Product design Engineering vs Mechanical Engineering

In terms of an overall degree and job prospects what do you thing is better?

I am really interested in designing new products and would love to do that as a career. I would also like to make them. I feel that mechanical engineering will give me that know how but am concerned that it is not that designed based.
Do you think it would be possible to become a product designer with a mechanical engineering degree?
My options are to do Product design engineering vs Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough
or Product Design manufacture vs Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham.
All courses are accredited by the institute of mechanical engineers but would a product design degree be less worthwhile?
I am predicted 3a*'s including maths and physics so the entry requirements are not what i am worried about although the huge difference in the requirements for PDE and Mech do put me off PDE slightly.

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Original post by Lilbixxie

In terms of an overall degree and job prospects what do you thing is better?

I am really interested in designing new products and would love to do that as a career. I would also like to make them. I feel that mechanical engineering will give me that know how but am concerned that it is not that designed based.
Do you think it would be possible to become a product designer with a mechanical engineering degree?
My options are to do Product design engineering vs Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough
or Product Design manufacture vs Mechanical Engineering at Nottingham.
All courses are accredited by the institute of mechanical engineers but would a product design degree be less worthwhile?
I am predicted 3a*'s including maths and physics so the entry requirements are not what i am worried about although the huge difference in the requirements for PDE and Mech do put me off PDE slightly.

entry requirements have nothing to do with course difficulty or course quality. Entry requirements are used for the universities benefits mainly and that helps them raise their statistics etc. That being said of course you still have to have the general requirements in maths mostly and then the science.

As for which course, the PDE course seems to be a 50/50 split, 50% design 50% mech eng and from what you've have said I think this might suit you better. Mech eng does have a fair bit of design but please note most of the designs are done on industry standard simulation software as opposed to making them from wood etc. (this is not to say there is none of that, there are a few times you will make things from scratch and learn skills such as drilling etc. but no where near as much as product design as they primarily focus on building products from scratch and its more to do with ergonomics)