Course summary

Completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject? Top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Product Design. If you want to socially and responsibly, create and make innovative and forward thinking designs, then this degree can help you level-up your skills and knowledge to lean towards an environmentally aware and technologically innovative approach, which is supported by a sound understanding of cultural and critical insight and user behaviour. Why study BSc (Hons) Sustainable Product Design at BNU? A degree for you A sustainable product design course is essential to all walks of life, whatever industry you work in having the skillset to problem-solve and ensure the user-experience is as efficient as possible. The products and designs you create can change the future by answering ethical, environmental and social issues with tangible objects and well-considered concepts as we respond to global sustainability challenges. A top-up degree is the equivalent of the final year of an undergraduate degree, and offers a chance to deepen your knowledge, skills and understanding of your subject, while also getting an internationally-recognised qualification. If you have completed a foundation-level degree, HND, or equivalent qualifications in a relevant Art and Design subject, you can choose to top-up your studies to gain a full bachelor’s degree. State-of-the-art facilities We’ve invested in workshops that replicate those you’ll find in industry. We keep on top of the best equipment, using professional facilities and software for your designing needs. You’ll get hands-on with our industry standard 3D CAD systems, and benefit from our workshop facilities to produce 3D models, fully working prototypes, and computer models to demonstrate your design solutions. In these workshops you’ll be able to experiment with a range of different materials including wood, metal, ceramics and mixed media, developing traditional hand skills and working with new technologies such as our MetraSCAN 3D and utilising the latest CNC machining and techniques. You’ll explore different solutions for several areas, engaging with live industry briefs as you use your expertise to create products with a purpose. Location Our Product Design degree is situated at our High Wycombe campus, a town with a rich history within furniture making and manufacturing. With London only a short journey away, and access to a range of business and organisations relevant to product design, there are ample opportunities for visits to sites of historical and contemporary interest. As well as this we are only around the corner from Oxford and Reading - other cities full of inspiration. What will I study? During your top-up year you’ll delve into how design must be structured, analysed, controlled and assessed in order that functions can be achieved by manufacturing in an efficient and economical way. You’ll explore design methods that allow products to be manufactured, assembled and disassembled more efficiently, thus producing designs that are higher quality, easier to maintain, and are more efficient in the use of resources over their entire life cycle. Whole life costings, life cycle analysis techniques and cradle to cradle thinking will help to ensure that the environmental consequences of design choices are carefully considered. You’ll gain key understanding of the roles, relationships, and responsibilities that can play a major part in progressing and sustaining your professional practice. This includes undertaking commissions and other work-related learning opportunities such as engaging with industry briefs and/or competitions, and to devise or engage in creative initiatives and collaborative projects relevant to your work. Live briefs set by clients may be featured, allowing you to gain experience with real world, industry challenges.