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Product Design

Entry requirements


A level

C,D,D-B,B,C

Accepted alongside A-Levels as part of overall 80-112 UCAS Tariff requirement.

80-112 UCAS Tariff points

80-112 UCAS Tariff points

Accepted as part of overall 80-112 UCAS Tariff requirement.

80-112 UCAS Tariff points from International Baccalaureate Certificates

80-112 UCAS Tariff points

Accepted alongside Irish Leaving Certificate Higher Level as part of overall 80-112 UCAS Tariff requirement.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MMP-DMM

80-112 UCAS Tariff points

80-112 UCAS Tariff points

UCAS Tariff

80-112

Accepted as part of overall 80-112 UCAS Tariff point requirement.

You may also need to…

Present a portfolio

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Product design

Why choose this course?

Our Product Design degree focuses on the high-quality practical skills needed to be a professional Product Designer. You will gain experience in digital technologies and techniques that will enable you to turn your imaginative ideas into design boards through prototypes and practical making skills.

You will:

- Learn principles of design communication and drawing- applying these to your own client pitches, design boards, prototypes and final ‘market ready’ products.

- Develop your material and design skills through a series of projects including concept design, digital fabrication, and user-centred design.

- Explore key elements of product design with a focus on sketching, 2D digital techniques and CAD.

- Work with other students on a group project to develop solutions to real-world social and environmental challenges.

- Understand the importance of high-quality fabrication, originality and generating personal responses to materials and processes.

- Specialise and develop a final degree project that will push the boundaries of your skills to set you apart from the crowd in the job market.

- Complete your studies with the professional skills and creative thinking strategies to pursue your chosen career- whether that be as a product designer, working as a freelance designer, or starting your own business.

*Study a course that is part of a subject area rated 2nd out of Welsh universities for satisfaction with the course and 3rd out of Welsh Universities for satisfaction with teaching in the Product Design subject league tables, The Guardian University Guide 2023.

Key course features:
- We have excellent commercial links with direct access to live design projects.

- The software you will use is of the latest industry standard. We provide the full suite you will need including Creative Cloud and SolidWorks.

- You will also have access to Wacom Cintiq tablets, material workshops and digital fabrication equipment.

- We offer industry-focused visits and a variety of study trips so you can gain first-hand insight into how the design industry works and the variety of employment opportunities that are available while you develop your career aspirations.

- Throughout your time with us, our academic team will ensure you are aware of opportunities, such as competitions, available to enhance your portfolio.

- Be part of an end of year degree show exhibition - view the 2022 Degree Show e-magazine, Unjammed.

- We offer friendly pastoral care within our welcoming creative community. Our enthusiastic staff set aside a high number of contact hours to ensure that you can always draw on their knowledge and support.

Modules

What you will study

The programme of study will give you experience of designing products, from initial ideas to results. The course aims to provide you with a portfolio that will allow you to start professional activities, apply for postgraduate studies, and enter the design industry.

Year 1 (Level 4)
Level 4 will introduce you to breadth and skills. You will gather the fundamental skills to operate and look for practical, material knowledge and experience.

MODULES

Concept Design (20 Credits)
Digital Fabrication (40 Credits)
User Centred Design (20 Credits)
Sustainable Design (20 Credits)
Prototypes and Production 1 (20 Credits)

Year 2 (Level 5)
Level 5 is all about improving your depth and advancing your skills. You will learn to practice skills within the context of application and learn to analyse the effectiveness of your design.

MODULES

Ergonomics and Human Factors (20 Credits)
Environmental Sustainability (20 Credits)
User Centred Design 2 (20 Credits)
Prototypes and Production (40 Credits)
Creative Futures: Making a Living (20 Credits)

Year 3 (Level 6)
Level 6 is all about gaining your independence and starting to specialise in skills. You will identify and analyse design problems and devise solutions in discussion with tutors and students.

MODULES

Dissertation (20 Credits)
Creative Futures: Professional Practice (20 Credits)
Design for X (20 Credits)
Manufacturing and the Marketplace (20 Credits)
Product Design Degree Project (40 Credits)

The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal academic framework review, so may be subject to change.

Assessment methods

Teaching & Assessment

There are no set exams. Assessment is continuous and relates to all aspects of the programme, providing more carefully defined emphasis on formative assessment and feedback on your coursework throughout the academic year. We will advise you on your level of attainment and direct you towards a strategy for further progression as you complete assignments and modules.

There are varied formats of assessment to encourage your learning through group seminars, critiques, and tutorials. This can be through group interaction with critical analysis where you will submit a range of work including design sheets, finished artwork, 3D work, screen-based work, CAD files, journals, essays and presentations. There are reviews of work at key points before Christmas and before Easter and this provides time for you to reflect on your progress prior to a final or summative year end assessment.

Teaching and Learning

Wrexham Glyndŵr University is committed to supporting our students to maximise their academic potential.

We offer workshops and support sessions in areas such as academic writing, effective note-making and preparing for assignments. Students can book appointments with academic skills tutors dedicated to helping deal with the practicalities of university work. Our Student Support section has more information on the help available.

In terms of particular needs, the University’s Inclusion team can provide appropriate guidance and support should any students require reasonable adjustments to be made because of a recognised prevailing disability, medical condition, or specific learning difference.

On this course, teaching and learning are tailored to support students from a variety of backgrounds with diverse needs, and to encompass the supportive learning environment and pastoral care the School of Art and Design provides. Timetabling is developed to help learning, teaching and assessment methodologies, and provide clear and effective feedback to students. Contact hours are 16 per week in year 1, 14 per week in year 2 and 12 per week in year 3.

The programme is structured to enable you to work in a multidisciplinary manner, to be flexible and enable you to develop individually. This is supported by a personal tutor / tutorials system that provides you with guidance throughout all aspects of the programme.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,000
per year
Scotland
£9,000
per year
Wales
£9,000
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Wrexham (Main Campus)

Department:

School of the Creative Arts

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

58%
Product design

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Design studies

Teaching and learning

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
75%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
63%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

50%
Library resources
43%
IT resources
67%
Course specific equipment and facilities
38%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

96%
UK students
4%
International students
29%
Male students
71%
Female students
63%
2:1 or above
25%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
C
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Design studies

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£15,600
low
Average annual salary
92%
med
Employed or in further education
45%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

29%
Design occupations
24%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
15%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Design studies

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£14k

£14k

£14k

£14k

£17k

£17k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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