BA / BSc (Hons) Product Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers, this degree develops skills in design thinking, sustainable design, material science and engineering, rapid prototyping and manufacturing. Students choose a BA (user-centred, creative and social focus) or a BSc (design for manufacture, technical and engineering focus) and can switch after year one. Work includes live briefs, interdisciplinary projects, competitions and industry placements.

Faculty: Cardiff School of Art & Design  |  Department: Product Design  |  Duration: 3 years full time; 4 years with a year-long sandwich placement  |  Intake: 2027  |  Location: Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

What you will study

Skills include design process and user-centred methodologies, user insights, 2D and 3D conceptualisation, prototyping (Arduino, laser cutting, CNC, 3D printing, wood, metal, ceramics), design for manufacture and CAD/CAM, and presentation techniques. Year 1: Design Visualisation and Presentation, Design Materials and Processes, Research Basics, Interdisciplinary Understanding. Year 2: The Practising Product Designer, Real-World Contexts, Research Proposal, plus Engineering Science (BSc only) or 21st Century Challenges (BA only).

Career pathways

Graduates have built careers at organisations including Dyson, Panasonic, Jaguar Land Rover, Safran, DS Smith, Frontier Medical, Olympus Surgical, Royal Mint, PDR and Orangebox, or progressed to further study; a business route allows students to engage with businesses or launch their own, with a business plan as an alternative to the dissertation.

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