The University of Sussex's product design undergraduate courses are underpinned by circular economy principles and combine both traditional and cutting-edge processes.

Product Design at the University of Sussex is founded on circular economy principles, encompassing the widest range of responsible design skills fit for our changing world.

Product Design is a community here at the University of Sussex – with the traditional skills of human understanding, CAD, specification, materials, business, sketching, prototyping and more sitting within the context of future-proofed design principles.

It is a fully integrated course with a variety of specialist theoretical and practical modules that combine to form a complete toolkit of skills that modern product designers need.

Our BSc Product Design pathway is also accredited by the Institute of Engineering Designers. All pathways are aligned with the Skills for Planet blueprint from The Design Council.

Students learn to be proactive, creative and innovative designers, working on a wide range of projects encompassing research, theoretical and practical skills.

Group and individual projects stretch and build experience and confidence, including live briefs with industry.

From researching a brief and target users all the way through to prototyping, testing, costing and understanding the environmental implications of your choices – Product Design at Sussex helps you develop all the essential skills and confidence you need to be a positively impactful designer.

School: University of Sussex
Course: BSc/BA Product Design and BSc/BA Product Design (with industrial placement year)
Type: undergraduate
Location: Sussex, UK
Course dates: September 2027 to June 2030
Application deadline: continuous enrolment, next entry September 2026 to June 2027

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

Research and ethics, working with people, critical thinking, concept design creation, prototyping and testing, circular economy skills, manufacturing materials and processes, graphics, CAD and CAV, presentation and speaking, sketching, business and leadership skills and environmental impact assessments.

What are the requirements?

A Level results of ABB to BBB (plus contextual offers).

What facilities and resources are available?

– Design Studio
– Innovation Lab (including synthetic and bio-plastic processing)
– Prototyping workshops
– CAD labs
– Computer labs
– Materials library (coming 2026)

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

Graduates enter the following industries: product and industrial design, design engineering, design consultancy, design research and strategy, packaging, toy and game design, medical, sports and consumer products, automotive and aviation design, UX (user experience) design, UI (user interface) design, 3D visualisation and digital design.

Who teaches this course?

– Claire Potter, associate professor of design and the circular economy, product design course convenor
– Clare Harris, associate professor of design and creativity
– Gio Contreras Garcia, associate professor
– Connor Gallagher, assistant professor
– Bella Malya, assistant professor

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