Are you ready to build a career out of your passion for design and problem solving? This course will equip you with the skills and knowledge you need to bring products from conception to market. If you have an enquiring mind, are creative and good with your hands then this is the course for you.

We are the makers, the sketchers, the inventors, the experimenters, the idea generators, the thinkers and tinkerers. We are product designers.

This is your hands-on pathway to the world of design. This course allows you to imagine, explore and create objects that people will manufacture, buy, use and appreciate. You will gain the skills and experience you need to work in small or large design companies or as an independent designer.

Through your studies you will gain the knowledge and skills needed to create designs for consumer products, experiences and systems. You will present your ideas through a combination of skills in visual and verbal communication, 3D models and computer software.

The course looks at all aspects of design including:

• aesthetics
• technology
• ergonomics
• usability
• sustainability
• materials

You will learn cutting-edge product development techniques, starting from a project brief, and find solutions to design problems using the latest industry tools and practices. You’ll become familiar with new consumer product development processes for a variety of products, resolving practical, manufacturing and sustainability/ environmental issues.

You will also be involved in design projects with local and international manufacturing companies. Past students have worked with companies such as Cocoon Republic (Victoria), Gundong ceramic manufacturers and Smiggle. You may also work on projects where design prototypes are manufactured in China and Malaysia.

Career Outcomes

As a product designer, you will work as part of a design or manufacturing team. Many designers also take on freelance work.

Your daily activities may include:

• meeting clients to discuss design briefs
• developing concept drawings of your ideas
• working with local and overseas engineers, designers, prototype makers and marketing staff
• using technology, production methods and various materials (such as textiles, wood, plastics and metal)
• working with manufactuers to create prototypes and new materials (for example, reconstituted leather, stone or sustainable plastics)

Graduates work as part of design teams for manufacturing organisations. They may work in areas including display and exhibition design, furniture, packaging, confectionery, toy design, automotive, engineering, electrical, set design and special effects.

Professional recognition and accreditation

While studying, you can join the Design Institute of Australia as a student member. Graduates can apply for associate membership and full membership once they have obtained their professional experience.

Please note: eligibility for full membership is based on a points system.