / 4.
Key modules
- Design Fundamentals
- Furniture and Product Design: Context and Identity
- Professional Practice
- The Developing Furniture and Product Designer
- Design in Practice
- Design in Context
Sandwich year
In your third year, you'll have the opportunity to take a year-long, full-time placement.
Many students return to their placement company after graduation, having developed a useful network of contacts within the industry.
Recent placement destinations have included Sawaya & Mironi (Milan), Modus Furniture, Object Design and more, working in roles such as trainee designer, CAD/CAM technician, junior designer and planner, amongst more. The majority of their roles include salaries, with some students earning up to £18,000 for their year.
You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise
Professional progression
NTU has a strong product design alumni community, with many graduates working in senior positions in leading national and international companies. Recent graduate destinations include John Lewis, Nestlé, Benchmark and DFS.
Visit our course page to find out more.
What are the similarities between our courses?
- All our courses are accredited
- Each course offers a placement year option
- All courses have great industry links and offer the multiple opportunities to work on live projects
- All of these courses allow you exhibit your work in your final year Showcase
- They are all based on our City Campus in the heart of Nottingham
- All give you access to our world-class facilities
What are the options after I graduate?
All of our courses have a great track record in terms careers and employability. Our graduates have gone on to work in companies such as Sony, Mothercare, LEGO, John Lewis and Nestlé.
We have a dedicated employability team to help you along the way!
We also have a number of postgraduate courses linking on from each of our undergraduate courses.
Principal Lecturer, Chris Lamerton, talk you through our courses.
Find out what our students think
"I have completed two placements for my course, one at Logitech HQ in Silicon Valley and second one at design consultancy LAYER in London. Placement experience took my 3D modelling and technical theory skill to an entirely new level."
Anastasia Klimova, BA (Hons) Product Design
"I would 100% recommend our course to anyone looking to study Furniture and Product Design as it is one of the best universities in the country for design."
Emric John-Sawyer, BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design
"There’s lots of staff involved with teaching and supporting the course. We’re quite a small course and so have a close-knit relationship with the academic staff and always feel comfortable to ask for help and advice."
Bethany Wignall, BA (Hons) Product Design
Take a look at our students work
Keep up to date on social media
Follow our dedicated Instagram account, run by staff and students, to find out more about our courses.