Design and Innovation
Design and innovation is a discipline that addresses how new products, services and systems are conceived, developed and brought to market, combining the creative and human-centred thinking of design with the strategic and organisational thinking of innovation management. At its core is the recognition that successful innovation is rarely about technology alone but about understanding people's needs, generating and evaluating ideas systematically, iterating through prototypes and testing, and navigating the organisational and commercial contexts in which new ideas must survive and grow.
The Open University offers this programme part time and by distance learning, making it one of the most accessible routes to a degree in this area. There is no requirement to attend a campus, and the flexible pace of study allows you to work around employment, family and other commitments. The OU's distinctive approach to supported distance learning means that you study independently but with structured resources, tuition and assessment throughout.
The programme does not have a published typical tariff, reflecting the OU's open access admissions philosophy.
You will study design thinking and practice, innovation processes and management, the history and theory of design, user research and human-centred design methods, entrepreneurship and business models, and the social and environmental contexts of design and innovation. The programme is likely to include practical project work where you apply design and innovation frameworks to real or simulated challenges, developing both your creative problem-solving capabilities and your ability to communicate design decisions clearly.
Graduates of design and innovation programmes work across a wide range of sectors where the ability to identify opportunities, generate ideas and bring new products or services to market is valued. Product development, service design, innovation consultancy, entrepreneurship, brand development, technology commercialisation and sustainable design are all common career paths. Many graduates work in the innovation functions of large organisations or in design agencies and consultancies, while others start their own ventures.
The OU's distance learning format means that many students are already working in relevant roles and use the degree to formalise and extend their professional knowledge. Postgraduate study in design innovation, entrepreneurship or product development is an option for those who wish to specialise further.