Product Design BA

Our product design degree gives you the knowledge, practical skills and industry experience to build a portfolio that will help you launch a career in a wide-range of sectors.

Why choose Product Design BA Honours at Middlesex?

This course is driven by our passion for understanding people and technology; exploring innovative solutions driven by real opportunities, and addressing challenges faced by both industry and society. Our product design degree gives you the confidence, knowledge, practical skills and industry experience to build a portfolio that will help you launch a career across a wide range of creative sectors. We develop product designers who are innovative, creative, confident, and insightful in responding to user needs, and who have a fundamental understanding of how to design and make things that work.

Accreditations

Our BA course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) and meets the educational requirements of Registered Product Designer (RProdDes). This accreditation validates the relevance and content of the degree programme to current industry requirements and practice. Accredited courses are fully supported by the IED, and student membership is free to full-time students for the duration of their studies.

Student work

Find us on Instagram @MDXPD, follow our hashtag #mdxpd and take a look at our annual MDXPD magazine that showcases staff and student work.

What you will gain

You will develop not only an essential industry skill set, but a creative, flexible and professional mindset that supports your interests and career ambitions. We sit within the Faculty of Science and Technology, so you will have access to our state-of-the-art facilities for physical and digital prototyping and 3D Computer-Aided Design (CAD). Our staff expertise and industry connections will give you the tools, experiences and networks you need to enter the profession.

What you will learn

Through our project-based design practice, we will support you with the experience, advice, feedback and encouragement you need to grow as a competent and confident product designer.

Our evidence-based approach develops core critical thinking skills and allows students to work across a broad spectrum of creative projects. You will build an extensive portfolio of work that can propel you into industry, developing creatives who value curiosity, collaboration, problem solving, decision-making and communication.

The course content is enriched with industrial engagement and collaborations, such as live projects with industrial partners, external competitions, workshops, projects run by staff in professional practice, and our industry guest lecture series. Through these experiences, you will come to understand design in a commercial context and appreciate the nature and breadth of the design industry.

You will gain a range of practical skills and knowledge required to enter the profession including:

• Effective communication skills: including sketching, graphical communication and presenting and pitching ideas and concepts

• Digital proficiency: experience and expertise in a range of industry standard software including Adobe Creative Suite, Solidworks, and other software applications

• Design research: designing and applying a breadth of methods and tools

• Design process: learning how to identify opportunities and respond to a range of creative briefs, generating and iterating design solutions to meet client needs both individually and in teams

• Prototyping: in both physical and digital form

• Design for manufacture: understanding commercial constraints and the impact of our choices on the environment

• Innovation: exploring contemporary practice and strategies

• Time and project management: you will develop skills in managing your time effectively and meeting project deadlines.

We ensure that all our graduates are inspired and equipped to address the key socio-political and environmental challenges facing the world, and within the programme we address relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals, including:

• Industry, innovation and infrastructure: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation (Goal 9)
• Responsible consumption and production: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns (Goal 12)
• Climate action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (Goal 13)

Careers

How can the BA Product Design support your career?

We provide an authentic practice-based approach to working in the creative industries, through a course enriched with industrial engagement and collaboration. You will be fully supported in planning your career entry point, developing your portfolio, CV and online profiles.

The course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED), which means our graduates leave us with knowledge and skills aligned with contemporary product design practice. Potential employers exist across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Graduates enter employment taking up positions such as: industrial designer, product designer, service designer, interaction designer, UX/UI designer, designer/craftsperson, creative technologist, and more.

Our alumni are in employment across the globe in organisations such as Lego, dyson, Apple, Sony, LAYER and Native Design.

Check out our  'five years on' and  'ten years on' alumni showcase.

Graduate testimonials

1) "Middlesex university was the best decision I made in my design journey! I was always intrigued by how things were made, building things and problem solving - this passion lead me to product design, and I knew it was the course for me. The team never failed to make me feel at home and included, and helped me learn that failure is part of the journey to success and learning! I felt safe surrounded by my lecturers and peers. During my placement year I had the incredible opportunity to intern at a renowned company, and found my passion which lead me to the job and career I have now!"

Zoe Needham, BA Product Design graduate [2022]

Current employment: Industrial Graphics Design Engineer at ELGA LabWater

2) “I've always been fascinated by problem-solving, product functionality, and manufacturing processes. When I discovered that product design encompassed all of these, I knew it was the perfect course for me. I chose to study at Middlesex University because of the passionate staff and students, and the exceptional facilities. During my placement year, I had the opportunity to intern at two renowned companies. These experiences were truly invaluable, as they allowed me to hone my existing skills whilst acquiring new ones.”

Harry Miller-Adams, BA Product Design graduate [2023]

Current employment: Industrial Designer at LAYER.

Winner of the Product Design award in the 2023 Global Graduate Design Show

3) “Throughout my time at Middlesex, I experienced a thriving community filled with diversity, and I never felt out of place. In fact, I learned to be more open-minded, and my class felt like a close-knit family. The lecturers went beyond their roles as educators and supported my professional and personal growth throughout my university journey. I consider myself incredibly fortunate to have experienced this unique and exceptional university environment.”

Faaiza Ali, BA Product Design graduate [2023]

Current employment: 3D Conceptual Designer at Kesslers, London.

MDXworks

Our employability service, MDXworks will launch you into the world of work from the beginning of your course, with placements, projects and networking opportunities through our 1000+ links with industry and big-name employers in London and globally.

Our dedicated lifetime career support, like our business start-up support programme and funding for entrepreneurs, has put us in the top 20 UK universities for business leaders and entrepreneurs – Business Money 2023 and a top 10 university for producing CEOs (Novuana, 2023).

MDXcelerator Student Start-Up Support

Want to be your own boss? You'll have the chance to pitch your business to gain mentoring and grants of up to £15,000.

Global network

You’ll study with students from 122 countries who’ll hopefully become part of your global network. And after you graduate, we'll still support you through our alumni network to help you progress in your chosen career.

Work placements

The course offers a 4 year sandwich option with a year long a professional work experience placement at the end of year 2. Successful completion of this placement year results in an additional qualification - a Diploma of Industrial Studies. The placement experience can take place in between 1-3 companies in the UK or overseas.

Placements and internships can greatly improve your future job prospects after you graduate. They offer a huge boost to your employability through an enhanced portfolio, CV and the development your own creative confidence, and can raise future academic results by giving you the opportunity to practice what have learned in a professional setting.

Our specialist employability service MDXWorks will support you in finding placement opportunities You’ll be supported by a member of the programme team whilst on placement to ensure the success of your time in industry.

Previous students have taken placements in companies ranging from product design consultancy through to innovation consultancy, furniture design and biomedical engineering. For some students, their experiences on placement has led to employment in the company after graduation.