Some grand designs for life

Russ Thorne explores what a degree in product or industrial design can deliver, and how these dynamic courses can bolster your career

Whether or not you're a fully paid-up acolyte of the Cult of Apple, it's hard to deny the impact the company's Chief Design Officer, Sir Jonathan Ive, has made on the world. He gave us the look of the iPod and iMac, for starters.

Ive's education included a degree in industrial design from Newcastle Polytechnic, now Northumbria University. If a career in design (and perhaps world-changing work) appeals, there's merit in following him on the degree-level path according to Franziska Conrad, lecturer in product design at Bournemouth University. “The creative industry is fast paced and it takes commitment, passion and an element of distinction to get your career started,” she says. “Studying design at degree level supplies our graduates with the ability to finish projects and integrate seamlessly into creative as well as engineering environments.”

Relevant courses might include industrial design or product design. Conrad's product design students get a broad grounding in areas such as materials and processing, design visualisation, applied technology and humanistic design studies, she explains, alongside project work and business studies. “We strongly believe in design for manufacture and our students spend time building working prototypes and learning practical workshop skills from year one.”

“We strongly believe in design for manufacture and our students spend time building working prototypes and learning practical workshop skills from year one.”

&#13; <p>Franziska Conrad</p>&#13;

When it comes to choosing the right course for you, consider the focus of the programmes in question. “A BA might be focused on how people and products interact, while a BSc will tend towards establishing the functionality and manufacturability of a product,” says Terry Watson, Programme Leader for BA Product Design at the University of Derby. “Though each institution will have a different view on where lines are drawn.”

Zoom in with a few key questions. Watson recommends looking at facilities and cohort size – would a large or small student body suit you better? Consider the staff and their experience and accessibility, too, as well as the wider environment and feel of an institution. “A great course has a vibrant atmosphere. Staff and students are enthusiastic and passionate about the subject and this will be reflected in the quality of students' work.”

One thing you shouldn't look for is an easy ride through your degree, though. Make sure you'll be challenged, says Adrienne Noonan, design lead at UWE Bristol School of Art and Design. “Look for a course that will make you think rigorously, research, explore, challenge convention - and develop conceptual work with a practical emphasis and social relevance.”

As Ive has shown, design can extend its influence far beyond a single object – finding the course that suits you will help you explore this. “In its many forms, design makes an increasing contribution to the cultural and economic life of contemporary society,” says Noonan. “A strong design course explores the changing concept of design and the role of the designer in society.”