Product and Furniture Design (including foundation year) - BA (Hons)
| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2024-09-01 | - |
Program Overview
This four-year Product and Furniture Design degree offers a preparatory year to explore creative practices, followed by three years of specialized study in product and furniture design. The program emphasizes hands-on practice, critical thinking, and sustainability, preparing graduates for careers in the design industry or further study. Students benefit from experienced faculty, excellent facilities, and industry connections.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The foundation year will be shared with others studying a degree with a foundation year in the School. You'll develop a range of skills that will be related to a wide variety of our undergraduate programs. In the first term, you'll take on a range of short studio projects in visual imagery and making, followed by short-term projects in the second semester where you will begin to specialize in product design or explore different creative practices. The individual project in your third term will be more closely aligned to your final BA award. The foundation year will offer a balance of studio and workshop practice with lectures in critical and contextual studies, which will frame creative practice in historical, contemporary, and cultural discourse. In those lectures and seminars, you'll find an emphasis on a thorough engagement with materials, forms and processes combined with intellectual skills, including observation, analysis, discrimination, innovation, and creativity. The program will encourage personal research, exploration, and development as a means to bring individual interests and styles to creative practice. The subsequent three years of your studies will be shared with students on the standard course.
Outline:
Year 0:
- Critical & Contextual Studies: Foundation
- Critical Creative Practice
- Project
- Techniques
Year 1:
- 3D Design and Development 1
- 3D Workshop Practice
- Critical & Contextual Studies 1 (3D)
- Research and Visual Communication
Year 2:
- 3D Design Realisation
- 3D Design and Development 2
- Critical & Contextual Studies 2 (3D)
- Professional Practice 1
Year 3:
- 3D Design and Development 3
- Critical & Contextual Studies 3: Dissertation (3D)
- Major Project Resolution: Product and Furniture Design
- Professional Practice 2
Assessment:
During the foundation year, you'll be assessed via project work, essays, and an individual portfolio. In the subsequent three years of your degree, we'll assess you via formative, summative, diagnostic, peer and self-assessment methods, as well as your studio work, digital projects, and workshops.
Teaching:
The course is delivered at two different London campuses, Aldgate and Shoreditch, and uses a variety of teaching methods including lectures, seminars, workshops, tutorials, and independent study. The program benefits from a team of experienced and passionate lecturers, technicians, and guest speakers who are all dedicated to helping students achieve their full potential. The course also provides access to a range of excellent facilities, including workshops, studios, and libraries.
Careers:
The program prepares graduates for a wide range of careers in the product and furniture design industry, including product designer, furniture designer, interior designer, graphic designer, and packaging designer. The course has a strong track record of employability, with many graduates going on to work for leading design companies such as Tom Dixon, Made.com, Based Upon, Thomas Heatherwick, Established & Sons.
Other:
- Students are encouraged to participate in the program’s annual summer show, where they can showcase their work to a professional audience.
- The course also has strong links with industry, and students have the opportunity to undertake work placements and internships with leading design companies.
- The program is also committed to sustainability, and students are encouraged to develop innovative and eco-friendly design solutions. The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.
Entry Requirements:
- At least one A level (or a minimum of 32 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification, eg BTEC Subsidiary/National/BTEC Extended Diploma)
- English Language GCSE at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent)
How to apply:
- If you're a UK applicant wanting to study full-time starting in September, you must apply via UCAS unless otherwise specified.
