Solutions Through Design
Most people use the same everyday objects without a second thought. You're already redesigning them — imagining how a better material, a smarter shape, or a more thoughtful feature could make daily life easier, healthier, or more sustainable. The Bachelor of Design in Product Design is a four-year degree designed for exactly that kind of thinking.
The KPU Wilson School of Design prioritizes studio work over lectures, hands-on materials and prototyping over theory alone. You’ll start with the fundamentals and take on increasingly complex projects, then shape your own path in year three and four with electives in business, marketing, or another field entirely.
It all builds towards your solo capstone project, which you present to the same industry experts you hope to work for next.
Program Highlights
- We only admit a small group of top applicants each year, so you’ll never be just a face in a crowded lecture hall.
- Applications open October 1 and close March 1. Apply early, since seats fill up fast.
- The curriculum is built around three themes: Creativity & Innovation, Leadership, and Technology. Design is only part of it. You'll also learn to lead, adapt, and scale whatever you create.
- You’ll explore product design across a wide range of fields: from recreational and technical gear, to sportswear, and protective, safety, and rescue equipment.
- The curriculum is shaped by the working professionals on our Advisory Committee, so what you’re learning stays aligned with real-world industry expectations.
- Already working in product design? You may be able to earn credit for your experience through a Prior Learning Assessment (PLA).
- If you’re coming from another program or institution, credit transfers are assessed on an individual basis, so bring your coursework and the Office of the Registrar will help you sort through it.
- Graduates go on to work as product, industrial, and environmental designers, among other things. Many also launch their own studio, consultancy, or business.
Want more detail? Check out our FAQ if you still have questions.
Costs and Equipment
Tuition and Fees
Use our Tuition Estimator to get a sense of costs, though keep in mind there are mandatory student fees and other fees on top of tuition.
Beyond that, plan to budget $300-$500 a year for printing and project materials.
Scholarships, student loans, and other financial aid may be available. Visit Student Awards and Financial Assistance to see what you might qualify for.
Laptop
This program is built around laptop-based learning, so you’ll need one with specific software to keep up with coursework.
Hold off on buying one, though. Once you’re accepted, we’ll send you the exact specs
Tools
In your first year, you’ll invest in drawing, workshop, and sewing tools that will carry you through all four years of the program.
We’ll give you the full list once you’re admitted, so you know exactly what to budget for.
Program Timeline
Year 1: Build your foundation
Learn the fundamentals of design across hard and soft materials, model making, and computer-aided design. You’ll also start developing your research and visualization skills, which is the groundwork for everything that follows.
Year 2: Design for the real world
Take your first steps into industry-context design and performance-focused work for sport and everyday use. You’ll dig into material technology, human factors, and the ethics behind good design decisions.
Year 3: Design with purpose
Tackle systems-level thinking and protective apparel and gear design, while exploring how design responds to climate change and a rapidly evolving world. You’ll also get industry experience through a dedicated placement course.
Year 4: Launch your capstone
Spend your final year on a self-directed capstone project. You’ll nurture your idea from the early research stage, all the way through to final production. Coursework in business design will prepare you for your official product launch at the Graduation Design showcase.
Industry-Ready Skills
By the time you graduate, you’ll have hands-on experience across the full product design cycle, and a capstone project to prove it.
Design & Materials
You’ll design across both hard and soft materials, build physical models, and use computer-aided design tools to bring your concepts to life.
Research & Strategy
You’ll learn to research like a designer. That means understanding human factors, semiotics, and the social and cultural context behind every product decision. You’ll apply that thinking to pressing problems, too, like climate adaptation and evolving industry needs.
Technical & Production
You’ll get hands-on with material and production technology, learning how a concept actually becomes a manufactured product: from prototyping through to final production.
Business & Marketing
You’ll start with the fundamentals of marketing early in the program. By your final year, you’ll apply that thinking directly to your own product, learning how to build an authentic business case around it.
Look Behind The Scenes
For inspiration, browse our Product Design feed or search @wilsondesignkpu on Instagram to see what our community is making right now.
Ready To Get Started?
We’re looking for students with drive, creativity, and curiosity about how things could work better. Sound like you? Time to take the next step.
To apply, you’ll need to meet our English Proficiency Requirement, submit an Entrance Package, and complete an interview. Get all the details here: