Develop a creative and innovative approach to product design and service innovation by challenging and exploring contemporary practices through a series of exciting and diverse projects.
Learn the creative, practical and digital skills needed to become a professional product or service designer
Put learning into practice with leading product design brands and the opportunity to take a placement year
Collaborate with practising designers with a diverse range of experience and professional networks
Challenge convention as you learn how to contribute to a more sustainable future

This course prepares you for an exciting career as a globally minded product or service designer. Through real-world projects and exploration of new materials and processes and systems, you’ll be equipped to identify and respond empathetically, sustainably, and collaboratively to creative opportunities and challenges.

This course also allows you to specialise in and receive a different named award – Product Design (Service Innovation) – through focused project work in your final year.

Work placements

You'll have opportunities to arrange single or multiple work placement/s in between your second and third years. Placements give you real-world experience to prepare you for your future career. Previous students have secured placements with Design Futures, Morphy Richards, Lowe Alpine, BDP Lighting, Joseph Joseph and Mazda Europe. You may also be able to work or study abroad with the possibility of funding through the Erasmus+ programme (until 2023) or the Turing scheme.

Live projects

You'll engage in authentic work experiences in each year of the course, working with external partners and exciting live briefs. Recent live projects have seen students working with RAB, the NHS, Astro Lighting and 257 Product + Brand Development. You'll have the opportunity to pitch project outcomes to company representatives and potentially receive payment for designs.

Field trips

We offer opportunities to go on study trips and visits in the UK and abroad – with free travel and accommodation for all mandatory field trips on the course. These could include workshops, design exhibitions or visits to practitioners’ studios and museums. Recent international trip destinations include Berlin, Copenhagen and Milan. There may be opportunities to further enhance your studies with optional field trips, though these will incur additional costs.

Networking opportunities

Sheffield Hallam's Careers Connect mentoring scheme allows you to gain professional insights and support from a personal mentor working in your field of interest. We also organise an annual two-day employability event, allowing you to network with commercial partners and participate in one-to-one portfolio reviews. Our annual degree show is a great opportunity for graduating students to showcase their work.

Competitions

We support you to enter national and international design competitions. Recent successes include the RSA Student Design Awards and four prizes awarded at the 2019 New Designers graduate exhibition in London, including the Joseph Joseph and 100% Design awards.

All our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Through studio-based learning and working on live projects, you'll gain a deep understanding of design culture and practice. You'll learn how to take creative risks and create innovative, viable, user-centred and sustainable designs – while also developing your own personal approach and career aspirations. You'll develop collaborative skills through interdisciplinary projects, as well as engaging globally with our established partner institutions in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

You’ll learn through

• studio-based design projects
• technical workshops
• lectures and seminars
• authentic work experiences and placements
• live design projects
• field trips
• presentations and feedback sessions
• studio-based design projects
• Blackboard online learning portal
• self-directed study

Take a look at the department's Instagram and TikTok to see what innovations and creations our students have been working on. For content directly from our BA Product Design sudents please visit the course Instagram.

This course prepares you for future study and careers in

• product design
• user experience/user interface and service design
• design consultancy
• consumer insight and brand strategy
• strategic innovation
• running your own business
• designing and making
• digital visualisation
• education
• sales
• marketing

Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for

• Dyson
• Volvo
• Ron Arad Associates
• Jaguar Land Rover
• Kenwood
• Next
• Fosters + Partners
• Panasonic
• Urbis Design
• VTech Hong Kong
• Mothercare
• Thomas Heatherwick Studios
• Design Futures

 

UCAS points

• 112

This must include at least 64 points from two A levels, or equivalent BTEC National qualifications (to include a relevant subject such as Art, Design or Graphics). For example:

• BBC at A Level.
• DMM in BTEC Extended Diploma.
• A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels, EPQ and general studies.

You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

GCSE

• English Language or Literature at grade C or 4

• Access - an Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 18 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above, in a media-related programme from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.

• Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art and Design) - pass

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend a selection event with a portfolio of work to demonstrate your ability. Find out about the selection process and how to produce a strong portfolio.

We welcome applications from people of any age. We may be flexible in our normal offer if you can show a commitment to succeed and have the relevant skills and experience. This must show that you will benefit from and finish the course successfully.

Portfolio review

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend a portfolio review, this is where you can showcase your relevant work and highlight any pieces you are particularly proud of.

In light of the updated advice from the Government about the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we are not currently offering face to face portfolio reviews but are instead accepting portfolios through digital submission. Find out about what happens at a portfolio review and how you can prepare to produce a strong portfolio.

Please note the University will only admit students who are aged 18 or over at the point of enrolment.

Important notice:

The structure of this course is periodically reviewed and enhanced to provide the best possible learning experience for our students and ensure ongoing compliance with any professional, statutory and regulatory body standards. Module structure, content, delivery and assessment may change, but we expect the focus of the course and the learning outcomes to remain as described above. Following any changes, updated module information will be published on this page.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

 

Year 1 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Design Essentials: Skills, Techniques And Principles	60	Coursework
Design Interactions: Products, Services And Experiences	60	Coursework

 

 

Year 2 Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Future Now: Collaboration In Action	20	Coursework
Professional Design Practice: Client Engagement	40	Coursework
Sustainable Design Practice: Responsible Design	60	Coursework

 

Year 3 Optional modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Placement Year

 

Final Year Compulsory modules
Module	Credits	Assessment
Graduating Designer: Launching Your Career	60	Coursework
Strategic Innovation: Developing Your Specialism	60	Coursework