An undergraduate course in Engineering, Technology and Design.

People encounter designed products every day, from bus tickets to buildings. We travel on, wear and even eat products that have been designed. This course introduces the products and practices of contemporary design. You’ll learn about the processes that generate products, practise basic design skills, and discover what being a designer involves – exploring mass market production like music players and kitchen gadgets, and more specialist contributions such as a Formula One car, solar-heated building or unique wedding dress. If you’re already a practising designer, the course will develop your understanding of design principles – enabling you to see and compare their application in various fields.

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What you will study

Designing a product – whatever it is – it is essentially a creative human activity, even though in some fields it has become global and highly computerised.

The main aims of this course are to develop your:

• design awareness, and foster an analytical judgement of designed objects by helping you to understand how design decisions are made, the influences that contribute to those decisions, and the nature of the designing process
• understanding of design principles applicable across a variety of professional practices such as product design, engineering and architecture
• design skills, by giving instruction, examples and experience in the use of basic techniques such as drawing, modelling and creative thinking.

There are six blocks in the course. Broadly, Block One introduces you to the phenomena of design and designing; Block Two examines how companies formulate design plans including market research; Block Three explores creativity in design; and Blocks Four and Five investigate the conversion of design ideas into tangible and successful products. These include the influence of new materials and manufacturing techniques; issues of sustainability; and the significance of landmark products of the past. Block Six allows the identification of both common and unique qualities in the principles and practices of modern designing via a series of case studies.

Entry

This is a Level 2 course. We have designed it to be accessible and of interest to students of arts, social sciences, business studies and education as well as to those taking courses in science or technology. If you are studying materials, mechanics or electronics, you will benefit from gaining a design perspective; if you are already a designer, the course will broaden your experience and show the relationships between design principles and practices. Beyond basic literacy skills, nothing more specific is expected other than a curiosity about objects, why they are as they are, and how they might be different and better. We do not assume that you can already design, or even draw competently. You will be taught all the concepts and skills that you need, but if you already have some skills you will be able to develop them further.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the Module Regulations and the Student Regulations which are available on our Essential documents website.

If you have a disability

You will need to spend considerable amounts of time using a personal computer. You may find you need help with the practical work. The course requires freehand sketching and the construction of basic three dimensional models (e.g. in cardboard) to assist communication of design ideas. In addition, the teaching makes reference to a very large number of illustrations of design via print and DVD.

Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

Study materials

You will need

Included with the course is some computer-aided design software. This software is included as an optional extra, and it is not necessary to use the software to pass the course. 

However, if you do wish to explore this software, it is recommended that you check the system requirements in the product's website.

Computing requirements

You will need a computer with internet access to study this course. It includes online activities – you can access using a web browser – and some course software provided on disk.

• If you have purchased a new desktop or laptop computer running Windows since 2007 you should have no problems completing the computer-based activities.
• A netbook, tablet or other mobile computing device is not suitable for this course – check our Technical requirements section.
• If you have an Apple Mac or Linux computer – please note that you can only use it for this course by running Windows on it using Boot Camp or a similar dual-boot system.

You can also visit the Technical requirements section for further computing information including the details of the support we provide.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You will be expected to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) online through the eTMA system unless there are some difficulties which prevent you from doing so. In these circumstances, you must negotiate with your tutor to get their agreement to submit your assignment on paper.

Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. But if you unavoidably miss or do badly in an assignment, some courses allow you a ‘substitution score'. In T211 this rule can apply to one assignment. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.

Professional recognition

This course may help you to gain recognition from a professional body. From this website you can download our Recognition Leaflet 3.3 Professional Engineering Institutions.

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2013 when it will be available for the last time. It will be replaced by Design essentials (T217) in  October 2013.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Innovation: designing for a sustainable future (T307)
• Design thinking: creativity for the 21st century (U101)
• Engineering: mechanics, materials, design (T207)
• Using mathematics (MST121)

How to register

We regret that we are currently unable to accept registrations for this course. Where the course is to be presented again in the future, relevant registration information will be displayed on this page as soon as it becomes available.

Student Reviews

Distance learning

The Open University is the world’s leading provider of flexible, high quality distance learning. Unlike other universities we are not campus based. You will study in a flexible way that works for you whether you’re at home, at work or on the move. As an OU student you’ll be supported throughout your studies – your tutor or study adviser will guide and advise you, offer detailed feedback on your assignments, and help with any study issues. Tuition might be in face-to-face groups, via online tutorials, or by phone.

For more information read Distance learning explained.

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