BA in Product and Furniture Design
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
DURATION
3 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline *
EARLIEST START DATE
Request the earliest start date
TUITION FEES
GBP 9,250 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* only for home students. We will continue to accept applications from international students after the 25th of January
** UK students: £9,250 per year | international: £16,500 for the first year
Introduction
Why choose this course?
If you're considering a career in professional design, this course provides the skills, knowledge and practical experience you'll need. Design work covers domestic and commercial furniture, housewares and ceramics, and industrial and technology products. Using our workshops, you'll have a platform for experimentation and discovery. You'll study key themes, such as sustainability, manufacturing and the roles that designers play in the industry. The course collaborates and engages with industry at all levels, from live industry briefs to masterclasses and talks by industry professionals.
Your work will be promoted through international design competitions, major graduate shows and external exhibitions. You'll graduate with a professional portfolio of work, giving you a springboard to employment.
Reasons to choose Kingston
- We're ranked No.1 in the UK (Guardian University League tables 2023).
- Through our strong links with the industry, you'll be able to test your ideas at leading companies. Examples include John Lewis, Foster & Partners, Herman Miller, Sony and New Balance.
- This course includes optional study tours, visits to design studios and research-based trips. Previous tours have been to Milan, Munich, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and Valencia.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
What you will study
The Product & Furniture Design course focuses on practical experimentation informed by the use of materials, technologies and production processes. You'll learn about the qualities of materials, their potential sustainability and appropriate application. You'll study the roles that designers play, and the impact design can have on social, political, environmental and commercial contexts.
Modules
Year 1
In year 1 we introduce you to the principles of design through studio-based learning. A number of introductory projects help you explore materials, sustainability, research methods, design prototyping and presentation skills. Alongside these projects, you will receive masterclass introductions for example in hand Sketching, Photoshop, Illustrator and CAD. Lectures are delivered for the Product & Furniture Design history module in addition to materials/production knowledge.
Core modules
- Design Fundamentals
- Design 1
- Workshop and Studio Practice
- Materials and Making: Themes in Design History
Year 2
Year 2 introduces the processes of design, nurturing personal working methods, critical thinking and decision-making abilities. Projects are longer and students are expected to go from a sketch to a finished prototype within either industry or set projects. This is a discovery year in which students have the freedom to experiment and explore new design approaches, intelligent making and alternative presentation methods including film. Students learn the importance of context and user-based research.
Core modules
- Context and Communication
- Intelligent Making
- Future Lab
- Critical Issues in Furniture and Product Design: Research and Practice
Optional year
You have the option to take an additional year to study abroad.
Final year
In the final year, the practice of Design is supported. Using knowledge and working methods developed across the previous years you develop two major projects. These are personal projects evidencing your insights, research and development process. A final portfolio informed by your career aspirations and a written dissertation is required. Where appropriate we continue to introduce live industry projects and studio visits to promote professional practice knowledge.
Core modules
- Design for Production
- Final Major Project
- Professional Context
- Dissertation: Research and Reflection
Please note
Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
After you graduate
Students with a degree in Product & Furniture Design work in a range of roles, such as:
- creative director
- design director
- design manager
- design consultant
- furniture consultant
- furniture buyer
- freelance designer
- industrial designer
- 3D designer
- packaging designer
- product and furniture designer
- product design manager
- service designer