Online Product Design Courses & Certificate Programs

What is Product Design?

Product design, development, and manufacturing impact our lives, regardless of our profession or passions. But there is a complex process that ensures that the product, from simply being an idea, reaches the customer. Hundreds of professionals behind this process have a sharp sense of consumer needs and are agile enough to adapt to a rapidly-growing digital landscape.

Product design, or the process designers undertake to integrate user needs into business objectives, is crucial to a brand’s creating impactful products. Not only are such products attuned to the market climate but they also strive to ensure company profits in the long term. Put simply, good product design is sustainable, cost-efficient, and holistic in understanding the target audience.

Why is Product Design Important?

Smart branding, marketing and promotions are critical to ensuring the success of a product. However, it is unlikely to generate interest and revenues if it falls short of good design. In a market saturated with numerous products serving the same purpose, design helps one cut through the white noise and stand out. This includes product packaging. Some of the most memorable products in history, such as Coca-Cola, the Apple iPod, and Ray-Ban aviators, result from visionary design that has endured the test of time.

Another fast-emerging aspect of product development is sustainability. Product design goes a long way in helping businesses meet their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. In this context, two factors that greatly influence product design are a shift in the consumer base towards conscious consumption. First is sustainable investment, where investors account for ESG metrics in risk analysis and second is fiscal performance.

Long story short, product design is an all-encompassing area of manufacturing that significantly contributes to an organization's success. It can take a company to great heights if implemented correctly, be it a startup or a well-established business.

Can I learn about product design online?

More and more businesses become increasingly aware of the need for product designing in their business and manufacturing strategies, they prefer hiring individuals with a knack for the same. This has, in turn, spurred job-seekers to upskill, which has led several resources to emerge. Among these, online product design courses have garnered immense popularity as they are affordable, engaging, and offered by some of the most distinguished institutions in the world. In addition, such courses help grasp basic product design techniques as well as the more nuanced and advanced aspects of the field.

What kind of a career can I pursue with a background in product design?

As a field, design is thriving. This is especially true for product design with advancements in tech which, in turn, positively impacts manufacturing and supply chain. A background in product design ensures a multidisciplinary multifaceted skillset. In addition, it opens up several opportunities across departments and industries.

Some of the most lucrative and fulfilling job roles are product designer, CAD technician, color technologist, exhibition and furniture designer, and interior designer. Other careers where employers greatly value a degree in product design are art director, automotive designer and engineer, materials engineer, product manager, and stylist.

Why take an online course at Emeritus?

Each Emeritus online course is designed keeping key learning outcomes in mind by a team of experts. We use the backward design methodology to develop instruction for learners of all ages. This enables us to craft unique, interactive, learning experiences that include a combination of assessments, hands-on activities, skill application, and more.

Emeritus also collaborates with the best universities and faculty around the world to curate the course curriculum that can effectively tackle present challenges in the industry, while preparing you for the trends and risks in the future. Our courses consist of assignments, exams, capstone projects, networking opportunities, a fine balance of practical and theoretical concepts, and the opportunity to learn from top minds in the industry. This adds to the holistic experience we try to provide for each learner.

We are also focused on providing courses that are standardized in quality. This is done by adhering to standards set by a global organization called Quality Matters which is focused on providing quality standards for online and innovative digital teaching and learning environments. The rigorous criteria ensure all our learners invest in quality education that is easily accessible and affordable.