MSc Product Design Innovation

Programme outline and modules

This MSc Product Design programme is for students with a background in design, engineering or related areas. The course and modules aim to develop and enhance your innovation skills and knowledge required to achieve successful product design development and innovation.

You will develop a high level of creativity and design ideas as a part of your response to possible market opportunities. This is a key element to your learning on this programme.

The course will also enable you to develop a critical understanding of sustainable factors and its relevance and importance to all our futures.

The course creates opportunities for students to originate new ideas and model or prototype design solutions that will meet perceived manufacturing, marketing and consumer needs.

Modules
The range of modules reflects the nature of innovative design solutions plus the additional knowledge and skills required to put it into practice professionally.

Six of the taught modules are compulsory, and three elective modules are chosen from a selection of six options.

Core modules: (all modules are studied)

• Major Project
• Product Introduction Process
• Research Project
• Sustainable Design
• Innovation Business Development
• Design Realisation
• International Studies

Elective Modules: (three to be chosen)

• Strategic Management
• Computational Fluid Dynamics and Applications
• Finite element Analysis: Theory and Application
• Renewable Energy
• CAD Principles and Materials Selection
• Advanced Computer Aided Design (ADVCAD)
• Advanced Business Analysis
• Advanced Design Analysis
• Advanced Costing Analysis

The Major Project module is completed between April and September.

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Entry requirements

Essential and/or desirable academic qualifications:

• A minimum of a lower second class Honours Degree in product design, engineering, or a business related subject.  Graduates with at least two years relevant design work experience are particularly encouraged to apply. Students without such experience may be admitted based on individual merit. 
• English Language Requirements (for candidates whose first language is not English):
  
  • A TOEFL score of at least 100 (internet-based) with a minimum score of 23 in Speaking, 22 in Reading and 21 in Writing and Listening.
    
  • An IELTS score of 6.5 overall with no less than 6.0 in each band.

• References are required

Learning, teaching & assessment

The modules in this programme are delivered with lectures, seminars and lab-based tutorials giving a good balance between scientific methodologies and hands-on practice.

Creativity will underpin much of the interactive work during this course. Developed ideas can be manufactured using a variety of techniques including the use of our range of Rapid – Prototyping equipment.

Modules are assessed mainly through coursework, although some modules may also have exams.  The major project is assessed by dissertation and supporting design work.

Examples of past major projects range from the development of innovative Rigging for Stunt Kite Boarding, Race Car Suspension using composite technologies with Innovative Designs to the use of Solar Energy to help cool domestic conservatories.

Professional accreditation

This programme is fully accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers leading to Chartered Engineering status (CEng).

Career opportunities

Career prospects for graduates are excellent On completion of this one year course the student should be able to confidently develop their own product ideas and innovations ‘ready for manufacture and marketing’, start their own design business enterprise, or enter new product development organisations and other creative businesses at a higher level of responsibility.

Personal development

This is an interactive course aimed to develop your knowledge and understanding of the changes, developments and potential opportunities that face us all in a Global economy.

You will create and deliver a major project and develop effective research and specification skills.  

Semester 1 modules will enable you to develop the knowledge, skills and expertise required for this level of work, as well as the opportunity to initiate the research for the major project idea.

Semester 2 modules will enable you to extend your professional understanding and expertise through module coursework, individual projects and teamwork.

You will also make several individual presentations and get chance to hone your interview techniques.

Facilities & equipment

Much of the teaching and learning in the Programme take place in the Design Suite or CAE facility which have the latest commercial Computer Aided Design tools (e.g. Solid works, Fluent, Ansys).

Lecture rooms are equipped with modern AV/IT facilities which aid CAE teaching.

Modelmaking and Engineering Workshops are available to develop physical models and prototypes. This includes a range of specialist rapid prototyping equipment as well as dynamic testing equipment.  This equipment can help in the testing of prototype ideas.

Our excellent learning resources have up-to-date texts and publications with a large selection available in the library electronically.

Course director

Chris Evans
Programme Director Product Design
BA Industrial Design

Chris Evans has been a design educationalist since 1989. His strong interest in Industrial Design education is underpinned by 20 years of professional work designing and managing within leading manufacturing organisations. These include Mettoy Ltd (Corgi: die-cast toys); Ogle Design Consultancy (toys, consumer electronics, transport systems); Prestige plc (kitchen cookware); Crown House Tableware (glass, ceramics) and Hasbro Europe (toys). Although Arts School trained, Chris believes that design students must combine their creativity skills and innovative flair with appropriate engineering and technological knowledge plus have an effective understanding of markets and the real user requirements.

He joined Aston University in 2001 having previously created and led highly successful Product, Industrial, Interior and
Graphic design courses in other universities.

Teaching staff

Professor Geoff Tansley
PhD CEng FIMechE
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Prof Tansley developed his engineering modelling skills through industrial consulting, research projects in universities, and as Chief Mechanical Engineer in an Australian Medical device company where he led modelling and manufacture of an artificial heart.

Prof Tansley has expertise is in computational fluid dynamics of blood flow and in the design and development of implantable medical devices; his current research projects include an aortic balloon pump, a rotary blood pump and blood cell dynamics in Couette flow.

Dr Philip Davies
DPhil
Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering
Philip Davies is a member of the Sustainable Environment Research Group.  His main research activities are in developing renewable and efficient energy systems and in the treatment of water for drinking and sanitation.  Philip has held appointments at the University of Oxford, the Universidad Politécnica in Madrid, the University of Warwick, and in manufacturing and consulting companies. He holds a B.Sc in Mechanical Engineering from Imperial College, London, and D.Phil from the University of Oxford.

Dr. Gareth Thomson
PhD
Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering


Dr. Mark Prince
PhD
Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering
Mark is a former Aston graduate with experience in mechanical design and analysis.  His research interests are in ophthalmic and medical device development and he has experience in designing microsystems for biological structure interfacing, and exploiting vision technologies. Mark has expertise in 3D computer solid modelling, rapid prototyping and rapid manufacture, computer aided engineering, electronic/mechatronic design, and optical and contact microscopy and imaging techniques.