Product Design (Industrial) BSc

Course overview

Product design spans a wide variety of sectors and requirements by combining creativity with technical skills. The next generation of product designers could find themselves working on the design and development of physical products, such as electronics, furniture and other manufactured goods, but also on digital products such as software or apps.

Successful product designers bring together a variety of skills from different specialisms including the arts, engineering and technology, visualising and creating new products to meet the demands and challenges of the modern world.

Studying product design at Leeds will develop your abilities and knowledge and gain the broad base of skills needed to work with designers from both arts and engineering backgrounds. You’ll also understand how to see a product development process through from developing user insights and creating concepts through to detail design and production.

This is a practical course, so you’ll benefit from specialist facilities including computing and prototyping facilities, as well as the technical expertise of our staff. Our design studios are equipped with the latest design software, including SolidWorks and the Adobe Creative Suite, and our model-making facilities include forming, laser cutting, foam model sculpting and CNC machines. You’ll also have access to a 3D printing system to convert your ideas into physical prototypes and test for form, fit and function. All of this means you’ll have everything you need to get started on your career in product design.

Our active Industrial Advisory Board helps inform the development of this course to ensure that it is up to date with industry developments and requirements. That’s one of the reasons why our graduates are so in demand from industry, and why our courses are accredited by the leading professional bodies.

Entry requirements

A-level: AAA

An Art and Design related A-level such as Design, Design Technology or Art and Design is desirable but not essential.

Where an A-level Science subject is taken, we require a pass in the practical science element, alongside the achievement of the A-level at the stated grade.

Excludes A-level General Studies or Critical Thinking.

Whilst a portfolio is not required as part of the decision/offer making process, successful offer holders will be invited to attend in-person offer holder events, which will include an interactive portfolio review session with department academics. This is a prime opportunity to get feedback, including areas of strength and for development, regarding your portfolio, so you will be asked to bring a piece of work or full portfolio with you if you attend such an event. Please note that digital portfolios cannot be reviewed on the offer holder events.

Applicants should include two to three projects which demonstrate design abilities. These can include extra-curricular design projects or samples of work which demonstrate skills associated with design, for example: art work, photography, CAD, engineering or technical projects.

Extended Project Qualification and International Project Qualification: Whilst we recognise the value of these qualifications and the effort and enthusiasm that applicants put into them, we do not currently include them as part of our offer-making. We do, however, encourage you to provide further information on your project in your personal statement.

GCSE: English Language at grade C (4) or above or an appropriate English language qualification, plus a minimum grade B (6) in Mathematics and B-B (6-6) in Combined Science or equivalent. We will accept Level 2 Functional Skills English in lieu of GCSE English.

International Baccalaureate

Career opportunities

The employment opportunities in the field of product design are far-reaching, with the potential to take you all over the world. The range of roles includes Design Manager, User Experience Designer, Product Engineer, Product Designer, Design Researcher, Enterprise Consultant and Brand Manager.

Plus, University of Leeds students are among the top 5 most targeted by top employers according to The Graduate Market 2024, High Fliers Research, meaning our graduates are highly sought after by some of the most reputable companies in the field.

Qualifying with a degree in product design from Leeds will set you up with the core foundations you need to pursue an exciting career across a wide range of industries, including:

• Manufacturing
• Retail
• Technology
• Marketing
• Construction
• Finance
• Retail
• Professional services

The breadth of knowledge and experience you’ll gain – including design, problem solving, design and engineering ethics, numeracy and analysis skills, together with communication and teamwork skills – are widely transferable and desirable to a whole host of employers.

Here’s an insight into the job roles some of our most recent graduates have obtained:

• Design Engineer, Dyson
• Design Project Leader – Jaguar Landrover
• Design Engineer, ETT Industries
• Mechanical Design Engineer, Tesla Motors
• Associate Consultant, Collaborative Solutions
• Experience Designer, Future Platforms
• Insights Researcher, Household
• Digital Analyst, BT
• Marketing Manager, Silver Fox

Read our alumni profiles to find out more about where our students are working.