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The Bachelor of Science in Product Design program offers a project-centered curriculum that combines problem-solving with the latest technological advancements to develop creative, human-centered design solutions. You’ll gain practical experience by collaborating across disciplines and working on industry-sponsored projects to address complex design challenges.
The program provides a comprehensive understanding of how products are intentionally designed to enhance sustainability, ergonomics, user experience, and product psychology. With an emphasis on hands-on practice and theoretical learning, you will be fully equipped to turn your ideas into reality and create meaningful, impactful solutions.
If you want to specialize your studies, you can pursue the Concentration in Mobility Design within the Product Design program. This concentration provides students with critical skills to excel in the dynamic mobility industry, focusing on the design of things that help people get around—ranging from automobiles, boats, and planes to recreational vehicles, drones, and beyond. By learning the latest multimodal prototyping, digital surface modeling, visualization tools, and fabrication technologies, students gain a competitive edge in the field. Located at the heart of a thriving mobility industry, we offers unparalleled access to real-world experiences, ensuring a well-rounded and adaptable foundation for future careers in mobility design.
Our program prepares students to work in a range of areas, including furniture design, mobility design, user experience/user interface design (UX/UI), display design, design curation, sanitaryware, home accessories, healthcare, mobility, marine, sports tools, soft goods, appliances and display design.
Admission into the Product Design program follows the University’s admission criteria. Portfolios are not required for admission.
For specific Product Design program questions, contact the Chair of Design, Philip Plowright, at pplowrigh@ltu.edu or the Product Design Director, Bilge Nur Saltik, at bsaltik@ltu.edu.
For general questions about admissions, our programs or the college, please contact Associate Dean, Lilian Crum, at lcrum@ltu.edu or click the links below.
Total Semester Credit Hours: 121
Course Name
Course #
Credits
College Composition develops students’ acquisition of the fundamental principles of academic writing. This course focuses on the development of writing thesis statements and main arguments, topic sentences, transitional words and phrases, supporting paragraphs, use of evidence, essay organization, and research skills. Extensive writing and research practice is required.
COM1103
3
An introduction to the fundamental issues shared by all design disciplines: design as process, visual literacy, how design communicates, ordering systems, principles of composition, global design cultures, and design ethics. Examples for study and discussion are drawn from a broad range of designed media: architecture, transportation, literature, graphics, games, music, cinema, common consumer objects, cultural artifacts, and dance.
DES1022
2
An introduction to formal and process principles that underlie all design disciplines. The course explores both fundamentals of visual interpretation as well as conceptual processes and tactics that are involved in building more complex methodologies. The focus of the course is on visual literacy, formal principles and the identification of relevancies as building blocks in design project significance and meaning.
DES1213
3
The ability to draw complex concepts, objects, and environments from the imagination is absolutely essential to the industrial and transportation design professions. Visual communication of physical objects is exemplified throughout this course. The students will be introduced to the basic tools and methodologies of sketching, both free-hand and digitally. Extensive information is presented on the correct usage of tools, basic perspective, composition, light and shadow, and line dynamics. Basic geometrical 3-view drawings and 3D CAD software will be introduced, as well, that will support and validate the reality of expressed ideas. This class requires extensive and repetitive practice to develop the skills of sketching and visual communication.
IDD1813
3
A rigorous look into symmetry, tiling, perspective and surfaces using tools from Euclidean Geometry and other mathematical principles to further the understanding of limits, areas under curves, slopes and tangent lines. Topics covered include Fibonacci numbers, the Golden Ratio, Platonic and Archimedean solids, rigid motions, rosette, frieze and wallpapers groups and their commonalities in Art, Engineering and Computer Science.
MCS1254
4
Total Credits:
15
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Advanced application of basic principles in dynamic situations that include multiple disciplinary interests and priorities. Students are introduced to working methodologies that are used in design contexts practice to ideate, generate, explore, propose, and finalize works of design. Disciplinary-specific contexts are introduced within larger project-based delivery. (Studio)
DES1223
3
Manufacturing practices in current industry are examined, including forming, molding, assembly technologies, and selection of the manufacturing process respective to production requirements. Material selection as an input to production technique and Design for assembly will be reviewed for cost effective analysis. Students will develop an awareness of prototype and production tooling with respect to program timeline.
IDD1723
3
As a continuation of Drawing & Design Geometry 1, this course introduces more realism techniques for communicating surface transitions, colors, materials, textures, reflectivity, and transparency. More advanced 3D CAD modelling techniques will be taught to build the complex surfaces required for manufacturing processes. This course requires extensive and repetitive practice to develop the skills of sketching and visual communication, that address the needs of the industrial design profession.
IDD1823
3
The methodology of the surface modeling process will be introduced by moving from two-dimensional sketches into a three-dimensional digital environment. Students will become familiar with fundamental approaches to surfacing and modeling formats including menu tools and their respective functionality. Students will develop an understanding of three-dimensional space, the principles of modeling, and exploring the creation of digital models. Aesthetics, construction, communication, sculptural skills, and quality of work are emphasized.
IDD1313
3
This course introduces students to techniques of physical construction such as joinery techniques, structure, construction, and 3D form-making through the examination of foundational prototyping techniques and materials. Students prototype simple designed forms, learn how simple structures work and experiment on form and function.
IDD1523
3
Total Credits:
15
Course Name
Course #
Credits
A historical survey that develops students’ abilities to critically engage texts of the ancient global world, placing an emphasis on the way these texts reflect their context and human experience. Readings may draw from philosophy, history, literature, visual art, and more. Class activities include reading of primary sources, seminar discussion, and writing in various genres. May be taken concurrently with COM 1103.
HUM1213
3
Students will be challenged to develop a series of assembled products from two-dimensional drawing to three-dimensional prototype. Introduction to design constraints centered around objectives, material types and processes, as well as features and content components. Through these functions, analyze product and material properties and simulate features and performance characteristics.
IDD2313
3
Course not found.
IDD2513
3
Course not found.
IDD2613
3
This course will focus on physical and cognitive ergonomics. Students learn to observe and examine the behaviors and skills of humans and specifications for our designed environment.
IDD3713
3
Total Credits:
15
Course Name
Course #
Credits
A historical survey that develops students’ abilities to engage texts of the modern global world, placing an emphasis on the way these texts reflect their context and human experience. Readings may draw from philosophy, history, literature, visual art, photography, film, digital media, and more. Class activities include reading of primary sources, seminar discussion, and writing in various genres. May be taken concurrently with COM 1103.
HUM1223
3
Students will be met with human-centered design challenges for rapid organic prototyping. This design process will take solutions from two-dimensional to three-dimensional modalities and capture sculpted surface topology using digital tools to make a high fidelity dataset. An emphasis on digital systems that augment conceptual exploration and rapid manufacturing techniques will lead to critical dialogue and an exploration of the relationship between design and fabrication.
IDD2323
3
In this course, students design products that are functional and inclusive by analyzing users, their needs, and by applying human factors/ergonomics and usability techniques. Emphasizing concept development, the course asks students to find a focus area through broader research. Students will investigate their projects using 2D sketching, hands-on and digital rendering, 3D drawing, and animation.
IDD2623
3
History of Design from the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution to rapid shifts in both the tangible, artistic aspects of design and today’s digitally charged computer interface creations. Topics include the historic movements as well as surveying the dramatically evolving modern markets for design icons, from devices to automobiles. Addresses differentiation of why certain brands and products not only survive but flourished while others did not.
IDD3723
3
ARC/ARI/ART//DES/GAM/GRA/IDD/INX
CoAD Elective
3
The course is a one-time portfolio submittal during the second semester of the sophomore year. It is administered by the Directors of the respective programs. Used for advising, faculty from the programs will review the contents of the portfolio to guide students towards a successful completion of their chosen degree path. Students will be provided a template to inform the content of their portfolios.
DES2020
0
Total Credits:
15
Course Name
Course #
Credits
SSC Elective
SSC2XX3
3
This course will focus on product design for wearable technology by emphasizing the creating of solutions through team-based projects. Students will utilize engineering tools and skills such as circuits, programming, computer-aided design, fabrication, and usability design of a wearable device prototype.
IDD3113
3
Course not found.
IDD3313
3
This studio focuses on product design as part of a larger system. Students conduct extensive research to inform creative work that addresses diversity, adaptability, and resilience in the face of ever-changing conditions. In all steps of the design process, hand-sketching in multiple perspectives is emphasized. Mock-ups and theme models are generated, and package drawings are developed in conjunction with digital renderings. Course material includes human factors, dissection of product architecture, and consumer interaction.
IDD3613
3
Quadratic equations, functions and graphs, systems of equations, inequalities, logarithms, trigonometric functions, identities, equations. No credit after completion of MCS1224 or MCS1414. Calculus
MCS1074
4
Total Credits:
16
Course Name
Course #
Credits
LLT Elective
LLT2XX3
3
Course not found.
IDD3523
3
Course not found.
IDD3823
3
Course not found.
DES3623
3
ARC/ARI/ART//DES/GAM/GRA/IDD/INX
CoAD Elective
3
Total Credits:
15
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Course not found.
COM2103
3
This course focuses on leadership skills specific to the allied disciplines of design within the College of Architecture and Design. Students will engage models of leadership relevant to a dynamic and evolving professional context. Course content will include typologies of leadership organization, principles of successful teamwork and collaboration, viable economic frameworks, ethics and design entrepreneurship.
DES4112
2
BIO/PHY/CHM/GLG/PSC
Nat. Sci. Elective w/ Lab
4
This studio asks students to design projects and systems by analyzing, documenting, and measuring the impact of their deign in the world. Topics include the participatory design for affordability and sustainability, and strategies that benefit the preservation of landscapes, biodiversity, and livelihoods that are increasingly vulnerable. Students develop a theme-based design of their specific problem statement, ad execute design elements that react cumulative course content.
IDD4613
3
A comprehensive survey of the furniture and millwork industry. The selection, specification and procurement processes of residential and non-residential furniture will be introduced. Knowledge of the design and construction, with an emphasis on application of materials and components, and the technology used to fabricate furniture and architectural millwork, will be developed. Topics include ergonomics, performance standards, code implications, universal design principles, sustainability and parametric design.
INX3313
3
Total Credits:
15
Course Name
Course #
Credits
Junior/Senior Elective
LLT/SSC/PSY 3/4XX3
3
BIO/PHY/CHM/GLG/PSC
Nat. Sci. Elective
3
ID Senior Thesis course is an opportunity for students to develop a self-directed thesis project in a 3D design subject under the guidance of faculty. The project must be approved by the Design Faculty and will be reviewed by visiting critics and academic staff. A semester-long project will be concluded with a thesis exhibition. At the end of the semester, students present their work in a public exhibition. Research, innovation, and dissemination are emphasized.
DES1213
4
ARC/ART/ATD/GAM/GRA/IDD/INX
CoAD Elective
3
ARC/ARI/ART/DES/GAM
GRA/IDD/INX
CoAD Elective
3
Total Credits:
16
Purva Chavla
Material Design
Material Driven Founder
Pinar Guvenc
Social and Urban Design
Sour Studio - Open Style Lab Co-Founder
Carla Lemgruber
Strategic Design Studio
Atolye Director
Karen Lee
Soft Goods
Arcteryx Senior Materials Designer
Raveena Bhalara
Shoe Design
Nike Creative Lead Designer
Katie Tucker
Human Centered Design
GM Manager, Enterprise CX Customer Journey Design & Implementation - Onboarding
Mauricio Alfonso
Innovation Design
IKEA of Sweden Innovation Leader
Joni Steiner
Furniture Design - Technology
Opendesk Founder
Daniela Paredes Fuentes
Technology - 3D Drawing
Gravity Sketch Co-Founder & CXO
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