BFA in Product Design

Product Design student work will demonstrate:

• Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills:
  Application of core principles and practices of product design, including aesthetics, ergonomics, materials, and manufacturing processes, to develop functional, market-ready, and appropriate products that meet user needs and also industry standards.
• Proficiency in Industry-Standard Skills, Technologies, and Processes:
  Competence in using industry-standard software and tools, such as CAD software, 3D printing, and prototyping technologies, leading to the creation of high-fidelity models and prototypes and production-ready designs.
• Cross-Disciplinary Awareness and Practice:
  Ability to seek out and integrate insights from behavioural science, engineering, marketing, and user experience design, and – using a holistic approach to product design – will develop products that are not only technically feasible but also strategically positioned for real-world impact, enhancing user experience and market viability.
• Audience-Focused Research, Historical Context, and Field-Specific Discourse:
  Ability to conduct thorough research to understand user needs and preferences, and consider historical influences and trends to generate informed, relevant product solutions that are part of professional discourse.
• Capacity to Identify and Solve Creative Problems:
  Ability to navigate complex design challenges with innovation and creativity, delivering well-researched, user-centered solutions that move from initial ideation to final, manufacturable products.

Product Design student work will demonstrate:

• Innovation
  A willingness to challenge conventions in product design, pushing boundaries in both form and function.
• Experimentation and play
  In developing prototypes and exploring new approaches, materials, processes, or uses.
• Challenge to the status quo
  A commitment to questioning the status quo and designing products that respond to contemporary issues, whether social, environmental, or cultural.
• Bravery in their work and their interactions with others
  Courage to take creative risks in both their design approach and their collaborative work, challenging themselves and others to think beyond traditional solutions.

Product Design student work will demonstrate:

• Self-Awareness
  Self-awareness as designers, with an ability to critically assess their work, values, and impact within the field of Product Design.
• Capacity to Communicate (Orally, Written, and/or Visually) about their Practice
  Proficiency in communicating their goals, intent, design process and practice effectively across oral, written, and visual platforms.
• Capacity to Seek, Assemble, Evaluate, and Ethically Apply Information and Ideas from Diverse Sources
  Capacity to seek, synthesize, and ethically apply diverse information sources and perspectives, including consumer insights, market trends, and emerging technologies.
• Analysis of Both Ethical and Aesthetic Impacts of Art and Design
  Insight and analysis into the ethical and aesthetic impacts of their designs on society, existing infrastructures, systems, and the environment, applying these considerations to make responsible design decisions.

Product Design student work will demonstrate:

• Understanding of Themselves as Parts of a Larger Whole Made Up of Human and Non-Human Beings.
  Awareness of how their designs contribute to a larger ecosystem of human and non-human interactions, including social, environmental, and economic impacts.
• Awareness of Positionality – in the World, their Field, their Communities.
  Understanding their positionality within the design field and the communities they serve, reflecting on how these perspectives influence their design choices.
• Ability to Work Well, Collaborate, and Build Relationships across Differences in Identity, Perspective, Aesthetics and Disciplines
  Ability to collaborate effectively and build meaningful relationships across differences in identity, perspective, cultural values, and disciplines to create inclusive and innovative design solutions.
• Integration of Skills and Concepts:
  Integration of cross-disciplinary skills, concepts, and information to develop products that respond to real-world needs and opportunities.

Product Design student work will demonstrate:

• Ability to define aspirations, future goals and their role within the creative economy.
  Clarity of their personal and professional aspirations, along with an understanding of their role within the evolving landscape of product design.
• Awareness of audience and ability to cultivate relationships with others in their chosen fields.
  Awareness of target audiences and the ability to cultivate professional relationships within the product design field.
• Compelling presentation and exhibition skills, through Annual Exhibition, Capstone, and portfolios
  Strong presentation and exhibition skills, with a focus on effectively showcasing their designs through Annual Exhibition, Capstone projects, résumés and portfolios.
• Proficiency in budgeting, time and project management.
  Competence in time and project management to handle the demands of a design career.
• Career readiness, as evidenced by strong interpersonal skills, self-advocacy, adaptation, autonomy, initiative, and willingness to both receive and offer feedback
  Develop career readiness by exhibiting strong interpersonal skills, self-advocacy, adaptability, autonomy, initiative, and willingness to both receive and offer feedback.