Product Design - B.S.

Johnson and Wales University

The Product Design bachelor's degree program at JWU invites students to imagine and create the next generation of connected products, high-tech systems and user experiences. Graduates leave prepared to lead as technologists, innovators and designers in a rapidly changing global economy. The edges of professional design practice are becoming porous, revealing new challenges and opportunities in the field. A new kind of design thinking is needed to develop the next generation of experiences, interconnected products and interfaces. The Product Design B.S. degree prepares students to integrate system and experience design with strategic innovation, removing traditional boundaries within design practice. JWU Product Design students explore the web of systems and human experiences surrounding and supported by a design proposal. This approach positions graduates to create smart, connected products or integrate design thinking and problem-solving into established businesses and industries, helping them adapt and differentiate themselves. Students begin their studies with an intensive design foundation. In small project-based classes, students work closely with faculty to develop their representation, research and communication skills. With skills in hand, students proceed through a studio sequence of increasingly complex design projects with exposure to real clients and real-world problems. In their final year, students develop a capstone design investigation to explore a specific area of interest and begin the transition from student to design professional. Graduating students enter the world ready to use design as a catalyst for change, transforming and improving people’s lives.Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to: Apply the concepts of universal design to create inspiring, user-focused products and experiences Model systems to improve system performance through design intervention Move iteratively and critically from open-ended problems to design proposals Communicate complex ideas visually, orally and in written form Propose appropriate materials, technologies and processes for design proposals.