Product Design and Innovation

Product design and innovation is the discipline that brings new products into being: taking an understanding of user needs, material possibilities and production constraints, and transforming them into objects and systems that work well, look considered and can be made and sold sustainably. It spans everything from consumer electronics and medical devices to furniture, transport and everyday household products. Innovation is at the heart of the field, requiring both creative ambition and rigorous analytical thinking about what is technically feasible and commercially viable.

At the University of Strathclyde, this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, reflecting the international character of the design and manufacturing world. You will develop your skills across the full design process, from research and ideation through concept development, prototyping, testing and refinement to the production and commercialisation considerations that turn a design concept into a real product. The programme engages with the rapidly evolving landscape of manufacturing technology, digital design tools, sustainability and the demand for products that are more personalised, more quickly developed and more environmentally responsible.

You will study design theory and process, materials and manufacturing, computer-aided design, user research, sustainability and environmental impact, project management and the business of design. Studio-based work is central, developing your ability to generate, communicate and refine ideas through drawing, modelling and digital tools.

Graduates go on to careers in product design, industrial design, user experience design, innovation management, design consultancy, manufacturing and engineering industries, and design for sustainability. Some build design practices or work in design-led technology companies. Others go on to postgraduate study in product design, design engineering or innovation management.