BA (Hons) Furniture and Product Design Course content Year One Within the year you will undertake four exciting projects, including real-life projects, where you will develop an understanding of how to formulate appropriate solutions to design problems with an awareness of the total design process. You will also consider the influence of applied technology, human factors, and quality and reliability. During your first year you will be studying alongside students from BSc (Hons) Product Design and BA (Hons) Product Design. This allows for multi-disciplinary working and helps give a wider perspective when working in groups. Year One modules Design Practice 1 (80 Credit Points) The module is broken down into four elements which are design communication, design management, materials and their manufacture, and design projects. In design communication you will be taught how to support the design process; using a range of media and methods in 2 and 3D such as: sketching; modelling; drawings; manual or computer aided drawings; images or renderings; presentation skills; and technical report writing. You will begin to appreciate and apply the art and science of geometry, through CAD and hand work, as well as developing skills and confidence in the use of machinery relative to resistant materials. You will become aware of the importance of the commercial and industrial context in which design practice operates, through taught management systems and design management techniques associated with the total design process. This will help you to manage your projects and your time, either as an individual or as a member of a team. In this module, a broad introduction is given to types of materials and their generic properties. It looks at how processes are classified and considers factors affecting selection such as shape (design) restrictions, volumes of production and their influence on product / process cost as well as surface roughness, tolerances and production times. Within the year you will undertake four exciting projects, including real-life projects, where you will develop an understanding of how to formulate appropriate solutions to design problems. As well as incorporation of the above
content, you will also consider the influence of applied technology, human factors, and quality and reliability. This module will be delivered through lectures, group tutorials, workshops, laboratory work and studio work. It will also contain role play, critiques, computer simulations, and independent and team based tasks. Assessment is completely through coursework. Design Studies 1: Furniture and Product Design (40 Credit Points) This module provides much of the direction regarding the research and contextual information you will need to succeed in your final year. It also promotes much of the critical debate you are expected to engage with throughout your studies. Distinctive features of this module include an exploration of your development as a designer; reflections on where you have come from, how you will develop while you are here, and where you are going. This exploration will be based on your own experience as well as facts, opinions and case studies from the world of design. We will study issues and ideas exploring design from political, technological, social and economic perspectives. The aims of this module are to develop knowledge and comprehension of the historic, contemporary and future influences in product design. It will promote imagination and creativity in problem solving and the development of designs; and to develop reflective, inquisitive, passionate individuals capable of debating these issues in a critical manner. This module covers three major themes: Debates: The nature and character of design and designing is explored through the activity of debates. The activity covers design classics; political, economic, social and technological trends [PEST]; the industrial revolution and evolution; history of technology in furniture, industrial and product design; innovation and invention and key concepts in design. Design Specification: This is largely an independent project in which you will explore through reading, designing and writing the following; semantics, affordance and gender; consumerism and future forecasting; professional and moral issues, beyond the object; the role and identity of the designer and human factors and ergonomics. Research Article: Towards the end of your first year you are given the opportunity through a research led activity to reflect on your thoughts about design and your role and philosophy as a designer, by studying and researching specific design led topics. Through lectures and films this module will present a variety of case studies from the worlds of furniture and product design, architecture and art. Seminars will give you the opportunity to discuss and debate issues in design, sometimes you will be asked to prepare a topic that you will lead debate on. Group tutorials are often used to guide your independent study and to ensure you are developing your design knowledge and understanding. This module may include study trips and visits, and is fully assessed through course work.
Year Two In Year Two you will build on the knowledge, skills and attributes you have learnt in Year One and develop them to give you the confidence to practice as a product designer. You will also consider and reflect on what design and designing is, ways of thinking, and social and cultural trends. It will also encourage you to think about your preparation for the final year of study, identifying an area of personal interest related to design that you will study in more depth. During Year Two you will be studying alongside students from BSc (Hons) Product Design and BA (Hons) Product Design. This allows for multi-disciplinary working and helps give a wider perspective when working in groups. Year Two modules Design Practice 2: Furniture and Product Design (80 Credit Points) This module will build on the knowledge, skills and attributes you learnt in Year One and develop them to give you the confidence to practice as a product designer. The module is divided into three elements, which are integrated design projects, applied technology and materials and management. Central to the module are a series of design projects (real-life projects where possible) where you will be given design briefs with real time deadlines. You will be expected to realise the full format of a designer s outputs i.e. technical reports, technical drawings, CAD work, sketches, renderings, models, test rigs, prototypes and simulations, to an industrial and commercially accepted standard. Theoretical and practical knowledge of relevant science based subjects will be addressed through delivery of applied technology subjects which include consideration of electrical and electronic systems, mechanical systems, computer systems and control and power systems. Your project work will also require you to consider the appropriate use of materials and manufacturing processes relevant to your designs. Approaches to materials selection will be covered in the module with reference to meeting design requirements at minimal cost. The importance of designing for manufacture and how process choice can enhance product properties will also be considered. The module will enable you to develop creative problem solving abilities in response to increasing problem complexity, as well as further developing effective design communication and realisation skills in a variety of media, either as an individual or part of a team. Additionally, you will continue to develop your own philosophy relative to design. The module enables development of practical design culture through studio based project work and practical laboratory and workshop sessions. Underpinning of appropriate technology and design tools / processes, will be provided in lectures, seminar and workshops. Assessment is through coursework, including presentations.
Design Studies 2 (40 Credit Points) This module covers three major themes designed to develop knowledge and understanding of the business of design in national and international context. You will be considering and reflecting on what design and designing is, ways of thinking, and social and cultural trends. The module looks at aspects of design; from historic and contemporary practice, to emerging technologies, the design counter-culture, and the internationalisation of design. A feature of this module includes opportunities for you to debate, discuss and critically investigate issues. It will also encourage you to think about your preparation for the final year of study, identifying an area of personal interest related to design that you will study in more depth. This module will raise your awareness of design principles, cultural and philosophic topics and give you a solid grounding and an analytical framework from which to explore the world of design. Not all of the work you present to tutors and your peers is assessed. Some work will be required of you in terms of preparation and is used to stimulate debate in seminars. A tutor may set you a piece of work that you are expected to research and form an opinion about. You may be asked to evaluate the work of other students against published criteria. There may also be some short, tutor guided projects or team based exercises designed to get you to explore an issue or method of working in more depth. You will be assessed completely through coursework.
Final Year The final year is based around a Major Project initiated by an area of interest, utilising all your acquired knowledge, skills and attributes. At the end of the year you will exhibit your project as part of the Art & Design Degree Shows, which are open to the public and members of industry. Final year modules Design Practice 3: Furniture and Product Design (80 Credit Points) This module and the Critical Theory module are integrated through the Major Project design report. This module encourages you to explore, model, research, propose and develop ideas, concepts and products through a number of projects. The mixture of information, skills and learned wisdom will help you develop your portfolio and personal stance on contemporary design. The learning at this level will be a personal one and tutors will encourage you to maximise your potential and to create a portfolio of evidence you can take forward to employment. A distinctive feature of this module is a learning agreement, which will focus your thoughts and plans for what you intend to learn, develop and produce during the module. The objectives of this module are to promote the application of your skills, knowledge and understanding of design methodologies to the creative realisation of products; and to understand your own practise in a professional context. Your learning agreement will be presented in the first four weeks of the year although it is not assessed you will receive feedback on your proposals which will inform the direction your projects will take. The learning agreement presentation will also act as useful practice for more formal assessed presentations later in the year. It is expected that during the year you will also present some of your proposals and activities in front of your peers and tutors. You should consider these interim presentations as valuable opportunities to obtain feedback on your proposals and work in progress. Once the projects are under way, the direct contact you have with tutors is mainly limited to group or sometimes individual tutorials, where the tutor acts as a consultant, advising you on your proposals work in progress, what knowledge or skills you should develop, how to tackle certain problems and who you should approach for further information. For the Major Project element (70%) you will work on a project for the duration of your final year and demonstrate your ability to design and develop a realistic Product Design. All the Major Project work will be presented in an exhibition at the end of the year so that a team of assessors may evaluate the quality of your output for the year from this element. For the Minor Project Element (30%) you will work on a project for the first half the year, the project culminates in an assessed digital presentation and submission of development work. This work will also be displayed at the end of year exhibition.
Critical Theory (40 Credit Points) This module has two elements, the first of which gives you the opportunity to explore a subject of your personal interest and choice and to research and to present findings on a range of topical, relevant subjects of significance. These topics are individually discussed with tutors through a learning agreement. Topics should be of a personal interest and challenge you to source information, maintain a sustained argument and to be critical and reflective. The learning agreement is a negotiated document you develop, which will focus your thoughts and plans that you intend to research and produce during the module. It stipulates your route through the three options available to you in this element. Based on the learning agreement you may choose to complete one of the three assignments available. The assignments you may choose from are: a dissertation on a subject of your choice, (7,000 words) a conference type paper and supporting presentation, (5,000 words) or, a conceptual project with a substantial written justification, (5,000 words). The second element integrates the two final year modules together for the Major Project Element. You will work on the project for the duration of your final year and demonstrate your ability to design and develop a realistic Product Design. As the second element of this module you will also produce a reflective project report detailing the design process you have employed and justifying key decisions you have made during the development of your product including technical, manufacturing and cost considerations to your proposed designs. The objective of both elements of the module are to promote in-depth knowledge and confidence in a particular subject associated with the broad spectrum of design, as well as your own design project. Using a wide range of primary and secondary research skills, to gain extensive and exploratory experience in communicating complex issues in text, illustrations and words; to promote understanding of design as a complex activity; and develop the ability to research, evaluate and communicate its relationship to culture, society and technology. Prior to you undertaking your chosen assignment, there is a three week intensive period when you will be completing your learning agreement. During this time there will be close contact with tutors as you finalise your agreement and these are then agreed or signed off as suitable for your final year of study. The contract identifies what option you will complete, what you hope to learn and how that learning will be demonstrated. Throughout the year, the direct contact you have with tutors is mainly limited to group or sometimes individual tutorials, where the tutor acts as a consultant, advising you on your proposals, work in progress, what knowledge or skills you should develop, how to tackle certain issues and who you should approach for further information. Occasionally there will be content common to all students and this will be delivered through lectures, for example, covering approaches to research. There will also be an opportunity for you to present you work in progress to a panel of tutors and your peers and to obtain feedback accordingly.
You will be assessed through two pieces of coursework. A dissertation (75%) which is written and presented work as defined by the proposal with your tutor and a Major Project reflect design report (25%).