MA/MSc Industrial Design MA

The Industrial Design course at Northumbria University is highly specialised in combining the creative elements of technology, engineering, creative expression, and business entrepreneurship into industrial design. It is designed to encourage a deep understanding of how our sustainable development challenges can be addressed by applying design-for-people-and-planet theory and methodologies to smart products and services supported by emerging technologies, with particular emphasis on AI.  <br/><br/>On our Masters course, you will learn to create better products, services, and business models that are needed to meet changing priorities in society, and you will be assessed by your coursework for all modules. <br/><br/>Our course features two focused pathways:<br/><br/><br/>- MA Industrial Design – Designing services and promoting behaviour change or<br/><br/><br/>- MSc Industrial Design – Generative AI design and smart products.<br/><br/><br/>Designing services and promoting behaviour change (MA)<br/>Service Design - better services and experiences are key to a better future.This module focuses on product development, our industrial design processes and design thinking, as these skills are now just as sought-after in reshaping services and experiences. It covers the key principles and co-design methods, which are increasingly applied to the domain of health and wellbeing, and product lifecycle services.   <br/><br/>Design for Behaviour Change - design changes behaviour. Whether through an intuitive user interface, persuasive communications or compelling product package, design can direct user action.  In this module, you will explore how you can deliberately guide positive, ethical behaviour change by understanding desires and motivations, or shaping capabilities, opportunities, and perceptions. You will draw on underlying psychological principles such as social proof, scarcity, or reciprocity to help realise positive outcomes.  <br/><br/>Industrial Design major project dissertation MA/MSc - now is your chance to design the future. This major design project/thesis module allows you to focus on designing products or services or, integrated product-service systems for connected futures, with reflection on and synthesis of previous learnt product and service systems design principles, approaches and practices. This MA project will focus on service design. <br/><br/>Generative AI design and smart products (MSc)<br/>Experimental Generative Design - AI is driving a design revolution. The AI revolution is likely to change not just the way we work but perhaps also whether we can work at all. This module will introduce you to designing at a higher level with a cross section of industry leading artificial intelligence tools which help to boost design experimentation, iteration and quality of final outcomes. You will gain an understanding and practical application of emerging generative AI and related design tools and models in relation to human-centred design principles.  <br/><br/>Smart Product Design and Practice - smart products are the future. Smart product design involves creating products that leverage digital technology such as AI and Digital twins, connectivity, and intelligent features to enhance functionality, user experience, and overall value. This module will first introduce smart product design principles, methodologies and processes across the product (ordinary) lifecycle, and then discuss how these can be applied to build smart connected products/devices.    <br/><br/>Industrial Design major project dissertation MA/MSc - now is your chance to design the future. This major design project/thesis module allows you to focus on designing products or services or integrated product-service systems for connected futures, with reflection on and synthesis of previous learnt product and service systems design principles, approaches and practices. This MSc project will focus on product design.