About the programme

Consumer culture faces fundamental and urgent change, requiring radical 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 venerable Danish furniture and design tradition underpins our approach, informing the core of 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 provides students with critical skills and knowledge, including design contexts, tectonics, material tactility, design history, design methods, product development, life-cycle assessment, certifications, inclusion and diversity. 

In summary, the program 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. Specialisms
4. Final thesis project 

  • In the first semester, we emphasise the importance of experimenting with materials and technologies. Students are inducted into workshop practice. Field trip: fieldwork engaging in global issues related to design.
  • In the second semester, we have a project focusing on a societal challenge. We run a project with an external industrial partner.
  • In the third semester, students to refine their design philosophy in theory and through design practice.
  • For the final semester, students define their thesis projects. Both first and second-year students will have a main tutor. All attend lectures, seminars, studio briefings, workshops and field trip.

Courses

The first half of the first semester is composed of a series of shorter courses and seminars that focus on the special disciplines of the thesis; introduction to workshops, statics, sustainability, LCA, certifications, materials and technologies.

The rest of the semester is dedicated to project work that includes a study trip/field work. Here you work in groups.The other semesters consist of project work and courses and seminars are organized so that they support the projects' themes. There is continuous teaching in digital technologies.

Language

This programme is taught in English.