Bachelor of Science in Product Design
/Department of Design
/CoAD

Bachelor of Science in Product Design

Summary / Career Opportunities / Admissions + Curriculum

The NASAD-accredited Bachelor of Science in Product Design program at LTU is a project-centered curriculum that focuses on sustainability, ergonomics, user experience, product psychology, business, entrepreneurship, leadership, packaging, and cultural geography. The program facilitates cross-disciplinary projects and collaboration with industry professionals. Students also have the chance to participate in company-sponsored projects throughout their academic career. The program is designed to uphold LTU's long-standing commitment to theory and practice, providing students with a better understanding of how products are creatively designed to solve the most critical issues facing our society today.

Playful Measuring Set

Careers in Product 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.

Current students and graduates work for local and national companies, including Apple , OXO , Ford Motor Company , General Motors , Altair Design Studio , Sunberg Ferar , Pophouse , Bose , The Portable Factory , Polaris , Under Armour , Posh Interior Studios , Adidas , Dom Interiors , Dassault Systemes , Toyota , Bennington Marine and Stanley Black & Decker .

Featured Alumni

Alyssa Melotik

BS in Industrial Design

I'm a designer at Ford working on various programs from current day to far-future products. Within those teams we work holistically on understanding trends, context, and branding, all the way through storytelling, ideating, and developing final exterior and interior products.

Q: Tell us a little about your background.

A: I started at LTU in Architecture and after taking courses for a year I stumbled upon Industrial Design. I had no idea what it was before then, but when I walked through upperclassmen projects I felt the need to switch majors. The idea of being able to impact people on a more personal level was and still is one of the most inspiring aspects of ID. You don't have an opportunity to get as hands on in research and design as you do anywhere else. So today, that's why I enjoy working at Ford so much. We put research first - asking real people real questions and translating those inputs to something bigger. I don't have too much time spent in the field as I've graduated in 2018 but so far I'm learning every day and I couldn't ask for more.

Q: What made you choose to attend Lawrence Tech?

A: I was interested in design and architecture stood out as something creative that interested me. I heard of LTU having one of the best programs in the area so I visited and something just clicked when meeting the professors, touring the campus, and just the overall spirit in general. On top of that, there just happened to be a lacrosse team starting that year and I was able to earn a scholarship. It just sort of fell into place and LTU seemed like the best fit.

Q: For those who might be interested in Industrial Design, do you have any advice?

A: Overall you want to find that perfect combination of being good at something and doing what you love. A lot of the time things you're good at might not be what you love, and vice versa. It can take a while to figure that out so don't be discouraged if you haven't found that thing yet.

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Beth Steenwyk

BS in Industrial Design, 2018

I'm a designer and researcher fascinated by systems, the future of food and sustainability. Currently I work at Rivian designing and researching systems and products related to electric adventure vehicles. Before that I worked at OXO, REI, Vectorform and Altair Thinklabs.

Q: Tell us a little about your background.

A: I grew up a very creative kid, spurred by being homeschooled and having a little more time to work on my own projects than some of my neighbors. I wrote a lot of stories, made a lot of projects that supported my hobbies, drew constantly. But I didn't really begin to develop any of those skills until I got to college and started in ID.

Q: What made you choose to attend Lawrence Tech?

A: I started at LTU in the architecture and interior programs and ran cross-country on the inaugural team. Something didn't feel right to me in architecture so I switched to architectural engineering. That wasn't right either so I was looking for other a better fit the summer between my freshman and sophomore year. I Googled "Art that Helps People" and stumbled upon Product Design. Within a month of the fall semester, I had fallen in love with the people-focused process and never turned back.

Q: For those who might be interested in Product Design, do you have any advice?

A: For sure, two things: 1. Try everything you get a chance to in college. Product design teaches you a valuable process that can lead you into a variety of more specialized disciplines, like UI, UX, design research, strategy design, environmental design, retail, rapid prototyping, or more traditional ID. Try to get as many internships or learning opportunities as you can while in college. These 3-6 month stints give you a taste of the real world and the more experience you have from school, the better you can determine what aspect you want to pursue after graduation! 2. Care. Realize that in design, you are in the unique position of getting to shape the physical world around you and it's your responsibility to shape it well.

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Admissions + Curriculum

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

Transfer Portfolio Guidelines

Degree Path