Product Design with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.

This Foundation Year has been specifically designed to allow you to undertake an additional year of study to build stronger creative footings that ensure successful progression through your chosen degree....

  • Level Foundation
  • Study mode Full Time

This course is:

Open to International Students

Overview

This Foundation Year has been specifically designed to allow you to undertake an additional year of study to build stronger creative footings that ensure successful progression through your chosen degree.

Working in a friendly, lively and energetic environment, you will be given the freedom to expand your knowledge of practical skills, creative exploration and conceptual thinking, underpinned by broad critical understanding, academic writing and emerging theoretical principles.

Dedicated Foundation tutors, BA staff and experienced technicians will support you throughout the year and work closely with you to prepare you for progression. There will be a range of opportunities to work on collaborative and individual projects, aimed to build your social skills and identify your role as a developing practitioner.

Throughout the year you will be challenged with projects that question your current creative experiences and explore a breadth of experimentation to broaden your technical and critical understanding.

You will be encouraged to analyse methods and materials appropriate for creative development and to question your position in relation to historical, contemporary and future world scenarios. Both practical and written research tasks will be supported by one to one tutorials and small discussion groups to help you constructively build academic and social confidence.

The two first semester modules will form the building blocks for future work and will explore core principles of creative practice focussing on the development of technical confidence, study skills and productivity. The two final semester modules will encourage a positive integration between research and practice, challenging decision making and technical competency. This semester is designed to empower you with independent learning skills appropriate for your future BA studies.

On successful completion of the Foundation Year, you will have the flexibility to change direction and switch courses onto a related undergraduate degree programme within the College of Art and Design or the College of Digital Arts at BCU. In order to progress onto your BA Programme, you must successfully pass all four core modules (totalling 120 credits).

What's covered in this course?

You will examine the process of designing and developing functional, inclusive, and sustainable products and furniture, understanding how social and cultural factors influence design decisions. You will develop knowledge of design in response to collaborative, professional, commercial, and economic considerations.

Alongside research and design development skills, you will increase your practical knowledge through extensive hands-on exploration. Engaging with making from the outset enables you to fully realise design concepts and create convincing models and prototypes. With strong contemporary design thinking, you will explore various ‘scales of manufacture’ to position yourself within a global industry.

By working on live projects, work placements and collaborative projects, you will learn how businesses operate at a commercial, technological, ethical, and sustainable level.

Furniture Design specialism

All students will be introduced to core modules exploring the fundamentals of designing products and furniture. You will have the opportunity to focus exclusively on Furniture Design from semester 2 of your second year, starting with the Design Focus module, before specialising further in your final year.

If you choose to specialise in Furniture Design, you will cover the same curriculum but opt for furniture-related project briefs. This option will suit those students who wish to develop and enhance their making skills through the design, development and production of furniture and related products. You will be able to explore furniture design across various production scales, from bespoke to mass manufacture. You will graduate with BA (Hons) Product Design (Furniture Design).

I would highly recommend this course to anyone looking to study design. The facilities are incredible and the tutors are really supportive and helpful. I have learnt so much and developed as a designer more than I expected to. Thanks to this course, I was able to win the Made.com award at New Designers which was an incredible experience. I was also shortlisted for 3 other awards too! Throughout New Designers I was approached by several companies who were hiring  and interested in seeing my portfolio. Fortunately I secured a job before the end of final year as a Product Designer for Foresso. I really love my job and I'm so grateful to BCU for providing me with the skills I needed for the industry.

Graduate - Aamana Bibi Nawaz (Winner – New Designers 2022 – MADE.COM Collaboration Award), Designer at Habitat

Why Choose Us?

  • Live projects and industrial collaborations provide you with invaluable real-world experiences and hone your communication and professional development skills.
  • You will develop practical skills through extensive workshop practice within our Ceramics, Plaster, Wood and Metal workshops.
  • From water jet cutting, to 3D printing, you will develop skills in rapid prototyping and digitally driven techniques.
  • The course has achieved notable success in design events, securing major awards and commendations at New Designers and the Young Furniture Makers Exhibition.
  • Two-thirds of the impact of our research was judged to be very considerable (3*) or outstanding (4*) - REF2021.

Open Days

Join us for an Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation. Booking isn't open for this event yet, register your interest and we'll let you know as soon as booking goes live.

Next Open Day: 28 June 2025

Register your interest Take a virtual tour

Entry Requirements

These entry requirements apply for entry in 2025/26.

All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.

Essential requirements

80 UCAS Tariff points. Learn more about UCAS Tariff points.

If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.

Fees & How to Apply

Please select your student status to view fees and apply
  • UK Student
  • International Student

UK students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: BA (Hons)

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees

(Back to price) * The Government is proposing to increase the cap on full-time regulated tuition fees to £9,535 for 2025/26 and the University is planning on increasing fees to that maximum level once legislation is enacted. Part-time fees are charged pro-rata, where applicable.

International students

Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.

Award: BA (Hons)

Starting: Sep 2025

  • Mode
  • Duration
  • Fees
  • Full Time
  • 4 years
  • £17,690 in 2025/26

Access to computer equipment 

You will require use of a laptop, and most students do prefer to have their own. However, you can borrow a laptop from the university or use one of our shared computer rooms. 

Printing 

You will receive £5 print credit in each year of your course, available after enrolment. 

Field trips 

All essential field trips and associated travel costs will be included in your course fees. 

Access to Microsoft Office 365 

Every student at the University can download a free copy of Microsoft Office 365 to use whilst at university and for 18 months after graduation. 

Key software 

You will be able to download SPSS and Nvivo to your home computer to support with your studies and research. 

Key subscriptions 

Subscriptions to key journals and websites are available through our library. 

Free Adobe Creative Cloud licence 

Students studying on this course can request a free licence to install the entire suite of applications on up to two personal devices. 

Free student copy of Solidworks CAD Package 

Students studying on this course will receive a free student copy of Solidworks CAD package. 

Specialist equipment 

This course requires specialist equipment. You will have access to specialist workshop facilities - Wood, metal, plaster & ceramics, digital fabrication equipment. 

Project materials (mandatory) 

This course includes project work that requires you to develop and produce a portfolio or collection. You'll be expected to provide the materials for use in your individual major projects. Costs will vary depending on the materials selected, but we recommend you budget £50 - £300 depending on the nature of the activity and type of specialist materials required. Free offcuts and recycled materials are made available throughout the year 

Clothing and safety equipment (mandatory) 

This course requires the purchase of clothing and/or safety equipment. You will require safety boots (£20-40) and an apron for messy work (£10). 

Media consumable items (mandatory) 

This course requires the use of consumables, such as Sketchbooks, markers and drawing equipment at an estimated cost of £150-300. 

Excess printing (optional) 

Once you have spent your £5 credit, additional printing on campus costs from 5p per sheet. 

Personal stationery and study materials (optional) 

Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £30 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. You may wish to purchase a large USB memory stick of hard drive 64GB (£90+). 

Placement expenses (optional) 

If you choose to undertake a placement, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst living or working away from home. 

Field trips (optional) 

This course includes the option of additional trips that may enhance your experience, at extra cost. 

Gallery visits (optional) 

It is advisable for all Creative Arts students to visit exhibitions, galleries and other creative and cultural institutions and events depending on your own individual area of interest. Travel and entry costs may be associated with this. 

Books (optional) 

All module key texts will be in the University library, but in limited numbers. You may choose to purchase a copy. We suggest budgeting approximately £50-100 for this. 

Personal equipment (optional) 

Whilst not essential, it is advised you own a computer or laptop capable with the following specifications: Processor: Intel i5 / AMD Ryzen 5 (or 3ghz equivalent processor) RAM / Memory: 16GB Storage: 256GB HDD Graphics: Onboard graphics.  

Software (optional) 

Essential software will be provided but additional software may incur license costs. For example, you may need to purchase Keyshot (3D rendering software) at a cost of £76 for a student licence.  

Accommodation and living costs (optional)

The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.

Guidance for UK students

UK students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.

Applying through UCAS

  1. Register with UCAS
  2. Login to UCAS and complete your details
  3. Select your course and write a personal statement
  4. Get a reference
  5. Pay your application fee and submit your application

You are not required to submit a portfolio for this course.

Course in Depth

Foundation year

The foundation year provides an opportunity to explore the exciting world of contemporary design through various scales and develop creative solutions, encapsulating Landscape Architecture, Architecture, Interior Architecture and Design, and Product Design.

It provides a supported learning environment to explore conceptual ideas through to detailed design, mapping and modelling and is assessed through mini design-focussed projects and a specialised final project in a chosen field.

The foundation year is ideally suited to students who need to develop their design, drawing, technical and presentations skills before entering a BA course, or for those who have not yet decided which specific design discipline or career to pursue.

In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Year one

First-year modules introduce key principles, processes and methods. 

Modules include:

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits):

Year two

Employability-focused modules during your second year year enhance industry knowledge and experience. 

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 100 credits)

Modules include:

In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete at least 20 credits from the following list of OPTIONAL modules.

Year three

Modules in your final year encourage individual direction through live projects/competition and a self-written major design project.

In order to complete this course you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits)

Modules include:

Download course specification

Download now

Taught by experienced designers, makers and academics, this course combines practice with theory to give you a fully rounded learning experience.

Extensive workshop facilities will help you to realise your proposals, creating functional and commercially viable designs. This hands-on approach allows you to understand the opportunities and limitations of materials and construction methods.

BOSS X BCU project

Product and Furniture design work created from the Boss and BCU project

Working in collaboration with BOSS design, second-year students were tasked with exploring and developing innovative products, artefacts or furniture concepts that enhance, improve and better facilitate the future multi-generational workspace, in either the residential office environment, ‘conventional’ onsite office or both.

Students engaged with a variety of discipline-aligned methods including: drawing to explore ideas, model making to varying scales which are appropriate, engaging and researching ergonomics and anthropometrics, as well as, researching ‘real world’ manufacturing processes and techniques utilised within industry.

Communication of ideas visually and verbally, also formed a significant part of this project, with students gaining invaluable employability skills by presenting directly to a client and possible future employer.

Several students participated in alternate weeklong placements with Boss Design. This provides invaluable industry experience and significant personal development opportunities, which undoubtedly helps those students during their final year on the course and after graduation.

Employability

Enhancing employability skills

The course has a vocational emphasis and is focused on employability. Throughout your study you will engage with real briefs, collaborative opportunities and external industry links. You will develop skills in a broad range of working approaches, from synthesising and applying problem solving and creative thinking skills, to 3D computer modelling, where you will use the latest industry standard software.

Extensive workshops support modelling and prototyping skills, and you will create high-quality outcomes using a wide range of materials, techniques and processes. The course supports personal development as a creative, knowledgeable designer, maximising the potential to obtain positions in national and global companies. 

The course develops skills and experience in and around the subject of scales of manufacture, from bespoke, one-off and batch production to standardised mass production. The interdisciplinary nature of design engages relationships across a broad spectrum of specialist areas of study, and we nurture this philosophy through collaborative and professional practice approaches. 

Placements

Working with local industry develops professional understanding and creates opportunities for work placements and internships.

In the past, students have worked with interior designers, product designers, furniture manufactures, and design fabricators, including McMaster, HF Contracts, JSC Rotational and Scruffy Dog Design, Create and Deliver. 

More about our placement opportunities

My internship at Kirkdale Studios during my third year was a great creative experience and helped me to navigate the transition from a student to a working designer. I was given the opportunity to work on live projects, communicate directly with factories, and learn professional skills before even graduating.

Evie Mcginley – Kirkdale Studio

Facilities & Staff

Parkside gallery

Our Facilities

When you join Birmingham City University, the first thing you will notice is the exceptional quality of our campuses. With an investment of over £400 million across our buildings and facilities, we are committed to giving you the very best learning environment to help shape your experience.

You will be based in our multi-million pound Parkside building – a state of the art facility located within our City Centre Campus. Here you will have full access to our recently upgraded, high spec CAD (Computer-Aided-Design) workstations situated within our dedicated computer labs and open access areas. We also provide access to leading edge digital design software, enabling you to explore technical drawing, graphics, 3D modelling, visualization, animation, computation, simulation, and virtual reality.

The Parkside Building is also home to our digital fabrication labs, where you will be able to explore 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC machining, ceramics, glass and traditional model-making, guided by our team of expert technicians with access to our on-site material store, and professional printing facilities.

You’ll also benefit from:

  • Design studios
  • Physical and digital library
  • Loanable laptops
  • Dedicated social spaces
  • Cafés

Learn more about Parkside

Photo Gallery

From industry-standard software, to our workshops and studio spaces, everything you need will be at your fingertips from day one. Working with our dedicated teaching teams and expert technicians, you'll be supported from concept through to completion.

Making

Workshop facilities are integral to the programme and you will have access to an extensive range of prototyping equipment, including wood machining equipment, metal fabrication, CNC router, four axis milling, waterjet cutting, plaster, ceramic, glass workshops, 3D printing, laser cutting and etching, plastic forming, and ply moulding. A large range of hand and power tools also support model making and prototyping for product and furniture design.

Our staff

Jason Nicholson

Product Design Course Leader

From a career journey beginning in metalsmithing and related products, Jason has a wide experience in various product design sectors – in particular furniture and lighting design. He has taught across a range of specialist courses, focussing and developing ‘making’ as an integral part of the design process. A ‘hands-on’ member of staff with...

More about Jason

Wayne Pottinger

Product Design Lecturer

Wayne Pottinger is a lecturer and coordinator of the level five (second year) Product Design course. Before joining Birmingham City University Wayne established his own design practice alongside Natalie Cole. Pottinger and Cole’s practice designed and developed products for retail and their objects were stocked in well-respected furniture and...

More about Wayne

Emma Jones

Product Design Lecturer

Emma is a Lecturer on the BA (Hons) Product Design program, currently teaching across all three levels of the course. Before joining the Faculty of Architecture, Design, and Media as a full-time member of staff in January 2022, she was a Specialist Lecturer in Architecture and Design, delivering 3D design communication modules in industry-leading...

More about Emma