Product Design

Product design is concerned with how objects and systems are conceived, developed and brought into existence in ways that serve human needs. It sits firmly at the intersection of creative and technical thinking: a product designer must understand materials, manufacturing, ergonomics and engineering constraints as well as being able to develop visual concepts, communicate design ideas persuasively and think empathetically about how people will actually use what they make. It is a discipline in which creativity and rigour reinforce each other rather than pulling in opposite directions.

This four-year full-time degree at the University of Edinburgh includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in a different national context and to develop design perspectives shaped by different cultural and industrial environments. You will develop the full range of skills that professional product design practice requires: research and user insight, concept generation, CAD modelling, physical prototyping, materials knowledge, manufacturing understanding and presentation. The programme pays serious attention to sustainable innovation, recognising that product design in the contemporary world must engage with environmental consequences and the full life cycle of objects.

You will also develop the design thinking and entrepreneurial capabilities that support careers in tech and design-led industries.

Graduates work in product design consultancies, in-house design teams, technology companies, manufacturing businesses and start-ups. Roles in product development, user experience design, industrial design, sustainable innovation and design management are all relevant destinations. Some graduates develop their own ventures in design-led businesses.

Further study at postgraduate level in product design, design engineering, sustainable design or innovation is an option for those who wish to develop specialist expertise or move into research and advanced practice.