Product and Furniture Design - BA (Hons)

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

This BA (Hons) Product and Furniture Design course offers you the opportunity to gain invaluable work placement experience during the second year of the course, through modules and industry collaborations.

The Faculty also offers a specific optional work placement module, which can be taken up in your second year. The purpose of this module is to enable you to develop professional attributes as well as subject and transferable skills through experience in the work place, and tasks course participants to critically reflect upon your learning in that context. Students are normally expected to arrange their own placement, with support from academic staff and BCU Careers.

As part of the work placement module, students have the opportunity to attend specific sessions, which relate to the development of their digital presence, portfolio content and presentation, and the formulation of CV’s and covering letters for potential work placement providers and future employers.

We also have a continually evolving and expanding data base of industry partners within and outside of the West Midlands, who have collaborated with the course on various projects and have taken on students within their practices, either whilst students continue to study on the course, during the summer break or once their academic studies are completed.

Testimonials

Many of our graduates return to where they spent time on placement during their second year. 2019 graduate Jodie Mairs undertook a placement at MacMaster, and returned as an employee after graduation. 

Speaking about the work placement afterwards, Jodie said:

“My placement at MacMaster Design during my second year was a valuable experience. Being in a real life working environment taught me many things including efficacy without compromising quality, and gave me the opportunity to exhibit at 100% Design during London Design week.

The placement proved so important when wanting a career as a maker, as you never stop learning. It gave me more confidence going into my final year and resulted in a full time position at MacMaster after graduation.”

More about our placement opportunities

Our Graduates

Emily Cross

"Studying Product and Furniture Design at BCU prepared me for my next step into the design industry. For me, the supportive set of tutors helped me develop myself as a designer. By using industry-standard software, cross-disciplinary group projects and navigating the iterative process of design I feel confident in my new role as a junior product designer for Crofts and Assinder. I am eternally grateful to BCU for the opportunities that have been made available to me such as selling my products at the Minima Showroom and exhibiting my furniture pieces at New Designers and Young Furniture Makers.”

Charlie Adlem, graduated in 2020

“Without my second-year summer placement at HF Contracts, I simply wouldn’t have my current job. The skills and expertise gained during the 8 weeks were enough for HF to take me on full-time after I graduated.

"It gave me an invaluable taste of the real world that fed into my education, it not only taught me workplace skills but motivated me in my university degree to strive for more and reach my full potential.” 

Hugo Parnell-Hopkinson, graduated in 2019

“In the last few years, I have been fortunate enough to work in a variety of design industries. Consequently, I have collaborated with many remarkable design teams to bring projects from sketches to reality. From luxury wrist-ware technology to cabin designs of bio-fuelled transportation in city centres. Towards the end of 2021, I moved to Hong Kong to further expand my design experience and career. I now work for the Jacal Group, originally a business with its roots in interior design, but more recently a collection of companies devoted to creating beautiful things no matter the industry. I was brought on as their Design Strategist and Project Manager to help direct design decisions within the company. My goal is to launch a product and furniture series alongside my fellow in-house designers for use in new clubhouses and apartments across Hong Kong and China.”

Katy Thompson, graduated in 2021

"Currently, I am working as a junior furniture finisher at Matthew Cox. A small (but perfectly formed) furniture company making bespoke, made-to-measure and range pieces in Stamford, Lincs. My job role covers a lot, from sandblasting and metalworking to oiling and painting. I really love my job, working with a great team of like-minded and creative people in a very varied and always interesting role, I feel truly lucky. In the finishing department, we work on everything that comes through from the making department. Projects vary in scale from small stools and chairs to large kitchen islands and grand dining tables. We are the last point of call before the furniture is sent to customers, making my job very important and very rewarding!"