[MattHelders]

I am doing my leaving this year and I'm afraid of failing HL maths. My first choice is Computer Science in DIT but I can't get that if I fail Maths and I won't get enough points if I do ordinary level.


I emailed the DIT admissions and got a reply saying that there is a Maths repeat exam for courses with a OL D3 minimum Maths requirement which Product Design has so this is my back up course.

I'm just looking for a bit of info on it. Corse content and career possibilites.

I do DCG in school and I love Solidworks so I heard that this may be the course for me but I'm concerned about the employment after college

EDIT: It seems that the points are actually the same as CS. But never mind. I'd still love some info

[ryan_w94]

This seems to be the same as me, I know I am better off doing a product design course instead of Computer Applications, however I think I will change this. Problem is product design in DIT or NUIM? But the only info I have is that with product design you can enter a few sectors such as aerodynamics in things such as cars and airplanes, or simply designing everyday items. For job prospects I believe there are more opportunities abroad from what I've heard, but there still are plenty here, but if you're good at it there shouldn't be too much of a problem. That's not a lot of info, just thought I'd say what I can since I came across this thread, and good luck with your Maths!

[BostonB]

IMO there's vastly more jobs and better paid in IT than product design. Simple example find an Irish job site and compare the number of IT jobs with product design ones. If are determined to work in product design/industrial design, then look at a site like http://www.coroflot.com/ and see where the jobs are. In the main its all UK or US based and theres not big numbers in it.

[Gian-Pa]

Product Design and Computer Science a very different courses.

I just graduated in the later and I'm actually looking into a sort of Interaction, User experience, User Interface design courses.

This is because in CS you get thought how to program from a low level languages such as C, until Python (only 1 semester last year) and Java (i think 2.5 years).
But any sort of real UI design is done perhaps only for Current assessments. And lecturers just want programs to work, UI is always a second aspect.

But is not all that bad. There is a module for 1 semester in 2nd year (i think) called Human Computer Interaction (HCI) which goes from the very basics without going very much into details.
You do one mock with varios tools (paper, powerpoint) with in a group, a no coding.

I don't know about the Product Design course in DIT but, if you have an eye for design and style, product design might be better for you, specially if you dislike programming.

Make sure you like stuff like industrial design (do a bit of research into what that entails).

Best of Luck

[guyfo]

I'm in second year product design in dit. Have to say i love the course. But then again i'm someone who always has to be designing or making something. You get to learn some really great skills and you get education in a lot of areas (engineering, design, art, business, presentation, prototyping, fabrication etc.) As far as jobs go everything you use that you have bought has been designed by a product designer. Now to me that means that there are a lot of boring jobs like designing packaging and then fewer of the better jobs in automotive, aeronautical, apple style work etc. If your someone who would like to set up a business in the future it would be a great course because of the range of skills you learn.

[c08849200]

I'm just after graduating from Product Design DIT.

If you want to go to the worst college in terms of facilities and social life for 4 years avoid DIT Bolton street. All 4 years felt like a prison. I think the ratio is 8 lads for every 1 girl.

If I were you I would choose something where the jobs exist. Technology is a better choice in my opinion. App developers are always looking for new employees.

That being said NCAD's equivalent are a lot less engineering orientated and create better looking concepts. They don't compete with the finished products that DIT's do. This can be seen at the graduate exhibitions just passed. NCAD's prototypes were shocking compared to ours.

It is very difficult to get jobs afterwards unless you are willing to move. Most product designers are freelance.