Without design, the world would be a much poorer, more tiring place. The discipline of design can be defined as ‘pervasive intelligence’ that invites us to find new meanings and new solutions, and that educates people to generate value and values for the world around them. Design has always been a powerful driver of social and aesthetic progress and of thinking.

Design is an essential factor for every firm that makes the quality of its products a hallmark of its market positioning. That quality comprises the product’s conception, usability and emotional appeal, its ability to cater for the requirements of environmental sustainability, a suitable choice of materials and the product’s life cycle. And the designer is the lead actor in the process of defining the product’s main characteristics. At the end of this course, students will be able to find opportunities for work or structured professional placement in all sorts of different fields of industry, wherever innovation converges with the quality of products, services and processes.