MDes Product Design: Furniture
Four years full-time
UCAS code • W261
Location • City Campus
Subject area • Art and design
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View examples of work completed by students on MDes Product Design: Furniture.
One of our students won a BBC-sponsored competition to design sofas for their new northern headquarters, MediaCityUK. Find out more.
Find out about Creative Spark, our annual graduate showcase of final year students' work, and Brightest Spark, an exhibition featuring projects completed by our elite students.
View a 360 degree tour of our model making workshop used to make prototypes of students’ designs.
Find out about the Sheffield Institute of Arts (SIA) and view a 360 degree tour of the SIA gallery, where our students exhibit their work.
View a 360 degree tour of our print making studio.
Our Digital Design Centre can print medium to large format high quality outputs on a range of different media. The laboratories have software supporting 2D and 3D engineering and creative design applications. Find out more.
Our Printmaking Centre supports a range of processes including silk screen printing, etching, relief, cyanotype, bookmaking and letterpress. Find out more.
All new students on this course undergo a comprehensive induction program to learn how to make the most from our workshop facilities. Find out more.
One of the most valuable resources available for you to access is our highly experienced technical support team. Find out how they can help support your development.
At a glance
This course is based on a design culture that considers all aspects of furniture and product design and a philosophy that thrives on new ideas, new ways of doing things and the exploration of creative possibilities. You develop your skills and knowledge in state-of-the-art workshops with industry standard resources and have the opportunity to work on live projects for real clients.
Key points
• Work in state-of-the-art workshops with industry standard resources.
• Go on field trips to internationally recognised design studios and design exhibitions.
• Benefit from strong links with industry to work on live projects and gain placements.
• Gain an industrial experience or complete an overseas study exchange.
This course
Develop your creative ability on a course with a design culture that considers all aspects of furniture and related product design, and a philosophy that thrives on new ideas, new ways of doing things and the exploration of creative possibilities. We celebrate diversity and encourage our students to develop their own personal identities.
You learn to think about furniture in its broadest terms, developing your creativity by exploring space, form and structure. Your study includes • research skills • idea generation • concept development • ergonomics • model and prototype making • production and communication.
You work on a diverse range of design projects to develop your understanding of furniture in domestic and commercial environments. This range helps you to consider the needs of different users. You also gain awareness of computer-aided design and manufacture, small to mass scale production and business and marketing issues.
At the end of your final year, you have the opportunity to present your work to the public as well as prospective employers. You can showcase your work at our annual degree show, Creative Spark, as well as the national New Designers exhibition held at the Business Design Centre in London.
We have strong links with the furniture industry, leading to live projects that help you to understand market forces and technological issues. You visit national and international exhibitions and companies such as • Tom Dixon • Jasper Morrison • Moooi • Vitra • Viaduct • Senator.
About the MDes
This course runs parallel to the BA (Honours) Product Design: Furniture. The main difference begins in year three where modules have more of a research focus. You may complete a work placement in semester two to develop your industrial experience, or complete an overseas study exchange.
Self-directed study forms a large part of your final year, and we support you through taught modules, culminating in a substantial major project. You also increase the professional activity in your specialist area. This improves your skills and develops career opportunities by building on links with external partners.
Key areas of study
Key areas include • creative design projects • workshop and IT skills • culture in context • technology • human factors • design and innovation • CAD • design for exhibition • design theory and history.
Students from this course have recently won or been finalists in a number of awards including the BBC North Design Challenge, Design Museum Design Factory Challenge and New Design Britain.
Find out more about MDes Product Design: Furniture
Related courses
- BA (Honours) Product Design (Full-time)
- MDes Graphic Design (Full-time)
- BA (Honours) Product Design: Furniture (Full-time)
- BA (Honours) Interior Design (Full-time)
- BA (Honours) Graphic Design (Full-time)
- MDes Jewellery and Metalwork (Full-time)
- MDes Product Design (Full-time)
- MDes Interior Design (Full-time)
You apply for this course through UCAS.
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/study/ug/fees-and-funding
2013/14 academic year
Typically £10,680 a year
2014/15 academic year
Typically £11,250 a year
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees, scholarships and bursaries see www.shu.ac.uk/international/fees
• coursework
Key Information Set 
MDes student wins BBC-sponsored competition to design a sofa for their new headquarters
Samir at the BBC headquarters with one of his winning designs
Chairs designed by a Sheffield Hallam University furniture design student are now sitting proudly at the new northern headquarters of the BBC, MediaCityUK in Salford.
Samir Skalli, 21, who is doing his MDes in Furniture Design (now called MDes Product Design: Furniture) at Sheffield Hallam, won a BBC-sponsored competition for his Busby design.
And around 30 of his high-backed sofa chair are now on display at the BBC's new northern headquarters.
Samir, originally from Hull, said: "Winning the competition proved an insightful and exciting experience for me. Working closely with noughtone and the BBC to develop the concept has been very influential in my understanding of how the design process works in the industry, from sketches to final manufacture."
Keen to support the British design talent of the future, the BBC ran a design competition in partnership with ID:SR and Harrogate-based naughtone, giving design students the chance to create a piece of furniture that would be housed at MediaCityUK.
The brief was for a piece of furniture that could act as a haven for the BBC's employees in the newopen plan work space, suitable for one person to make confidential phone calls from, and with the ability to place two or more pieces together for a more collaborative arrangement.
Samir's winning product is a high-backed cylindrical chair with a playful, asymmetrical shape. Its confident exterior makes the user feel secure and sheltered, enveloping them in private comfort.
John Bairstow, course leader for furniture design, said: "It has been a real boost for Samir to have won the competition. The work he did with noughtone which took his concept into production has helped him enormously in his role as a designer. The BBC are also really pleased with the result.
"As a course, we aim to give the work of our students as much exposure as possible to help them with their careers. This is a prime example of the success we have had in doing this over the last few years."
Spark - be creative
Subjects included are • animation • architecture • computers • creative writing • digital media production • engineering • fashion design • film and visual effects • film and media production • fine art • furniture and product design • games design • graphic design • interior design • jewellery and metalwork • performing arts • photography • product design.
Creative Spark
Creative Spark is an annual showcase of student work and celebrates the innovation, creativity and imagination of our most talented graduates. Creative Spark is hosted across four university venues • Owen • Cantor • Sheaf • Arundel Gate Court and S1 in the city centre.
For further information visit the Creative Spark website.
Brightest Spark
Brightest Spark is an exhibition housed in the SIA Gallery and Cantor building. This exhibition features the elite students in each Sheffield of Institute of Arts course as chosen by industry professionals.
For further information visit the Brightest Spark website.
Project Spark
Sheffield Hallam students have the opportunity to play a key role in the promotion of the Creative Spark and Brightest Spark exhibitions by submitting entries for Project Spark. The 2012 competitions included • concept design • branding and wayfinding • creative writing • image • brightest spark logo and branding.
For further information visit the Project Spark website.
Model making workshop
Model making workshop used to make prototypes of students’ designs.
Sheffield Institute of Arts
Sheffield Institute of Arts at Sheffield Hallam University is one of the oldest and most well-established centres of creative learning in Britain. Since 1843, we’ve built an excellent reputation and nurtured generations of students in a culture where anything is possible and with the resources to make it happen. To find out more about the Sheffield Institute of Art and its creative community visit the website.
Sheffield Institute of Arts gallery
The gallery offers and exciting programme of changing exhibitions of the best in art, design and creative practice. Located in the Cantor building, it hosts exhibitions throughout the year.
Print making studio
Our print making studio supports a wide range of print activities including etching, drypoint, cyanotype, lithography and screen printing.
The Digital Design Centre
The Digital Design Centre comprises a suite of 6 IT laboratories (4 PC and 2 MAC) together with the Print Output room, an area for printing medium to large format high quality output on a range of different media. The laboratories have a wide range of software supporting 2D and 3D engineering and creative design applications.
The Digital Design Centre runs a high quality computer printing facility and has the ability to print sizes between A4 and A0 and wide format banners. A3, A2, A1, A0 and Banner photo quality printing is available on a range of papers, as well as AutoCAD type plans ( B & W ) on standard paper.
The Printmaking Centre
The Printmaking Centre supports the following processes
• silk screen printing
• etching
• relief
• cyanotype (an early photo graphic process)
• bookmaking
• letterpress
The printmaking workshop is divided into process lead areas which are outlined below.
Screen print area
In this area there is everything the student needs to get a good grounding in every aspect of silk screen,
with facilities for printing onto to paper, fabric and MDF.
Resources include
• four screen beds
• large exposure unit
• wash-out and development area
• in house photo positive facilities
Intaglio and relief area
We have all the facilities on hand to give you a broad experience of traditional printmaking techniques. We offer support in dry-point and etching as well as photo etching, relief and linocut.
• large etching press (max plate size- 1060 X 715 mm)*
• medium etching press (max plate size – 770 X 935 mm)*
• medium relief press (max plate size – 565 X 820 mm)*
• small relief press (max plate size – 285 X 410 mm)*
• horizontal etching tank (for copper only/max plate size – 300 X 600 mm)
• small exposing unit for photo-etching
Letterpress area
This area includes a printing press, cases of select fonts and smaller support equipment.
Bookbinding
Facilities for making and binding books are provided within the studio and some specialised equipment is available for students to use within the department.
Digital area
We provide a small digital suite within the printmaking workshop enabling students to make their own positives and negatives for the processes supported in the department such as silk screen, photo-etching and cyanotype. Our print facilities enable us to output a variety of different types of photographic positives in house creating an immediate bridge between digital and traditional processes. This enables you to design and make exciting print works to a high standard within one location. Resources include Two AppleMac computers with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign (CS5.5) A3 scanner, large format A0 inkjet printer, A3 b/w laser printer.
Workshop skills induction
These are specifically designed for all first year students that will require access to the workshop facilities as part of their course. The core essential techniques are covered and include both theory and practice.
Core techniques covered include
• using hand held power tools
• using a bandsaw and scroll saw – wood, foam and plastic
• using a pedestal drill – wood, metal and plastic
• sanding techniques – wood, plastic and foam
• metalworking techniques – cutting, shaping and grinding
• plastics manipulation – use of strip heater and vacuum forming
Technical support team
While you will find excellent facilities throughout, the most valuable resource you will have at your disposal is access to our extremely dedicated, highly experienced technical staff.
All the staff are there to support you during your time in the workshops. The technical team with its professionally qualified staff and practicing professionals, has a wealth of knowledge and expertise across all areas of our provision and comprises engineers, designers, silversmiths and jewellers, fine artists, media arts specialists and IT experts.
The team are committed to using their diverse range of skills and knowledge to support practical aspects of your
course work, whether solving a simple software problem, producing a complex engineering project or creating design work for an international exhibition. There are currently 50 technical staff directly supporting the Technical Resource Centres and the research institutes of the faculty.
