Bachelor of Product Design major in Applied Immersive Game Design

Summary

Product Design combines creative design, science, engineering and business studies. Product designers plan and develop items for use in homes, businesses and industry. From creating a new lightweight kayak or a phone app to formulating natural cosmetics, studying product design will equip you for a wide range of occupations.

Graduates will be able to develop creative ideas based on their knowledge of related disciplines, as well as gain the practical business skills needed to commercialise new product ideas. This degree will prepare you for a modern career path in many areas of New Zealand's innovative economy.

Applied Immersive Game Design is one of three majors of the Bachelor of Product Design degree combining creative innovation with technical and business skills.

This subject covers both virtual and augmented reality, where software and hardware are evolving at a massive pace. Students will acquire knowledge and skills in creative and technical game design, and business expertise within the gaming industry. Students will also have opportunities to design and develop games that meet end-user needs for entertainment, education, rehabilitation and industrial applications.

By studying Applied Immersive Game Design, you will understand idea generation, game structure and interface design, and gain practical experience in prototyping for a range of platforms, animation software and game engines, with an emphasis on virtual, augmented and mixed reality.

The Bachelor of Product Design requires a minimum total of 360 points:

• 165 points of Science and Engineering courses
• 135 points of Product Design courses
• 60 points of Business or Management courses.

Design projects will involve independent work on open-ended projects, with a mix of individual and team-based activities, under close supervision by academics with experience in product design.

Further study

UC has a wide range of relevant options for postgraduate study, including qualifications in Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Business and Marketing.

Career opportunities

The electronic entertainment and technology sector is one of the biggest earners worldwide, with the gaming industry in particular growing at an exponential rate. Game development companies are continuously looking for well-qualified graduates with advanced technical skills and experience. New Zealand houses more start-up gaming developers per capita than any other country in the world, which benefit from graduates with ‘all-round’ skills, from technical aspects through to marketing and customer support.

Many companies look for graduates with broad skills and a user-centred approach to game and software design, for example in the areas of entertainment, industrial, retail, tourism, education, behavioural intervention, robotics, and medical and rehabilitation.