product design course?!?

croker1

hey! ok well basically im a leavin cert and im hopin to do product design next year in ul....
was just wonderin if anyone could give some information about the course?? just stuff like how many hours a week, and is it a realy hard course, etc??
i am doing DCG (new tg course) and i love it so i tink id like this course...?!

klong

You need to come up with better questions if you want genuinely helpful replies. Different people have different abilities, what might be "easy" for you might be "hard" for someone else. Think about things like- what are the chances of employment following graduation? Will I able able to find employment in this sector in Ireland? Are the lecturers helpful? etc.

Bakharwaldog

I do product design. Im in second year. Its a pretty cool course a lot of people go into it without fully understanding what its about i think so make sure you do the research.

In first youl have around 28 hours i think, which is quite a lot. last semester i think i had around 24 and same again this semester. Now to be honest i have never done a full week and i doubt many in my class have either. but then again im pretty lazy....

There is a good bit of work involved, lots of projects and its not uncommon to see product designers in the studio after midnight when deadlines are colse.

In first year you will have a lot of materials subjects, a lot of people find engineering science, which is a kind of applied maths, quite hard but if your doin higher level it should be sound. You do some tech drawing and CAD in 2nd semester but for the most part you will be sketching things freehand using markers etc.

Its a cool course and you end up doing some random projects like making a working chair from cardboard without using glue or anything just fitting pieces together and other random things.

Feel free to ask any more questions.

croker1

tanks!!:D good to get an insight into what its like 4rm someone who's actually doin it!
i dont do honours maths but i did it 4 most of 5th year..
sounds like there is alot of work involved arit but i tink id like it!!
it sounds to be really practical based.. is there still alot of boring theory to it???

Bakharwaldog

Nah you dont really need honours maths anyway. Ders quite a lot of boaring theory tbh. It starts of with loads of technology, materials and crap in first year but as you go through the years it becomes more and more design focused which is cool.

But even the theory subjects have a lot of practical labs and stuff so its not so bad. you have 6 modules each semester but probably only have exams in 3 or 4 of them. I had 3 exams there at christmas and i think i only have one or two in the summer which is handy. The rest of the modules are graded on practical coursework.

Peteee

c_k_m wrote: »

Ders quite a lot of boaring theory tbh.

I'm curious as to know what learning about wild pig theory has to do with product design? :pac:

Bakharwaldog

Peteee wrote: »

I'm curious as to know what learning about wild pig theory has to do with product design? :pac:

Lol...I knew as i was writing it that i had it wrong...thought id get away with it tho

DragonboyVNY

Hi, I don't usually drop by the boards. But I'm just distracting myself from the project work right now!
Let me introduce myself. I'm in 4th year now in UL Product Design. Not supposed to be back technically till next monday on Chinese New Year, but a few have been back in the studio for the past couple of weeks; on/off, doing barely anything but trying to get back into the swing of things.

Off the top of my head... Product Design. It has changed over the past couple of years. I am well impressed, very impressed by the years below us. Their designing, and marker use (you know, Pro- markers), and sketching are really good! My class wasn't getting near that level till late 2nd year I think.

I am pretty happy in general with the course. The theory is boring, materials, and materials processing, tooling, ergonomics. But I found aspects of ergonomics and also psychology very interesting.

Don't worry, the two Psychology modules are grand. No mumbo jumbo, just tells us a bit about clarity, how the senses are used in design.

There's a good bit of time using the Adobe Creative Sute. which has Photoshop, Illustrator... The only problem is sourcing the software. Like most students, there is usually a cracked verison floating around the studio and classmates help install them. Don't expect the lecturers to help with that aspect! In any class you always have the few computer savvy ones that will find the software and install it.

The CAD program we use mostly is Solidworks. And I hear some secondary schools are using it now too. I had one module in it for a semester... The only issue is that it's hard to get software. Solidworks has a student version with some limits.

The computer room is too small a resource at the moment. with only a dozen computers. I am expecting a change in the aspect sometime. I will honestly say: the software in those computers aren't updated often and sometimes run really slowly... But they'll do in an emergency. Most people just stick with their laptops and cracked versions of software.

Hours... I am one of the stupid ones that attend 90% of lectures, tutorials, Labs, and come in 9-5 in the studio.

In 3rd year I had about 37 hours a week on scheduled timetable. This year I have about 32-35 hours a week. Fridays are free, and are what we call FYP Day (final year project day). Of course not everyone stays in the studio for the scheduled time. I am one of the few that are always in here.


Yeah we have long hours, and staying till late at night is common before every deadline. Except now there is supposed to be a safety protocol: The Buddy System. Where we have to have 3 in the studio together after hours. Can't have the lone soldier in there having accidents right?

After the four years... What have I gained? I did Art for leaving, and I am design and space oriented, but not as much as some of the other "talents" in the class. Everyone finds a place in the course I think. The help you get from everyone is great. Except sometimes I do feel a bit lost as the project struggles on. Being Self critical can be overdone it seems.

In second year I met a few PD students frm other colleges during the Dyson Sponsored Creativity Day in Dublin. I think we are doing very well in comparison. Perhaps not as elite as what old school industrial designers were like, but it's a good start.

Hmmm... perhaps I may point this out to scare you. But I have not yet flown from the birdcage yet in the world of design to encounter the Big Bad World. Ten Lies Told to Designers.

It's hard to tell how many people continue pursuing product when they graduate. The two sets of graduates so far are still a bit grounded. But they may be aring better that I know.

What I am hearing though, is similar to the architecture crowd, that it's probably best to look overseas for jobs after graduating though. I mean industrial design is much more established in the US, Italy, well anywhere not Ireland.

_____
Oh, one final word. Product designers have a social life. Usually amongst themselves and their housemates, but it's great crack. The celebrations after deadlines are great. We even put our creativity into OTT Christmas Jumpers a few weeks before christmas (mad mad mad celebrating). It was for Xmas Daze, and the house partying went OTT too.

I still find time to go to my club for training as I would go crazy without it and for de-stressing.

All the best!

bonnieprince

in 1st yr myself and loving it so far. there are about 27hrs for my first semester. people are great and staff as well, they kinda let you off on your own for projects but are very approachable. lots of coursework but manageable. the trick with this course is to turn up and not skive as you can pick up alot in lectures and labs. the theory is a bit boring on some subjects but you can get over that. having on our building with studio is a great benefit.

croker1

cheers lads ye are a huge help!!!