Overview
Computer Science at Brunel is ranked 4th in London by the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2024.
Digital service design is the art of building customer experiences with a strong digital element. The Digital Service Design MSc is a new multidisciplinary course which has been specifically created to help graduates develop exceptional user experience design for digital products and services.
The course has been designed in collaboration with Wilson Fletcher, a leading digital design studio, to closely mirror current professional practices. In so doing, the course will help you develop a deep knowledge of both design theory and practice as well as equip you for employment in the digital sector.
You’ll work on a number of individual and group projects based on real-world briefs, which will help you develop the technical, interpersonal, creative and strategic skills needed to succeed in the digital service design industry.
You’ll be able to explore areas of design and rapid prototyping, innovation methodologies, interview and workshop facilitation, journey mapping, customer research methodologies, project management, how to develop and present actionable recommendations, and much more.
By the end of the course you’ll be able to:
- Generate ideas and turn them into viable concepts and working prototypes
- Work in multidisciplinary teams in a studio setting and take responsibility for your work
- Problem-solve and design for both user and business needs
- Understand the skills, tools and methodologies necessary to develop compelling strategies, products and services
- Design and develop experiences, products and services of high quality with digital media at their core
- Demonstrate a critical and practical understanding of the issues relevant to digital service design and their use in the context of modern industry and commercial environments
- Have a thorough and clear understanding of the methodologies and professional skills necessary for effective digital service design in a business environment
- Reflect – critically and in-depth – on relevant aspects of the state-of the art of both the practice and theory of digital service design
Selected students may have the opportunity for a company-sponsored dissertation project.
Graduates will be equipped to work in leading digital design agencies and consultancies as well as innovative blue-chip companies that have design departments. Fields you might go into after this course include app development, copywriting and content design, digital design, digital product design, digital project management, front-end development, information architecture, interaction design, product management, research, service design, strategy, user experience design, UX architecture.
Brunel’s Women in Engineering and Computing mentoring scheme provides our female students with invaluable help and support from their industry mentors.
Course content
Brunel’s MSc course in Digital Service Design prepares you for roles in the fast-growing digital industry by providing a course led by industry experts and practitioners.
Compulsory
- DissertationThe dissertation aims to develop and demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills in an agreed topic area related to the studied master's programme. As preparation for the dissertation, you will be given grounding in both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis appropriate to conducting empirical and/or experimental research.
- Digital Design MethodologiesThis module aims to provide you with an in-depth understanding of digital methodologies, approaches and skills required to be able to select and apply the most appropriate method for any given digital design project or challenge to improve the end user experience. In addition, the module seeks to provide you with core design, communication and professional skills needed to work effectively in modern multidisciplinary digital teams.
- Digital Service ApplicationsThe aim of this module is to provide you with the opportunity to apply the methods and techniques learned in CS5604 Digital Design Methodologies and further develop your skills and understanding of these approaches in the context of real world project scenarios to improve the end user experience.
- Data VisualisationThe aim of this module is to develop the reflective and practical understanding necessary to visually present insight drawn from large heterogeneous data sets to, for example, decision makers. Content will provide an understanding of human visual perception, data visualisation methods and techniques, dashboard and infographic design. The role of interactivity within the visualisation process will be explored and an emphasis placed on visual storytelling and narrative development.
- Digital Innovation and StrategyThe aim of this module is to develop knowledge and skills necessary for the implementation of digital business models and technologies intended to realign an organisation with the changing demands of its business environment (or to capitalise on business opportunities).
- Ethics and Governance of Digital SystemsThis module aims to develop a critical understanding of topics related to the handling and governance of digital information in contemporary systems contexts. Such topics will include the way that networked and intelligent systems are designed and used; the motivations for their adoption; the substantive issues arising; and approaches to their regulation and governance. Examples from the public and private sectors will be used to illustrate these developments.
- Research Project ManagementThis module aims to develop and deploy the skills necessary to design a scholarly piece of research work to address an identified problem area within the chosen field of study.
Compulsory
This course can be studied undefined undefined, starting in undefined.
Please note that all modules are subject to change.
Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel
Careers and your future
Your MSc in Digital Service Design from Brunel will equip you to work in leading digital design organisations.
Our digital design graduates have the opportunity to work in innovative blue-chip companies in areas like, digital project management, digital design, service design, information architecture, copywriting, strategy and UX architecture.
UK entry requirements
- A 2:2 (or above) UK Honours degree or equivalent internationally recognised qualification in Arts, Design, Social Sciences, Computer Science, or Humanities.
Applicants with other qualifications and industrial experience (relevant to the subject area) may be considered and will be assessed on an individual basis.
EU and International entry requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
- Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
- BrunELT: 63% (min 58% in all areas)
- TOEFL: 90 (min 20 in all)
You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.
Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.
Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.
Fees and funding
2024/25 entry
UK
£13,750 full-time
International
£25,000 full-time
More information on any additional course-related costs.
Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.
See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.
Scholarships and bursaries
Teaching and learning
Our teaching sessions, including lectures, labs, seminars, and tutorials, will primarily be delivered in-person, on campus. There may be instances where other forms of delivery (e.g., online) are adopted, where necessary and/or if appropriate, to enhance the teaching experience. However, you should expect to attend all teaching sessions, examinations and other relevant assessments in-person, on campus.
As our programmes are highly practical and involve group work, we believe that attending teaching sessions on campus provides the best experience, both socially and academically, for you.
Access to a laptop or desktop PC is required for joining online activities, completing coursework and digital exams, and a minimum specification can be found here.
We have computers available across campus for your use and laptop loan schemes to support you through your studies. You can find out more here.
You will be taught by our lecturers and practising researchers through a mixture of lectures, seminars, lab sessions, guest lectures from industry experts, talks and studio workshops. This is theory-based teaching based upon up-to-date research in an exciting area.
You will always have a personal academic tutor who will provide both academic and pastoral support. They’ll provide one-to-one supervision for your dissertation project.
Academics and guest lecturers on the course come from a wide variety of backgrounds and have experience working on high profile projects at companies like Wilson Fletcher, M&S, The Telegraph, W12, Virgin Media, BBH, IDEO, Friday, SapientNitro, RBS, and Hugo & Cat.
Research seminars and external site visits are also a feature of this course.
Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.
Assessment and feedback
You’ll be assessed through a combination of coursework, examination and dissertation. You’ll also be expected to produce a portfolio of evidence for the Digital Design Methodologies module. Examinations are held in May.