Design: Products and Furniture

Nottingham Trent University

United Kingdom, Nottingham

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Home/United Kingdom/Nottingham /Nottingham Trent University/Design: Products and Furniture

Nottingham Trent University

United Kingdom , Nottingham

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

City Campus

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2023

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 1 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 14,800 / year

Next Intake September-2023

Design: Products and Furniture

About

Our MA Design: Products and Furniture course is aimed at designers looking to master their approach to develop innovative products, furniture, systems or services. Underpinned by a focus on your own specialism, you'll explore the multidisciplinary field of design, challenge the norms in design thinking and engage with the realities of designing for new and emerging markets.

You'll analyse the relationship between traditional craft skills, new technology and modern manufacture, with ideas and approaches informed by collaborative working and hands-on experience. Through contemporary research and industry-applied projects and briefs, you'll consider materials and manufacturing, and a broad range of strategies and approaches to help explore and understand markets, social needs and end users.

Who is this course designed for?

This course is aimed at design professionals or graduates with a design-related honours degree. The course, and the associated support provided by the University, will enable graduates to develop advanced design, technological and manufacturing skills, enabling them to start their own business, work within the manufacturing industry, design consultancies, research and development organisations, or to progress to further study by engaging in research.

Visit our Product Design Masters Showcase, an online exhibition celebrating the work of our MA and MSc Class of 2021 students.

Our course is accredited by the Chartered Society of Designers (CSD), recognising the quality and relevance of the course content, and allowing you to gain free membership as a full-time student for the duration of your studies.
Benefit from the industry-standard facilities at our City Campus, in the heart of Nottingham's city centre. Supported by our team of expert technicians, you'll have access to our machining and manufacturing workshops, laboratories, modern CAD/CAM studios and dedicated studio for Masters students.
Showcase your work at our annual NTU Art and Design Degree Show, and postgraduate design exhibition, attended by design professionals, industry experts and potential employers, providing you invaluable opportunity to expand your networks.
Benefit from our established links to commercial organisations, industry professionals and research experts. Our research activities are globally-recognised and supported by grants from a variety of funding organisations.

The course will apply for reaccreditation by the CSD by July 2022 to cover intakes from 2022 onwards.

With a strong studio-based culture, our MA Design course considers the relationship between traditional craft skills, new technology and modern manufacture, and encourages collaborative working and hands-on experience. You'll be given the tools to understand market, social needs and end users, developing into an advanced and aware designer, specialising in existing or emerging areas of product design.

Course structure

The course is formed of four core modules, three of which are worth 20 credit points and develop different aspects of your design skills, knowledge and experience. You will also study a 120 credit Major Study Project, which will run throughout the year/two years on the part-time route. This is split into three elements which are assessed at the end of each term. You'll have the opportunity to take part in a public exhibition at the NTU Degree Show, at the end of Term 2.

You'll study the three 20 credit point modules alongside students from the MSc Design: Products and Technology course, offering opportunities to share ideas and expertise across the subject group.

Course overview

Full-time route

Term 1 (15 weeks)	Term 2 (15 weeks)	Term 3 (15 weeks)
Design Research Methods (20 credits)	Professional Collaboration (20 credits)	Products and Furniture: Major Study Project Element 3: Realisation and Evaluation Core (part of 120 credit module)
Design Tools (20 credits)	Products and Furniture: Major Study Project Element 2: Design and Development Core (part of 120 credit module)
Products and Furniture: Major Study Project Element 1: Context and Rationale Core (part of 120 credit module)

Part-time route

Year 1	Year 2
Term 1 (15 weeks)	Term 2 (15 weeks)	Term 3 (15 weeks)	Term 1 (15 weeks)	Term 2 (15 weeks)	Term 3 (15 weeks)
Design Research Methods (20 credits)	Professional Collaboration (20 credits)	Products and Furniture: Major Study Project Element 2: Design and Development Core (part of 120 credit module)	Products and Furniture: Major Study Project Element 3: Realisation and Evaluation Core (part of 120 credit module)
Products and Furniture: Major Study Project Element 1: Context and Rationale Core (part of 120 credit module)	-	Design Tools (20 credits)

Year 1

Year 2

Term 1
(15 weeks)

Term 2
(15 weeks)

Term 3
(15 weeks)

Term 1
(15 weeks)

Term 2
(15 weeks)

Term 3
(15 weeks)

Design Research Methods

(20 credits)

Professional Collaboration

(20 credits)

Products and Furniture: Major Study Project

Element 2: Design and Development Core
(part of 120 credit module)

Products and Furniture: Major Study Project
Element 3: Realisation and Evaluation Core (part of 120 credit module)

Products and Furniture: Major Study Project
Element 1: Context and Rationale Core
(part of 120 credit module)

Design Tools

(20 credits)

Module content

Design Research Methods

20 credit points

This module will provide students with the research methodologies, languages, methods, knowledge and skills necessary in building contemporary arts, design, manufacturing and technology-related practices.
Working in small groups you'll complete a research project in consultation with your supervisor, identifying your aims and objectives within the framework of their course and beyond.
You'll engage with a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and evaluate primary and secondary methods with reference to design issues.
You'll learn to critically appraise theoretical and experimental methods of research in your chosen field of interest and apply them in your practice, and reflect on the relationship between theory and practice.

Design Tools

20 credit points

This module will provide you with the necessary practical skills and knowledge to devise creative design solutions at an advanced level.
You'll undertake a series of exploratory workshops to become familiarised with the facilities and staff at the university, and to develop an awareness of the potential for emerging materials and technologies relating to their design interests.
You'll generate ideas for new products and develop and evaluate a range of new solutions, communicate ideas, concepts, plans and designs, using a variety of approaches including written, oral, graphic illustrations and computer-based presentations.
You'll consider different elements of your individual design interests through studio and reflective practice, skills such as drawing, and prototyping as well as investigations to materials such as wood, metal, plastics, ceramics, composites and sustainable materials, and fourth-generation development platforms, computer aided design and additive manufacturing.

Professional Collaboration

20 credit points

Working as a member of a small team, the Professional Collaboration module will provide challenging simulated work environments, to enable you to engage in the design and management of real-world design projects with industrial partners.
You'll choose from a range of problem-based scenarios and benefit from working with others on innovative projects set in the context of contemporary real-world issues, and find solutions to difficult and complex challenges.
You'll be challenged to define the value in a design proposal, and to develop it into a viable commercial proposition, informed by current developments in design management, venture funding, manufacturing technologies, intellectual property (IP), open innovation, and brand management.

Major Study Project

120 credit points

This module provides you with the opportunity to develop innovative artefacts, products or systems. You'll work on your own design concept, an industrially-led, or research-based project as individually negotiated through your learning agreement.
Projects may be based on developing innovative products, furniture, systems and services. Projects should consider not only materials and manufacturing, but also a broad range of strategies and approaches driven by user-centred, market-driven, sustainable, ethical, technological or critical methodologies.
The first element of this module is called context and rationale. The main aims of this phase are to enable you to employ appropriate methods of creative research, and apply them to the development of effective design strategies for a negotiated Masters Project.
In the second element, design and development you'll progress your project by applying research methods and creative concept generation and ideas prototyping to the development and testing of a range of possible design outcomes for your project.
In the final element of the Major Study Project, realisation and evaluation, you'll realise the outcome of your design project through the development of manufactured artifacts, detailed prototypes and/or digital simulations, which will enable effective testing and evaluation of the project outcome, and successfully communicate the product, system or service to all stakeholders in the project.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Your qualification	You could study
Bachelors degree (four years) from a recognised university in Jordan 2.2 grade (Average of "Good" or GPA 2.5/4 or 3.1/5 or 65%)	Postgraduate (Masters) courses Students who do not meet this grade can be considered for Pre-Masters courses at NTIC
Masters degree (one - three years) from a recognised university in Jordan	Postgraduate research

Your qualification

You could study

Bachelors degree (four years) from a recognised university in Jordan

2.2 grade (Average of "Good" or GPA 2.5/4 or 3.1/5 or 65%)

Postgraduate (Masters) courses

Students who do not meet this grade can be considered for Pre-Masters courses at NTIC

Masters degree (one - three years) from a recognised university in Jordan

Postgraduate research

Career

Where do MA Design: Products and Furniture graduates from NTU work?

This course has been developed to meet the needs of industry in the UK and overseas. It is specifically designed to increase your employability in a business context by identifying new services, strategies and product opportunities, and conducting projects in collaboration with industrial partners. You'll become more strategically aware and technically literate, and will communicate concepts and outcomes at an advanced level in an ever-changing global market place.

On completion, you will have acquired a set of skills, knowledge and experience to enable you to set up your own business, to work in manufacturing industries, design consultancies, and research and development organisations, or to progress to PhD study by engaging in further research.

Our Employability team

Our expert Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies, and for up to three years after completing your course.

NTU Enterprise

You'll also have the opportunity to turn your ideas into a viable business with help from NTU Enterprise, NTU's purpose-built Centre for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise, a support centre to help students create, develop and grow their own businesses.

Re:search Re:imagined

To us, research is about more than writing papers and proposing new ideas. By daring to think differently, we're disrupting the research landscape and finding the answers to the questions that really matter. From sustainable technologies to revolutionary medical products, we're inspiring the brightest minds to rise up and find solutions to some of the most significant global challenges facing society.

Find out more: ntu.ac.uk/research

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 14,800 / year

How to Apply

Step 1: Register as a new applicant and create an account

To get started, head to our Applicant Portal. Register yourself as a new applicant and create your user name and password . You don’t have to complete your application all at once – so keep your login details safe and log back in whenever you want.

Step 2: Fill out and submit your application

Work your way through the application making sure you:

include as much relevant information as possible
upload evidence of the results you have achieved
write a comprehensive personal statement that highlights your skills and explains your motivation for applying for the course in question
stick to the 4,000 word character limit – you can upload additional documents if you have more you need to say
if required, provide the reference(s) with your application.

When you submit your application, you'll receive an acknowledgement of receipt from us.

Reference guidelines

You can submit your reference through the Applicant Portal, but make sure your referee:

types your reference on letter-headed paper
dates and signs the reference
clearly states their position and relationship to you.

Alternatively, your referee can email your reference to us at [email protected] – but it must come from their official email address. This means that it must be sent from a school, college, university or work email address.

It's your responsibility to request a reference from your referee and ensure that they, or you, submit it to us. We don't request references from referees on your behalf.

Step 3: Track the progress of your application

As long as you’ve provided all the information we need, we’ll try and make a decision on your application within five to ten working days. However, this can take longer and you should allow at least three weeks for a decision .

We’ll be updating you throughout this process though so make sure you add @ntu.ac.uk to your safe senders list and keep an eye on your emails. You can also track the progress of your application through the Applicant Portal.

Some courses will require that you attend an interview, or you may have to submit a portfolio of work. We'll contact you and give you plenty of warning if you need to do either of these things.

Step 4: Check your offer

If your offer is accepted, congratulations! You'll have received either a conditional offer or an unconditional offer from us. It's important that you check this carefully.

Conditional offer: This means you must fulfil certain criteria – such as achieving the required grades – before you can be accepted on to the course.
Unconditional offer: You have met all the entry criteria and can take your place on the course as long as you accept your offer within four weeks .

If you've applied for more than one course you'll receive a separate decision for each course.

Step 5: Accept your offer within four weeks

We look forward to welcoming you – but remember that accepting your offer does not commit you to joining the course. Instead you'll have reserved your place as long as you meet any conditions – however we hope you do decide to join us.

Remember that competition for places is high, and if you don’t accept your offer within four weeks it may lapse. After eight weeks it will be automatically withdrawn.

Step 6: Meet the conditions of your offer (if you have any)

Upload all the documents required to meet the conditions of your offer using the My Documents section of the Applicant Portal. Make sure you keep your original copies too as we may need to see these to fully complete your enrolment and welcome you to the University.