Paul Hines
Senior Lecturer in Product Design
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
DiscoverWe've introduced a new AI-powered search function on our website. We hope you find it useful. The system will learn as website visitors add searches... so please give it a try.
UCAS Code
BA: W240
BA with Foundation: W241
Level
Undergraduate
Duration
Full Time: 3 years
Full Time Foundation: 4 years
Part Time: 4 - 6 years
Starting
September
BCC at A-Level or,
DMM at BTEC
Fees UK 24/25
Full Time: £9,250
Part Time: £1,540 per 20 credit module
Integrated Foundation Year: £9,250
Fees International 24/25
Full Time: £15,200
Integrated Foundation Year: £15,200
Location
For questions regarding study and admissions please contact us:
On the BA Product Design degree at the University of Northampton, we believe in teaching you to challenge ideas of functionality, aesthetics, materials, sustainability, social contexts and ethics so that you can design products that work and make a difference to society. This mindset will be put into practice with industry projects and contemporary technologies.
Creative and innovative design is built on the fusion of visual, technical and emotional considerations. We will teach you these skills throughout this Product Design course, developing and nurturing them through studio-based, practical problem-solving activities.
Our product design degree team are dedicated to working with you on an individual basis so that your learning experience is personalised and tailored to you – supporting you to flourish as a capable, confident and entrepreneurial Product Designer.
Updated 18/03/2024
In the first year of the Product Design BA, you will be introduced to computer-aided-design (CAD), modelmaking, design drawing, graphic communication, contextual theories and professional studies. Your learning will be consolidated by short projects that are relevant to technical, commercial or social issues.
Your second year will include professional development, through commercial projects and/or competitions briefed by local, national or international companies. These projects will develop your creativity, design knowledge and communication skills – providing the confidence to present your design concepts effectively and professionally.
During your final year, you will work on a self-focused design project – identifying, researching and solving a problem, as a culmination of your studies. You will also participate in briefs from international competitions, such as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and Design and Art Direction (D&AD). In recent years our students have won these prestigious accolades.
Throughout the BA product design course students are encouraged to create products which solve problems, inspire change and look to make a difference in everyday life. Product Design student, Oliver Beard, who was knocked unconscious in a rugby match, designed a high-tech skull cap that can detect concussion in people playing full-contact sports. You can read Oliver’s story here.
Past product design university graduates have also invented products that have gone on to receive media recognition. Danny O’Beirne, devised a simple solution to help the visually impaired navigate railway stations. Danny’s research found that many people with visual impairments are put off travelling by train in the UK due to the potential for confusion when they arrive at a station. Danny’s solution – the Tellway Sound Shower – harnesses ultrasound technology which can project a beam of sound via an overhead speaker. You can read Danny’s story here.
Joshua Taylor, a Product Design degree undergraduate, had a flash of inspiration which has led to him designing a phone case that alerts users when their posture needs correcting, which in turn, prevents the risk of text neck. You can read Joshua’s story here.
Final year students display their work at the Art Degree Show. Our students have delivered some stunning designs.
Take a look at some recent press releases featuring University of Northampton Product Design students and graduates:
• Haddonstone Project.
• Concussion Guardian.
• Tellway Sound Shower.
• Chin-Up.
Please note the modules shown here relate to the academic year 23/24. The modules relating to the academic year 24/25 will be available from June 2024.
A typical offer to study Product Design would be:
We will also accept a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.
We welcome applications from students with a mix of A levels and BTEC/Cambridge Technical qualifications.
Applicants are interviewed and are requested to provide a portfolio of their own work. International students may submit their portfolio electronically. Students with a relevant HND or Foundation Degree with a suitable profile of achievement may be admitted onto Stage Two or Three of the BA Product Design programme.
If you would like to make an application as a Home or EU student, please visit our How to Apply page.
If you are an International student and would like more information on how to make an application, please visit our How to Apply page.
Admission to this foundation programme is normally:
We welcome applications from students with a mix of A levels and BTEC/Cambridge Technical qualifications.
However, we would also like to hear from you if you have professional or industry experience instead, a range of other qualifications or self-developed subject knowledge that relates to the programme you wish to study.
Once your Product Design degree application has been reviewed, you may be invited to attend an interview with us.
Prior to your interview you will be asked to send in a digital portfolio of some of your work. Your portfolio can be up to 12 pages and should include 3-5 pieces of your design work. We would like to see a range of 2D and 3D work, for example, ideation and sketching, concept renderings and visualisations, sketch-modelling and prototyping, 2D and 3D CAD drawings, images of finished design or artwork.
Not all your examples need to be completed pieces so you can include some works in progress – we’re looking to see your ideas and experimentation, as well as some finished work.
Your interview will be with a member of the programme team and you’ll go over your portfolio with them. They’ll ask you some questions around your work and your interest in the course. This is also a great opportunity for you to ask them any questions you may have about the course.
We hold our Product Design interviews online and it will take around 30 minutes.
All International and EU students applying for a course with us must meet the following minimum English language requirements:
For information regarding English language requirements at the University, please see our IELTS page.
Fees quoted for the Product Design course relate to study in the Academic Year 24/25 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
Equipment and trips: (approx pricing)
Fees quoted for the Product Design course relate to study in the Academic Year 23/24 only and may be subject to inflationary increases in future years.
Equipment and trips: (approx pricing)
For information on the scholarships available to you, please see our scholarships page.
For more information about possible funding options, please visit our Fees and Funding pages.
At the University of Northampton, everything we do, from funded trips to paid internships, is to give you everything you need to make a difference when you leave.
If you join this full time Product Design BA degree at the University of Northampton, you will receive a laptop when your course begins*. The laptops are built to a bespoke custom specification ideal for use in the seminar room, collaborative group work or studying at home.
Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd. We’ve created the Northampton Employment Promise because we are so confident that if you focus on your studies and complete one of our awards you’ll be highly employable by the time you graduate. Putting you in a great position to secure employment or continue your studies.
To check out the full list of perks, visit our Student Perks page or dedicated International Perks page.
*UK fee payers only (see Terms and Conditions for further details).
The Integrated Foundation Year (IFY) offers a new and exciting route into studying for a degree in Product Design, attracting ambitious and driven students who are willing to learn and advance.
If you have non-standard qualifications or do not quite meet the admissions requirements we can offer you a fantastic opportunity to study a four year programme which includes an Integrated Foundation Year. The Integrated Foundation Year will help you develop the theoretical/practical and academic skills you need, in order to successfully progress to the full award.
Our four-year courses will enable you to successfully follow the degree pathway of your choice while gaining essential study skills. The foundation year of your chosen degree will be studied on a full-time basis and is aimed at supporting the transition to higher education. Years two, three and four are then studied as a standard degree programme.
To study on a Product Design degree, a high-specification laptop capable of running Adobe Creative Cloud and professional CAD software is essential. You will require a laptop, with the following specification:
PC Laptop specification – preferred option:
MacBook specification with additional required software*:
You will need to budget approximately £200 per academic year for extra materials to cover the costs of sketch books, marker pens, modelmaking materials, 3D printing, and 2D printing of presentation graphics. This amount is a guide based on what successful current students and recent graduates have spent and will depend upon the projects you choose to undertake.
You will need to purchase, drawing and modelmaking equipment such as digital Vernier callipers, cutting tools, basic hand tools, plus a toolbox to contain them. A comprehensive list will be provided prior to starting the course.
You will be continually assessed during during your degree in product design through studio-based design projects and written assignments. In the final year, you will have a minor design project and a final major project which will both be exhibition-based.
Open Days give you the best experience and insight to courses, people and facilities that interest you. Make your choice easier and come meet us.
Senior Lecturer in Product Design
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
DiscoverSenior Lecturer in Product Design
Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology
DiscoverThe University of Northampton’s product design course is based in the Creative Hub and utilises the following facilities.
Specialist facilities include:
Special features and events include:
Students will be able to showcase their final year design projects at the University’s Art Degree Show. The private view is attended by local dignitaries, design alumni and potential employers.
Product Design BA (Hons) has participated in the New Designers exhibition, in London, for over twenty years – you may get the opportunity to display your final year design project.
Graphic Communication Design is all about creatively sharing ideas, you will learn a range of techniques on this course to help you do just that.
The Interior Architecture and Spatial Design programme is focused on developing professional and design skills.