YEAR 04:
You define your own position as a designer and demonstrate it through your work.
Independent Design Project
In Year 4, you take full ownership of a major design project from start to finish. You identify a meaningful opportunity through real, grounded research and insights, then develop a product through concept, testing, refinement, and final resolution, demonstrating how you think, work, and design independently.
Design Icon Project
Alongside your main project, you complete a focused case brief where you design a product using the principles and design language of a modern iconic designer. This project helps you understand how strong design values translate across products, while sharpening your attention to detail, coherence, and professional execution.
In Year 4, you’ll develop your own product from start to finish, shaped by what you’re passionate about and where you want your design pathway to go. Projects can head in many directions. physical products, medical design, consumer concepts, UX/UI, or digital products, and some students choose to complete their final year as a live project with an industry partner.
You’ll be supported throughout the year with regular guidance and feedback from staff to help you define your direction, strengthen your process, and make confident, well-justified decisions. Alongside your project, you’ll also complete a written thesis, either closely linked to your project or exploring a separate area of interest. In Semester 1, you’ll focus on research and concept direction, captured in a visual research poster.
In Semester 2, the focus shifts to making your product real. You’ll develop and test your idea to strengthen its desirability, feasibility, and viability, ensuring the outcome is meaningful, user-centred, and grounded in real insight.
Review previous Year 4 projects below to explore the range of outcomes and approaches.
Final Year Project Posters
Research Posters
Thesis
Design Icon Project (Click To Explore)
