About this course
As we progress through the 21st century, the role of design in shaping the future grows increasingly significant. With the development of artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as the growing urgency of sustainability concerns, designers must navigate numerous and complex challenges and opportunities.
The Design Futures short course is designed to assist students in navigating this rapidly changing landscape and exploring how design can contribute to a better future for everyone. Through a combination of lectures, workshops, and practical projects, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the latest AI and machine learning developments, as well as other emerging technologies. Students will learn to apply these technologies in the context of UX and Service Design, setting them up to be at the forefront of design innovation.
This course will also examine the ethical and social implications of these technologies and encourage students to critically evaluate the role of design in shaping the future. This includes exploring how design can promote sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of our products and services. By thinking critically about the role of design in shaping the world, students can create products and services that are not only user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing but also sustainable, ethical, and socially responsible.
The importance of sustainable design is becoming increasingly evident as the world faces pressing environmental concerns. The Design Futures course explores how to create products and services that reduce environmental impact while still being efficient and user-friendly. Students will learn to design for circular economy and zero waste principles, as well as to minimize the carbon footprint of their products and services.
The short course also acknowledges the profound impact of technology on society and encourages students to be mindful of the social and ethical implications of design. This module will explore the role of design in shaping society and the ways in which design can be used to promote social justice and equality. Students will learn to create products and services that are inclusive and accessible, and that address social issues such as poverty and inequality.
This short course aims to:
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of the latest developments in AI, machine learning, and other emerging technologies.
- To investigate ways in which design can be used to promote sustainability and reduce the environmental impact of products and services.
- Clearly demonstrate how to apply emerging technologies in the context of user experience and service design
- To explore the ethical and social implications of these technologies and critically think about the role of design in shaping the future.
Linked programmes
MDes User Experience and Service Design,
PG Cert Professional Development,
Assessment
Report (Coursework) [100%]
Students are required to write a report that explores the topic of Design Futures.
Attendance
This course requires on-campus attendance, at our Belfast campus, starting 29 January, during Semester 2, in 2026.
The course runs on Thursdays from 10:15am - 5:00pm, starting Thursday 29 January 2026 to Thursday 30 May 2026.
* Please note, dates and timetabling are to be confirmed and may be subject to change.
Entry requirements
Applicants must hold a degree (with at least 2:2 Honours standard) or equivalent or demonstrate their ability to undertake the course through the accreditation of prior learning. The specific requirements for admission are detailed below:
i) Applicants should normally hold a good honours degree in design practice or cognate subject from a University of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, from the Council of National Academic Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard.
ii) Applications are welcomed from diverse backgrounds however, where there is a discipline shift the applicant must represent a coherent rationale for this shift and evidence prerequisite understanding and skills/experience (see below).
iii) Interview by portfolio and proposal. Portfolios must be digital but multiple file types are acceptable (e.g., .pdfs, .docx, .pptx, .jpegs, etc.). Portfolios may also take a variety of forms. For example, if applicants come from a non-design background (e.g., the social sciences), they may use the portfolio to demonstrate research competencies or outline a series of possible projects.
Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL)
The course is devised specifically to support continuing lifelong learning for professions in a rapidly changing field.
Therefore APL (Accreditation of Prior Learning) will be considered as evidence of exceptional ability appropriate to recruitment to the programme.
Applications from professionals with extensive professional, industrial and/or commercial experience but lacking recent or higher-level academic qualifications will be encouraged. APL (Advanced Prior Learning) will be considered as evidence of exceptional ability appropriate to the course.
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English must meet the minimum English entrance requirements of the University and will need to provide recent evidence of this (certified within the last two years).
Most of our courses require a minimum English level of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, with no band score under 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement.
Additional information on English language requirements for admission at Ulster University, is available at - www.ulster.ac.uk/global/apply/english-language-requirements
Start dates
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
The content for each course is summarised on the relevant course page, along with an overview of the modules that make up the course.
Each course is approved by the University and meets the expectations of:
Attendance and Independent Study
As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.
Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.
The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.
Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.
Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.
Assessment
Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.
Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.
Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.
Calculation of the Final Award
The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).
Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.
All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.
In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
Academic profile
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures from the academic year 2022-2023.
