Design with Placement Year

Design at its best is the discipline that makes ideas tangible. Whether the end product is a physical object, a digital interface, a service or a built environment, good design combines rigorous creative thinking with technical knowledge and a clear understanding of who will use what is being created and why. At Brunel University London, this four-year full-time programme incorporates a placement year, giving you extended professional experience in a real design or commercial environment as part of your undergraduate education.

Brunel has a long history in design education and a strong emphasis on the development of commercial awareness and technical skill alongside creative capability.

You will develop skills in concept generation, prototyping, CAD and digital tools, human-centred research and the processes through which ideas move from initial sketch to finished product. The programme covers both physical product design and the digital dimension, reflecting the reality that most design work now involves both material and virtual elements. Commercial awareness, the ability to understand briefs, manage time and communicate design decisions to non-designers, is threaded through the curriculum rather than treated as an add-on.

The placement year places this learning in a professional context, typically in a design consultancy, manufacturing company, technology firm or brand-side design team. A typical tariff of around 120 points is expected.

Design graduates from Brunel work in product design consultancies, consumer electronics, automotive, packaging, digital product companies, healthcare technology and retail design. The combination of technical skill, commercial understanding and real placement experience makes graduates effective in professional roles from an early stage. Many also go on to postgraduate study in design, design engineering or user experience, and a number move into entrepreneurial ventures of their own.