Furniture designing involves producing designs for different kinds of furnishings. As a furniture designer, you can be involved in the design aspect of furniture or be a skilled craftsperson creating your own designs. There are around 330,000 jobs available in the furnishings sector today, one-third of which are in UK based manufacturing companies (British Furniture Confederation).
Several UK universities offer renowned specialised courses in furniture design. Studying Furniture Design at UK universities will teach you how to create concepts and designs that offer a balance of innovation, functionality and aesthetic appeal along with learning and using new software and technology in the sector. Furniture design is often taught as a specialisation within product design, but some UK universities offer individual furniture design courses.
Read to learn about the best UK universities for furniture design and careers in furniture designing below. If you wish to start your application for studying Furniture Design courses in the UK, book a free consultation with SI-UK India today.
Top Ten UK Universities for Furniture Design Studies
Below are the top ten UK universities for studying undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Furniture Design based on the Times Higher Education Rankings 2021.
1. Nottingham Trent University
Popularly known as NTU, Nottingham Trent University is a prestigious UK institution known for its academic excellence and high student satisfaction rating. The furniture design courses at NTU are professionally accredited and take a practice-based, user-centered approach, encouraging students to develop their own individual style and vision. You will study design through drawing, model-making, computer-aided design (CAD), testing and prototyping.
Course offered:
- Furniture and Product Design BA (Hons)
- Furniture and Product Design BA (Hons) with a Placement year
- MA Design (Products and Furniture)
2. University of the Arts London
Ranked #2 in the world for Art and Design according to the 2020 QS World University Rankings, the University of the Arts London or UAL is Europe’s largest specialist university in the field and offers a wide range of courses in art, design and fashion. UAL’s Chelsea College of Art offers furniture design courses that put making at the centre of design production, ensuring that students develop employable, practical skills.
Course offered:
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons)
- MA Design (Furniture)
3. Birmingham City University
Birmingham City University boasts a dynamic learning environment where professionally accredited and highly employable courses are taught. Their furniture design courses teach the design and development of creative and innovative furniture and products focused on the user, social context and commercial understanding. You will study bespoke design creation as well as standardised mass production designs.
Courses offered:
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons)
- Furniture Design BA (Hons) with a Foundation year
- Product and Furniture Design MA
4. London Metropolitan University
Situated in the UK’s capital city, London Metropolitan University’s John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design has been ranked #4 in the UK for art and design studies. You will be trained in traditional and digital workshop practice for futuristic furniture design and making in the School’s furniture design programmes. Courses offered:
- Furniture and Product Design BA (Hons)
- Furniture Design MA
5. University of Plymouth
A top ten ‘Young University’ in the UK, the University of Plymouth offers work-based learning and placement opportunities in many of its programmes. The University aims to help students develop their own individual pathway in craft or design for mass production in their furniture design courses.
Courses offered:
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons)
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons) with a Foundation year
6. University of Wolverhampton
With a large alumni network and good employability rate, the University of Wolverhampton offers several employable creative courses to students. Undergraduate furniture design courses at Wolverhampton offer a commercial understanding of current design practices in design aesthetics, innovation, technology and sustainability.
Courses offered:
- Furniture Design BA (Hons)
- Furniture Design BA (Hons) with a Foundation year
- Furniture Design BA (Hons) with a Placement year
7. De Montfort University
De Montfort University or DMU is a leading UK institution with strong links with national and international employers and is committed to delivering employable skills through its programmes. Popular for studying creative arts, you will study the functional and market-led needs of design, aesthetics and manufacturing in its furniture design course.
Courses offered:
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons)
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons) with a Placement year
8. Kingston University
One of the leading young universities in the UK, Kingston University was ranked #1 in the UK for Design and Crafts according to The Guardian University Rankings by Subject (2020). Kingston offers a hands-on approach for the understanding of materials and processes.
Courses offered:
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons)
- Product and Furniture Design MA
9. Bath Spa University
Bath Spa University has some of the UK’s most beautiful campuses in the UK and has been listed in the top ten creative universities in the UK (Which? University Student Survey). design courses at Bath Spa focus on innovatively and sustainably addressing future production needs and establishing a foundation of technical and manufacture processes. Courses offered:
- Furniture and Product Design BA (Hons)
- Furniture and Product Design BA (Hons) with a Foundation year
- Furniture and Product Design BA (Hons) with a Placement year
10. University for the Creative Arts
The University for the Creative Arts or UCA ranks highly for its creative courses in the UK and offers more than 100 creative courses in its four campuses. Product design courses at UCA offer a mix of digital, practical and theoretical lessons to study the interaction between products, furniture and the spaces they occupy. Courses offered:
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons)
- Product and Furniture Design BA (Hons) with a Placement year
Careers in Furniture Design
The furnishings industry is a big and integral part of the UK economy and there are several well-paying jobs available for skilled and experienced graduates. Studying creative arts courses can offer good long-term prospects for international students in the UK as they are in demand according to the UK Shortage Occupation List 2021.
You could be self-employed or working in a manufacturing company. Employers include national and global design and manufacturing companies and designers and design agencies. Famous furnishing brands include John Lewis, Foster & Partners and Herman Miller.
Salaries range from £18,000 to £40,000 and can be even more depending on your years of experience and potential.
Study Furniture Design in the UK
If you are interested in studying a degree in Furniture Design in the UK, arrange your free consultation with us and find out and apply to the best courses and universities suited for you.
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