Hi there, my name is EmmaJude Lyons, and I study Product Design and Technology here in UL. I chose Product Design after I went to the UL open day, where I was blown away by the facilities both across the campus and within the product design studio. The amazing models and interesting projects really fascinated me on the day, and from that day on I knew I wanted to do product design.
There are so many fantastic things about this course, one is the wide range of projects that you complete over the four years. There is design for manufacturing projects, centred around materials and the manufacturing ability of the product, product interaction and the out of box experience. There are projects rooted in sustainability, and projects based on design visualisation and product photography. PDT hosts individual projects, group projects and industry projects, and they all create their own learning experience that is invaluable to you as a designer. It’s one of the things that I most enjoyed about the course, you will never like all of your projects or modules, but with the variety within PDT, you were always working on at least one that you were passionate about.
The Product Design studio is an amazing space for PDT students. The studio comprises of a large open space where all fourth-year students work. The space has photobooths, workshops, a computer room, and a whole host of other exciting facilities. This studio is a base for students to work on their projects together or individually, the space is simply charged with creative energy and it such a fun place to be!
During my four years, there were a variety of opportunities - exciting and educational experiences. In second year, Product Design took a trip to London, where we went to the Design Museum, The Tate Modern, and The Branding Museum, these museums were rich with information and complemented the material that we were learning in modules. I really enjoyed this trip; it was both educational and fun and took design learning outside of the university!
There are many classes available. In my second year, I took a German class with the language school to upskill my knowledge from school. This benefitted me greatly when I took the opportunity to do global Co-operative education in third year.
I worked with SchuF Valve Technology in Eppstein, Germany, for six months. Working abroad was such an interesting experience, to be immersed in a different culture, and learning what it is like to work in another country. Unfortunately, my German experience was cut short due to COVID.
I was very lucky to get a second Cooperative education here at the University of Limerick with the Rapid Innovation Unit, which was a phenomenal experience. I spent three months developing medical devices through 3D printing. Both of these placements provided me with so much experience, they shaped my final year design project and they carved the path I’m taking after college.
My experience in both UL and in Product Design has been phenomenal. It’s a great place to go to college, the friendships I created will last a lifetime and has given me experience that is unrivalled.