About the programme

Consumer culture faces fundamental and urgent change, requiring radical and creative transformation to new modes of production and consumption. The ability to meet this paradigm shift is essential for future designers, who will lead change in the increasingly complex social and technical contexts of circular design and behavioural economics.

The Danish furniture and design tradition underpins our approach, informing our hands-on and workshop-based learning. 

Our students enjoy collaboration with multiple external partners in industrial and educational settings both in Denmark and abroad.

The curriculum cultivates a comprehensive understanding of design’s evolving landscape, covering for example:

  • Design contexts and methods
  • Tectonics and material tactility
  • Design history and theory
  • Product development and life-cycle assessment
  • Sustainability, certifications, inclusion, and diversity

In summary, this programme offers high-level competencies driven by a focus on the environment, understanding of people and society, care in design and consideration of the entire lifecycle of production, distribution and use.

Structure and Content

The programme is split across four semesters: 

1. Experimentation
2. Contexts
3. Specialisation
4. Final thesis project 

  • First semester emphasises the importance of experimenting with materials and technologies. Students are inducted into workshop practice and undertake fieldwork engaging in global issues related to design.
  • Second semester includes two projects running simultaneously. One project focusing on a subject related to societal change. Another is a briefed project from an external partner.
  • Third semester, students are encouraged to refine their design philosophy in theory and through design practice. Finding their own path.
  • Final semester, students define and programme a thesis project. 

Both first and second-year students will have a main tutor. Students attend lectures, seminars, studio briefings, workshops and field trips.

Courses

The first six weeks of the first semester comprises of a series of shorter courses and seminars that focus on the special disciplines of the thesis; introduction to workshops, statics, sustainability, Life Cycle Analysis, certifications, materials and technologies. The second half includes a study trip/field work.

The remainder of the curriculum is devoted to project-based work, undertaken both individually and in groups. Each semester comprises project activities, with courses and seminars structured to align with and support the thematic focus of the projects. Instruction in digital technologies is provided on a continuous basis throughout the programme.

Language

This programme is taught in English.