FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Product Design Essentials includes five on-demand courses covering topics such as Project Foundations, Beginning the Design, Focus & Test the Design, Handing off the Final Product & Manufacturing, Results and Review. Total length of each course is 2-3 hours, and each course is broken into several shorter modules and activities that students complete at their own pace.

Courses are taught by Parsons School of Design faculty. Students will also receive career insights from industry experts and leaders.

No, Product Design Essentials is a non-credit program. Students who successfully complete the program will earn non-credit certificate in Product Design Essentials from Parsons.

Students who successfully complete the program will earn a non-credit certificate in Product Design Essentials from Parsons.

There are no prerequisites to participate. All you need is a passion for product design and learning.

Students must be at least 13 to participate.

Just like an online course you may have taken before, you own all the knowledge and experience you gain from the program, but you do not own the class videos or materials. However, once enrolled, you will have unlimited access to all videos and materials for one year from your date of enrollment.

With your enrollment, you will have unlimited access to the full program for one year from the day you enroll in the program. There’s a lot to cover, and we know life is busy, which is why we give our students plenty of time to work through everything.

After one year, if you need more time to complete the program, you will have an option to pay a monthly subscription fee to continue your access to the program materials.

Product Design Essentials is designed for students at any stage of their academic or professional experience and with the potential for many different outcomes. In other words, what you can expect to accomplish after completing this program depends on…you! 

In more general terms, our students usually identify two main takeaways after completing the program. First, they have a significantly greater understanding of how the product design industry and related careers work. Second, with the Certificate of Completion from Parsons on their resume, they differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack.

People with all levels of experience, and in all stages of their career, benefit from enrolling in Product Design Essentials. But you will have something in common with all of our students — a passion for product design and a desire to build a successful career doing what you love! Our students might already be working in the industry and looking to get ahead, or working in a different industry looking to switch careers. They might aspire to start their own business and be looking to build skills and gain valuable experience that will set them apart in a hyper-competitive industry. They might be your future professional and personal network in the design world. They might be like you — a future leader in the industry!

We want you to succeed (and we love the environment)! That’s why we’ve kept all program materials online. You can access and review the materials whenever you like through the course login page, which you’ll receive once you enroll — all you need is an internet-connected device.

You can access the program on your computer, tablet, or smartphone, but the best experience is on your computer.

Whenever you like — the program is entirely self-paced and on-demand. You can study and access the program lessons whenever and wherever you like.

It varies from person to person, but be prepared to work hard and to dedicate about 30-40 hours in total. That may sound like a lot, but you have one year to complete the program so you can pace yourself over the term of your enrollment!

This certificate lays the groundwork for you to pursue your goals in whatever aspect of the design industry you feel passionate about. If you find that you want to learn even more about a specific area, Parsons offers a number of in-person and online program options.