Marketing and Design - BSc (Hons)

Lancaster University

As a BSc Marketing and Design student, you will be equipped with a strong foundation in the principles and practices of both marketing and design. Throughout the course, you will gain a deep understanding of the complementary and contrasting theoretical frameworks of marketing and design while developing essential design research skills and sharpening your critical thinking. You will learn how to respond to design briefs with creative experimentation and compelling visualisations. You will be able to commission design projects and effectively manage marketing strategies across diverse areas, from packaging to online advertising.

Lancaster is the only UK university where you can study a BSc in Marketing and Design. This course will provide you with a comprehensive blend of theoretical and practical insights into marketing and design, including business models, new technologies, product development, sustainability, and how design interacts with social media. You will learn how to undertake a creative design process, taking an initial brief to final concept presentation.

You will explore areas ranging from brand strategy to marketing research, customer relationship management, digital marketing and analytics, and marketing communications. You will also explore advanced marketing concepts in greater depth, such as routes to market with a retail emphasis and the application of design thinking and marketing research methods. You will develop your marketing skills as you step into the role of a marketing decision maker in a simulated digital business environment, including planning a system, running an analysis, and dealing with marketing problems using industry-standard marketing simulation software.

This course also offers opportunities to develop and deepen your practical design skills in graphics, product design and user experience (UX/UI) through optional modules oriented towards future thinking. You will develop your expertise in design visualisation, creating imaginative two-dimensional and three-dimensional visualisations that engage with contemporary design issues using a range of industry-standard software.

In your final year, you will develop knowledge and practical experience in design consultancy and the relationship between design and innovation, a process that is designed to strengthen your professional consulting abilities. Working as part of a design team, you will conduct research using design methods, such as storyboarding, design workshops, prototyping and journey mapping, helping you to gain a full understanding of your client's organisation and needs and develop innovative design solutions for your clients. Previous briefs have included: * Packaging design solutions for The Chocolate Cottage * Developing a creative campaign to increase The Northern Design Festival's impact * Creating a campaign to raise awareness of Energy Lancaster’s work to transition Lancaster University to net zero The evolving relationship between design and marketing is increasingly strategic and business-driven. This degree provides the skills and knowledge to thrive in a variety of career paths.