Masters Degrees (Design)

This Master of Design is new for 2017.

A professionally focused program of advanced study in contemporary design practice, the Master of Design course includes specialisations in interaction design, multimedia design and collaborative design.

You can also take a range of units from across these three to construct an advanced studies in design specialisation. This program is ideal for those keen to enter the expanding fields of professional design engagement, or design practitioners aiming to upgrade their expertise. You’ll be trained in advanced design thinking and processes that’ll equip you to create design solutions that engage experiential, communication, object and spatial contexts.

Visit the website http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2017/design-f6002?domestic=true

Overview

Please select a specialisation for more details:

- Advanced studies in design
This pathway allows you to construct, with approval, an individual program of study from across interaction design, multimedia design and collaborative design. This enables you to tailor your unit choices while addressing the fundamental principles of advanced design practice and thinking. It’ll inspire you to connect research and practice across the design disciplines, and to become a thoughtful design practitioner. You’ll broaden your knowledge of key design constructs, deepen your professional learning in design areas of interest, and advance your capacity as a design professional.

- Collaborative design
Collaborative design places you conceptually and practically at the intersection of interior, graphic and industrial design practice. The program will set you design challenges involving image, text, products, narratives, systems, ervices, public and private space, materiality and virtuality. You’ll develop independent conceptual and practical design skills alongside an ability to be part of collaborative design processes. You’ll expand your awareness across design disciplines; develop multidisciplinary design expertise; and build broader skills in leadership, professional adaptability and complex project planning.

- Interaction design
The interaction design specialisation develops your skills in the design of contemporary artefacts, products and services that engage with interactive, user-focused technologies and processes. These can include, but aren’t limited to, health and medical equipment, ‘smart’ furniture, educational toys, wearable technologies, information kiosks and transport systems. You’ll use a diverse range of interactive processes, including the application of advanced technologies; electronics and programming; physical and virtual interface manipulation; engineering and material fabrication; and rapid prototyping. The specialisation gives you an understanding of the relationship between interactive activities, products and human behaviour.

- Multimedia design
Multimedia design develops your skills in digital communication environments. This includes: designing for the web; motion and animation; and interactive touchscreen devices and surfaces. Emphasising an advanced knowledge of existing and emerging digital design processes and systems, this specialisation embraces projects of varied scale, from hand-held smart devices to large public interactive screens. It develops your ability to build a communication narrative; use multimedia processes to fill community and business needs; and understand the end-user’s engagement with projects or products such as websites, apps and other screen-based media.

Course Structure

The course comprises 96 points structured into 3 parts:

Part A. Preparatory Studies for Advanced Design (24 points), Part B. Advanced Design Studies (24 points), and Part C. Advanced Design Applications (48 points).

- Students admitted at Entry level 1 complete 96 points, comprising Part A, B & C
- Students admitted at Entry level 2 complete 72 points, comprising Part B & C
- Students admitted at Entry level 3 complete 48 points, comprising Part C

Note: Students eligible for credit for prior studies may elect not to receive the credit and complete one of the higher credit-point options. A zero credit point unit in Art, Design and Architecture Occupational Health and Safety will also be undertaken. This unit is required of all students in the Master of Design and must be undertaken even if credit is obtained for Parts A or B.

Part A: Preparatory studies for advanced design
These studies provide you with the conceptual thinking and technical skill set required for advanced postgraduate study in this area. The studio unit brings together conceptual and technical abilities developed in the other two units.

Part B: Advanced design studies
In these studies you will focus on the application of conceptual thinking and technical skills to advanced design problem solving. You will analyse and create a project outcome based on research, critique, and the application of design processes appropriate to your specialisation. You will also choose a selective unit that will further build capacity in your chosen specialisation.

Part C: Advanced design applications
In these studies you will focus on the application of advanced design problem solving skills at a professional level. You will consolidate skills and practice of design research methodologies and may extend your research trajectory to further study. Part C is also supported by a selective unit to allow you to build capabilities in your chosen specialisation.

In the final semester you will pursue a major design project or participate in a leading industry project. The exegesis unit formalises the research component of Part C. The final semester brings together advanced technical ability, conceptual thinking, entrepreneurial studies and design management in practice.

For more information visit the faculty website - http://www.study.monash/media/links/faculty-websites/design-and-architecture

Find out how to apply here - http://www.study.monash/courses/find-a-course/2017/design-f6002?domestic=true

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The MDes Graphic Design course gives you the opportunity to extend your portfolio and move your creative work into new spaces and career directions.

We see design thinking as being at the heart of design innovation. As a designer, learning to manage complex ideas can be the key to finding solutions and developing strategies for clients that can be applied across a range of disciplines as a creative, manager, entrepreneur or design business owner.

The course will challenge you to build upon your communication and design research skills and apply these to successful problem-solving at a master’s level. You will explore contemporary issues in graphic design whilst gaining insights into global trends and dialogues in design by crossing genres and disciplines. The UK produces world-class designers who are sought after internationally – our MDes Graphic Design course sets out to help you realise your ambitions in a global context that takes you from the day-to-day to a global exploration of the discipline. Allowing you the time to evaluate your career and set its direction with the insights and critical reflection now demanded of graphic design in the 21st Century.

If you are an undergraduate wanting to progress your studies – or a professional designer looking to enhance your career outside of the daily routine – our approach to spatial, visual, kinesthetic and active learning will help develop your approach to design and the world around you.

Modules

• Design Process                                            
• Design Research Methods                               
• Design Citizenship                                          
• Design Studio                                                 
• Design Management                                       
• Applied Creativity                                           
• Masters Thesis or Major Research Project     

From 2018 the course will be part of the newly established Design Centre at Park Campus, giving students the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary setting with animators, advertisers, film, fashion, Media and computing students with space and time to work with professional practitioners, pracademics, academics and researchers from a variety of disciplines.

Design Process

This module allows students to gain a holistic appreciation of the strategic dimensions of design. Built on relevant theoretical perspectives, the module focuses on contemporary design process models and frameworks that take into consideration not only the designer, and the client, but also the target audience, and the wider socio-cultural context. Knowledge acquired is integrated in the development of an effective plan of action, and the compilation of the creative brief. The module encourages a methodical research-informed approach to design practice, bridging academic literature and professional practice, and aiming to equip students with a comprehensive appreciation of the process of design.

Design Citizenship

This module encourages students to develop a critical view to current socio-cultural and political debates relevant to design practice. The module consists of a series of pre-recorded or live presentations, followed by active learning sessions. The topics will be decided on a yearly basis and in accordance with contemporary developments within design research and practice. The schedule will be tailored based on the research interests of staff and students.This module aims to assist students in:

• Developing an interdisciplinary outward-looking understanding of design research and practice;
• Reflecting on current social, cultural, economic, and political themes and their relationship to design research and practice;
• Analysing real life problems and producing critical responses.

Design Studio

This module draws together the work completed so far on the Masters providing students with the opportunity to apply what they have learned within the context of real world design agencies and their clients. The unit will commence with a taught element comprising preparation and master class opportunities, students look to work with clients and design briefs for up to two weeks, they will then have the opportunity to reflect on and present their view on their employability and future in the global design sector in the form of a career plan.By the end of the module, students will be able to draw on real world experience, (and if work experience is not appropriate) case studies, to start to develop their professional careers, capitalise on networking opportunities and evaluate and plan their own career trajectories.

Design Management

The design industry in the UK alone is worth over £3bn a year  and forms one part of an increasingly important part of the economy ‘the creative industries’. The design industry is changing rapidly and this has led to it facing some common strategic issues. This module is set within this ‘big picture’ context.

The module seeks to explore central issues concerning the management of a design agency in a contemporary, therefore global setting. It looks at how agencies as ‘manufacturers of creativity’ are currently managed and why this is so. It seeks to uncover and explore the inherent tensions of managing both creative processes and organisations primarily concerned with relationships (clients and consumers). Finally, it considers strategic leadership in terms of potential future ways of enacting design management, in a changing and highly competitive marketplace.

Masters Thesis or Major Research Project

• This module allows students to combine the knowledge acquired during Semester 1 and 2 in order to produce an independent design research thesis that demonstrates their capacity as critical design researchers and practitioners. During the length of the module, specialist staff (allocated Masters supervisors) will guide and support each student with their project through one-to-one tutorials.

(The research undertaken during the Masters Thesis module could later be used as the basis for an MPhil or PhD proposal).

Study style

Learn through practical experience, with staff and industry professionals, work with design thinking theory in supporting lectures and workshops. Explore design management scenarios, global trends, ethics, gender and sustainability. You will be working through a range of project and research-based assignments with a professional focus on your future career aspirations.

Careers

• Creative director
• Creative strategist
• Design consultant
• Design strategist
• Educator
• Research consultant
• PhD Researcher

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This programme is grounded on the belief that architects should be thinking well beyond the constraints of market forces and the traditional disciplinary limits of the profession, towards forms, technology and spaces for a more sustainable future. This is a student-led programme, and you can have very different experiences within it depending on the choices of studios and courses you make.

Why choose this course?

Founded in 1927, the School of Architecture at Oxford Brookes has established an international reputation for the quality of both its research and its teaching. As one of the largest architecture schools in the UK, with around 600 students and 70 staff, it plays a leading role in defining the national, and international, agenda in design education and research. The school enjoys an international reputation in research, in areas ranging from sustainable design to modular buildings and from design for well-being to vernacular architecture.

Staff in the school regularly secure research funding from the UK's research councils and the European Union as well as industry, with an annual research grant income averaging £1m in recent years. This programme provides RIBA/ARB Part 2.

Professional accreditation

Accredited by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the Architects Registration Board (ARB).

This course in detail

Year 1 - Research into design
This year has a very strong emphasis on acquiring in-depth knowledge of an architecturally important field of study and utilising that knowledge in design. This is achieved by taking one of the six 'design specialisations'.

You choose which design specialisation is best for you. The specialisations on offer are deliberately highly diverse to cater for the changing nature of the profession in practice. This course produces graduates for the global market and as such requires a high level of commitment from staff and students.

The design specialisations are:
-Advanced Architectural Design
-International Architectural Regeneration and Development
-Development and Emergency Practice
-Sustainable Building: Performance and Design
-Research-led Design
-Urban Design.

Each of the research specialisations offers teaching from experts within that subject area, and links, through teaching focus and staff, to the five research clusters that are an invaluable resource within the School of architecture.

The five research clusters keep the specialisations at the cutting edge in terms of a global agenda. They are, in general terms, environmental design, technology, development and emergency practice, humanities and architectural design.

Each of the design specialisations include a design project or projects, to which you will apply your detailed learning.

In addition to the design specialisation the first year will, through the Research Philosophy for Design module, widen your thinking in terms of what constitutes research, test your critical thinking and improved your analytical abilities. All of these are essential tools and their enhancement will place you in a stronger position to undertake the design studio in the second year.

Your ability to represent your ideas in a coherent and focused manner is the remit for the Representation module. This module will identify your strengths and build up your weaknesses, both in terms of visual and verbal communication methods. You will be able to dedicate time to fine-tuning techniques or building from basics in sketching, model making, 2D and 3D CAD. Your presentation of methods and actual practice will enable you to build confidence in verbal communication skills.

The Management, Practice and Law module in year one looks at the landscapes within which these issues are being informed. This module is taught by practising architects who have first-hand experience of the issues under discussion. Through a series of workshops you will work on topics that are essential to the practice of architecture. Management, practice and law is part of the design delivery of the programme and you will be expected to approach the coursework from a design position. This module asks that you approach this subject with a very different mind-set than the traditional position.

Due to the diverse and preparative basis of this year it is compulsory for all students to pass all compulsory components of the Research into Design year in order to be progress to the Design and Technology year.

Year 2 - Design and technology
This year is structured to enable you to synthesise a broad range of complex cultural, aesthetic, research and technical factors, and design-specialisation learning, into your major design project and portfolio.

The year is spent participating in one of six design studios. All studios have control over their own programme of projects, and each has a different view of architectural culture and promotes different design methods. The design studios are taught by some of the brightest designers and tutors in the country and consequently their programmes demand high levels of creative and intellectual endeavour from you, as well as high levels of productivity. Their aim is to raise your design thinking, skills and production to the highest possible standard.

All six units present their projects for the year in the induction session and you are asked to select all six in order of preference. This system is to allow for an even distribution of students across all six units. Most students are allocated to their first choice of studio although there is no guarantee of a particular design unit - normally at worst you are allocated your second choice.

During the design and technology year, your design work must develop into technically ambitious architecture and be the subject of your compulsory Advanced Technology for Design module. This module designs through technology and fully complements and parallels your work in the design studio. There is a very strong emphasis here upon the creative possibilities for architectural technology. We ask for an open and experimental approach to technology, but also a clear understanding of its context and aims.

The staff delivering the teaching in the design studio unit and the Advanced Technology for Design module are made up from academics and practitioners. This energetic mix will challenge you to think about design and technology in a new manner, building confidence in ability, enabling deep thinking, and aiding you to define a personal design spirit.

Sitting alongside the design and technology is the second Management, Practice and Law module. This module builds on the learning and skills from the first year module and prepares you for stepping back into practice. As in the first year module this is learning is delivered by practicing architects. Through focus groups with architectural practices, this module figures in the skills that are seen as highly desirable for the ARB part 2 graduate to have when seeking employment.

Throughout the two years of the programme there will be interim reviews. This offers an opportunity to receive feedback from outside of your design studio or design specialisation. We have strong links with practice and architectural institutions and can attract the most able people to sit on our reviews.

This is a programme that aims to give you the skills for international practice.

As our courses are reviewed regularly, modules may vary from those listed here.

Teaching and learning

The unique nature of the Applied Design in Architecture offers you the opportunity to select an individual pathway that will create a distinctive graduate profile that is unique to you alone.

The ability to choose modules from within design specialisations offers you the prospect of defining your own position. You will find that you are being taught with, in most cases, direct entry master's students from countries around the world.

This aspect is complemented by the Year 2 design studio where you will engage with a distinctive agenda and experience a diversity of design specialisation thinking from students within your unit.

Self-directed learning is highly supported by staff in the School of Architecture. Personal choice engenders motivation and a high level of commitment, and the programme has been designed to embrace this aspect whilst clearly building on skills, thinking, application and design production to achieve a final portfolio of the highest standard.

Careers and professional development

The modules Management Practice, and Law 1 and 2, include guidance on the necessary professional skills that are required both for ARB Part 2 and for preparation in commencing ARB Part 3. The design studio generates a portfolio of work that not only demonstrates the learning for ARB Part 2 but also written, research and visual skills. The design portfolio is intended as the vehicle for students to synthesise all facets of their learning in order to seek practice employment.

In addition the school maintains a jobs wall that advertises vacancies locally, nationally and internationally.

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About the course

This unique international, multi-disciplinary course will develop design managers and leaders as catalysts for strategic innovation and change.

The programme comprises compulsory modules of theoretical and analytical topics in areas such as innovation, creativity, team-working and leadership. Special features include analytical design exercises, multimedia educational material, research methods, case studies, design audits and international placements.

The aim of the course is to create closer links between design and industry and to widen the horizons of design management students, enabling you to make informed reference to the world beyond design – to users, the market, new technology, economics, politics, law and the global environment.

Aims

All organisations use design, but few master its use strategically. This course provides the skills and knowledge to students wishing to enter this exciting and rewarding field of endeavour.

This innovative course was one of the first Master’s programmes - globally - that sought to explain the relationship between innovation and design and the importance of applying a strategic approach using design thinking, design methods and process.

Today we remain a unique course internationally and attract students from all over the world, from different creative and design backgrounds, both with one purpose…to become masters of design strategy.

By the time you graduate you will be equipped to:

apply thinking, design methods and process to identify opportunities for innovation and drive changes in commercial, public and/or no-for-profit organisations
explore how strategic design could be used to deliver a whole spectrum of innovation ranging from an innovative business model right through to new products/services
show expertise in your chosen specialism in exciting fields, such as social innovation
critically evaluate the relationship of design, creativity, innovation and enabling technologies
demonstrate personal initiative in addressing challenging issues relevant to industry and other organisations and /or the design profession.

Course Content

The balanced combination of critical examination and rigorous academic research and creativity is a unique characteristic of our Design Strategy and Innovation MA programme at Brunel. You will do a three-phase programme:

Phase One modules: Taught Element (September - December)

Strategic Design Management
Branding Strategy Studies
Innovation Strategy and Management
Design Research

Phase Two Modules: Taught/Tutored (January - April)

Design Innovation Futures: Seminar & Workshop Programme
Design Innovation Research Project 1
Design Innovation Research Project 2

Phase Three Module: Student-led (May - August)

Dissertation

Special Features

'Rich Design' - This is a term we use to describe the many extracurricular activities on offer for Design and Branding students at Brunel.

Brazilian week - We host an annual visit from top Brazilian designers, with joint activities organised with Brunel students. It’s an extremely exciting and rewarding experience for both our students and visitors.

Design consultancies - Many design staff at Brunel are practicing design consultants in their own right, and also work closely with several design consultancies, including Design Bridge. an international brand design agency. This has resulted not only in this company participating in Design Futures, but offering student projects, internships and also graduate employment positions.

Eminent speakers - Every year, our ‘Design Futures’ event offers students the chance to use their research to find design-based solutions to issues facing the world. Design Futures also features eminent guest speakers from all aspects of the design profession, who offer their views on the future of design and its role in meeting global challenges.

Industry and professional focus: London is arguably the most important design and creative capital in the world. Brunel Masters plays a key part in this vibrant landscape. Consequently students leave with a realistic and cutting edge set of skills and knowledge. A world renowned consultancy has praised Brunel design graduates for their ability to ‘hit the ground running’ – meaning they start work understanding modern branding and are able to immediately contribute to strategic thinking within a company.

International flavour: Our MA Design courses draw a truly international mix of students, creating a diverse pool of creative talent at Brunel that attracts employers.

Work Placements

Our students have completed placements and design audits with following major companies and corporations: Grange, Wolff DIms, British Airways, Xerox Europe, HSBC Bank, Black and Decker, IDEG and Hasbro UK.

This might explain why many of our alumni now work for some of the world’s leading consultancies including Saffron, New Edge, Design Bridge, Imagination and Seymour Powell, as well as ‘blue-chip’ companies such as Lenovo, Samsung, British Airways, The Virgin Group, Dyson and HSBC amongst others. Some like Brunel so much they elect to stay on with us for a few more years and study design research for their PhD.

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Great design ideas can change the world. With human and user-centred design at the heart of this internationally regarded Masters programme, you’ll develop research and practice-based design solutions to respond to a demanding industry and rapidly changing society.

Whether your background is in design or in another discipline, you’ll develop, test and evaluate innovative design solutions in real-life scenarios. You’ll gain first-hand experience of current needs and trends across a range of sectors, and focus on a large-scale design project within one of the specialisms offered (see the ‘Specialisms’ tab).

Taught by diverse staff with internationally recognised profiles in research and practice, you’ll build an interdisciplinary approach to design in a stimulating environment, while being exposed to and involved in cutting-edge research. You’ll gain practical and research skills to prepare you for a wide range of careers.

Specialist facilities

We have plenty of facilities to help you make the most of your time at Leeds. We have an impressive range of resources that you can use to develop your projects.

At the top of our research facilities we have the world’s most sophisticated mobile eye-tracking glasses, which are used to understand how users interact with design (see more information at http://www.tobiipro.com). Other excellent research facilities are our EEG equipment (electroencephalography) to understand how users interact with the world, and our colour analysis/prediction lab.

We also house the M&S Company Archive including documents, advertising, photos, films, clothing and merchandise from throughout Marks & Spencer’s history. ULITA, an archive of international textiles, is also housed on campus and collects, preserves and documents textiles and related areas from around the world. You can make appointments to view items, but it also has an online catalogue where you can explore the major collections.

You’ll also be able to develop your practice in well-equipped studios and purpose-built computer clusters so that you can build your skills on both PC and Mac. There is also a computer-aided design (CAD) suite with access to the latest design software, and some of the latest design technology, such as digital printing, screen printing, 3D printing, and laser cutting.

Course content

In Semester 1 you’ll study a set of compulsory modules that will allow you to develop a range of research, conceptual and practical design skills and tools to lay the foundations for the rest of the programme. You’ll have the chance to learn through case studies, practical exercises and work on briefs encompassing all specialisms offered.

In Semester 2 you’ll have a choice of optional modules that focus on current trends in design practice and research. These optional modules will give you the opportunity to work on live projects from industry and/or live research projects being conducted in the School of Design. You’ll work on group and/or individual projects to explore more specific and advanced skills and tools in your areas of interest.

In Semester 2 you’ll also choose and develop a specialist project in which the tools and skills learnt in Semester 1 are applied. Projects can be developed in a wide range of topics that suit your interests and career ambitions. These include: Branding Design, Digital and Interactive Design, Information Design, Instructional Design, Graphic and Visual Communication Design, Service Design, and Typographic Design.

In Semester 3 you can choose one of two pathways: 1) Continue with your specialist design project, develop it at a professional level and apply it in a real-life context (with suitable users) for evaluation; 2) Produce an independent research dissertation based around a relevant field or topic within the specialisms offered.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

In addition to the compulsory modules listed below, for your final project you will choose to do either: - Design Prototyping and Evaluation (40 credits) or - Design Dissertation (40 credits).

• Digital Design Practice 20 credits
• Research Methods for Design 20 credits
• Design Thinking 20 credits
• Design Principles and Applications 10 credits
• Design Research and Integration 40 credits

Optional modules

You will select two modules from the list of optional modules below.

• Branding Design in Context 15 credits
• Information and Instructional Design 15 credits
• Digital and Interactive Design Solutions 15 credits
• Service Design Innovation 15 credits
• Graphic and Typographic Design 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Design MA Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Design MA Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

You’ll be taught and guided by a diverse team of staff who are leaders in their fields, with a wide variety of research interests and years of experience as design practitioners.

We use a range of teaching and learning methods so you can benefit from their expertise. These may include lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, group learning and meetings with your tutor or supervisor. However, independent study is crucial to this degree, as it allows you to develop your skills and explore your own ideas.

Assessment

Depending on the modules you choose you’ll be assessed by different methods. They’ll include individual and group projects, project proposals and reports, presentations and reflective reports.

Career opportunities

This programme will equip you with a range of design skills using different media, as well as allowing you to hone your specialist skills in an area of your choice. It will also equip you with advanced skills in research, analysis, teamwork, presentation and communication that will be valuable in a range of careers.

You’ll be well prepared for a career in design practice. You can set up your own freelance business or take up a key position in a design studio, agency or organisation.

You can also work in cross-disciplinary fields applying your design skills to business, marketing, applied psychology, healthcare communication, retail, government, the public or private sector, etc.

Many of our students also choose to continue benefiting from our cutting-edge and frontier research by doing a PhD and following a research and/or academic career.

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About the course

The MSc in Integrated Product Design course focuses on the design of innovative products, emphasising the balance between the interest of users, industry and society. It covers the whole design process, integrating all aspects relevant to product development, in particular global new product design.

It meets industrial demand by integrating technology, management, aesthetics, environmental sustainability, ergonomics, marketing, business and design methods – to produce highly qualified and sought after designers able to cope with the challenges the global economy presents.

Specifically, the course aims to:

Provide an integrated programme of study across a broad range of knowledge and skills in product/industrial design
Develop design and technology research skills related to the design process through practicing applied research
Develop advanced design skills, enabling graduates to practice as an independent design professional and to further develop design and professional skills in product/industrial design engineering
Nurture scientific rigour as well as creativity to enable graduates to follow a successful career in product/industrial design and assume leadership roles in national and international companies and institutions.

Aims

Students master all aspects of integrated product design advancing their design skills and knowledge by applying systematic state-of-the-art theories and methodologies, and by integrating user, technology and business aspects. This not only opens up dynamic career options, but equips students with a comprehensive skillset to take into the commercial world.

The primary aim of this programme is to provide students with the practical knowledge and transferable skills required to be at the forefront of global product and services design research and development, in either an industrial or academic environment.
Graduates of this MSc will also have the independent learning ability required for both continual professional development and the acquisition of new skills at the highest level.

The course provides an integrated approach and promotes advanced studies in design theory, creativity and aesthetics, innovation methods, advanced design techniques, human factors and applied ergonomics, engineering, material and production science, sustainability and research methods.

Course Content

The first term includes three taught modules worth a total of 45 credits plus one double module of 30 credits which continues into the second term alongside three further modules. The thick module, Professional Design Studio, will include guest lectures, research seminars and group or individual project. The projects can be based on design research or product/industrial design.

The ‘Design Futures’ module will introduce the importance and potential value of future foresight techniques and develop a vision of the future and critically evaluate its implications for design, innovation and enabling technology.

The ‘Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing Techniques’ module will introduce CAD and graphics based design modelling, rendering techniques and tools, product design simulation techniques and tools, rapid prototyping and manufacturing techniques.

For the final four months of the programme (June to September), students can either continue their projects to greater depth as their dissertation project, or undertake a new subject. Students are encouraged to form industrial links as part of this project.

Typical Modules

Sustainable Design
Design Creativity and Aesthetic Awareness
Human Factors in Design
Professional Design Studio
Design and Innovation Futures: Seminar & Workshop
Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing Techniques
Strategic Design Management and Research
Dissertation Project

Assessment

Work in each module is predominantly assessed through practical project assignments including both individual and group work. The dissertation makes up a third of the overall degree and may include a substantial practical design element, but in all cases will be assessed through a final 20,000 word submission.

Special Features

High league table standings: Our courses are among the highest-ranking for Product and Industrial Design in the UK. In all the most recent university guides, as well as in the National Student Survey, Brunel Design is placed in the top four out of all UK Art and Design courses.

High employability: Design graduates enjoy excellent career prospects – see student graduate articles.

Accreditation

Brunel's Integrated Product Design course is accredited by the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED).

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Would you like to improve your career prospects, start your own business or develop further specialist design skills?

Offering the perfect blend of theory and practice in the context of business and society, the MA Design course will enable you to focus on your own specialist area of design practice, in disciplines such as 3D design, fashion communication, fashion design, fashion marketing, graphic design, communication design, service design, interaction design, industrial design, interior design, 3D design and transportation design.

Developed specifically for those with a design background or relevant qualification, you will undertake a series of taught modules to develop your knowledge and practical skills, before competing a final project or thesis around your chosen specialism.

In addition to the taught aspect of this course, you will also have the opportunity to undertake a series of collaborative projects with industry and, where possible, field trips to collaborative companies or exhibitions to further enhance your learning experience.

Learn From The Best

Our academic team is made up of research-active experts with extensive knowledge of the design industry. This knowledge is integrated into all aspects of their teaching to ensure that all content within this course is relevant to the workplace and current and emerging trends.

All staff within this department have a strong commitment to developing your skills and knowledge by developing your critical thinking and your ability to apply your skills to complex real-world problems.

They will be there to support you through every step of your course, ensuring you leave with confidence and full understanding of all aspects of this dynamic industry.

In addition to our teaching staff, you will also have access to specialist communities of practice that will provide the foundation for your learning journey through research networks and cross-organisational collaboration. These communities will focus on strategic innovation, performance products and service design.

Teaching And Assessment

This MA Design course incorporates practice-based learning that is informed by contemporary and contextual influences and founded on your own personal aims and professional direction.

The first two semesters of this course will focus on developing your core skills through the completion of four modules: design thinking, design practice, direction and experimentation.

Teaching is delivered via a mix of lectures, seminars and tutorials, which are assessed by coursework and design projects. You will also undertake collaborative projects and, where possible, field trips to allow you to put your skills into practise in a real-world context.

Upon completion of the taught modules, you will undertake a final project or thesis to demonstrate all of the skills you have acquired on this course. This will be undertaken under the supervision of your dedicated tutor who will provide advice and guidance at all stages.

Module Overview
DE7001 - Design Thinking (Core, 30 Credits)
DE7002 - Design Process (Core, 30 Credits)
DE7003 - Project / Thesis (Core, 60 Credits)
DE7004 - Design Practice 1: Professional Direction (Core, 30 Credits)
DE7005 - Design Practice 2 : Experimentation (Core, 30 Credits)
EF0126 - E.S.A.P. in FADSS Level 7 (Optional, 0 Credits)

Learning Environment

This course is delivered at the Northumbria School of Design, which is located at City Campus East – a dedicated learning space that is located within Newcastle city centre.

Throughout the duration of your course you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities such as our University library – which is ranked in the top three in the UK – and well equipped working space, The Hub, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Your learning experience will be enhanced though the use of technology and learning materials such as module guides, assessment information, lecture presentation slides and reading lists will be available via our innovative e-learning platform, Blackboard. You can also access student support and other key University systems through your personal account.

Research-Rich Learning

The MA Design course is taught by our team of research-active academics who incorporate their individual areas of specialism into the course’s contextual modules to ensure they reflect the realities of the design industry and today’s modern working environment.

The development of your own research skills is at the core of the MA Design course and you will develop research-informed methods of understanding the complexity inherent in real-world situations. These methods will enable you to make better decisions, advance the field of your practice and add new knowledge that will help you perfect your skills in your own particular discipline.

Supported by subject specialists and industry networks, you will also have the opportunity to join an expert-led community of practice in strategic design and innovation, performance product design or service design, as well as engaging with traditional disciplines such as fashion and industrial design.

Give Your Career An Edge

This course will allow you to enhance your practical skills and knowledge in a specialist area of design.

You will work on live industry projects that will enhance your CV and personal development through collaboration with those currently working within this dynamic industry. Some of the recent examples of industry projects include work on oral healthcare with Procter and Gamble, wearable technology projects with the CPI National Centre for Printable Electronics, person-centred healthcare services with the Academic Health Science Network and the development of innovative kitchenware with Lakeland.

You will also develop your business and employability skills, in addition to achieving a master’s level qualification in this discipline.

Your Future

Once you have completed the MA Design course you will possess the skills and ability to make an impact in the design industry, whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to enhance your professional development.

This course will prepare you for broad range of jobs within design companies, private organisations and the public sector, in addition to specialist jobs within your chosen specialism.

Completion may enhance promotion prospects in some professions, in addition to providing enhanced opportunities for management level roles.

This course will also provide you with the knowledge and experience to be able to set up your very own design company, in addition to providing a strong foundation for progression to PhD studies.

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About the course

This MA prepares students from design and other creative disciplines to apply their knowledge and skills in the branding domain.

The course develops your high-level skills and creative thinking, helping you learn how to clearly communicate strategies for successful brand building, futures forecasting and change management.

During the course you will also gain valuable industry insight from design and branding professionals who are part of Brunel’s extensive network of industry contacts. You will complete an individual design project, supported by personal supervision, and complete a final year dissertation on your specialist subject of choice.

Aims

All organisations use design, but few master its use strategically. This course provides the skills and knowledge to students wishing to enter this exciting and rewarding field of endeavour.

We were one of the first Masters programmes, globally, that sought to explain the relationship between branding and design and the importance of applying a strategic approach using design thinking, design methods and process. Today we remain a unique course internationally and attract students from all over the world, from different creative and design backgrounds, both with one purpose - to become masters of design strategy.

By the time you graduate you will be equipped to:

effectively apply design to create and deliver innovative brand propositions
creatively communicate brand values and deliver brand experiencein engaging and meaningful ways through a combination of tangible and intangle design
demonstrate expertise in your chosen specialism in exciting fields, such as branding for the collaborative economy
critically evaluate the roles and potential benefits of design in brand strategies
show personal initiative in addressing challenging issues that are relevant to the design industry.

Course Content

The balanced combination of critical examination and rigorous academic research and creativity is a unique characteristic of Brunel's MA programme. You will do a three-phase programme:

Phase One Modules: Taught Element (September - December)

Strategic Design Management
Branding Strategy Studies
Innovation Strategy and Management
Design Research

Phase Two Modules: Taught/Tutored (January - April)

Design and Branding Futures: Seminar & Workshop Programme
Design and Branding Research Project 1
Design and Branding Research Project 2

Phase Three Module: Student-led (May - August)

Design Dissertation

Special Features

Brazilian week - We host an annual visit from top Brazilian designers, with joint activities organised with Brunel students. It’s an extremely exciting and rewarding experience for both our students and visitors.

Eminent speakers - Every year, our ‘Design Futures’ event offers students the chance to use their research to find design-based solutions to issues facing the world. Design Futures also features eminent guest speakers from all aspects of the design profession, who offer their views on the future of design and its role in meeting global challenges.

Industry and professional focus: London is arguably the most important design and creative capital in the world. Brunel Masters plays a key part in this vibrant landscape. Consequently students leave with a realistic and cutting edge set of skills and knowledge. A world renowned consultancy has praised Brunel design graduates for their ability to ‘hit the ground running’ – meaning they start work understanding modern branding and are able to immediately contribute to strategic thinking within a company.

International flavour: Our MA Design courses draw a truly international mix of students, creating a diverse pool of creative talent at Brunel that attracts employers.

Employability

The MA Design courses at Brunel have established links with industry. Every year the MA Team run a Design Futures module, which gives students a chance to explore future trends and scenarios, and to use research in order to find design-based solutions to issues facing the world.

As part of this initiative they invite eminent guest speakers from all aspects of the design profession to come to Brunel and give the students their views of the future, and the role that design will play in meeting global challenges. Speakers in recent years have included Sir Terence Conran, Sir George Cox, Lord Michael Bichard and Wally Olins, to name a few.

The MA Design staff also work closely with several branding and innovation consultancies, for instance, Design Bridge, NewEdge and Jane Wentworth Associates. The course also has a good relationship with trade association organisations such as Design Business Association (DBA). Working closely with these organisations has resulted in student projects, internships/work placements and also graduate employment positions.

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In an increasingly urbanised world, there is growing international demand for urban design graduates. This course will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to participate in this rapidly expanding profession. Urban design involves shaping the physical setting for life in cities. The pace of urban change, and the challenge of making cities efficient, sustainable and meaningful, demands creative solutions to design and management. The Urban Design courses at Westminster provide a coherent approach to issues that face our cities, combining structured academic study with live design projects, allowing you to develop practical skills, a theoretical understanding and an informed approach to sustainable urban development.

Our Urban Design course is one of the largest and longest established in the UK. It enjoys an excellent reputation and our graduates are highly respected in the profession. Our students are from a variety of professions and backgrounds, including architecture, landscape architecture and planning, from the UK, Europe, and across the globe. They range from recent graduates seeking to expand their skill base before commencing their career or those considering a shift from an allied profession, to established professionals seeking to specialise or develop a more informed critical approach. Our central London location allows you to interact with a huge variety of practitioners and organisations, as well as drawing on the city’s huge range of resources; you will be at the heart of the debate over the future of cities.

The course places a strong emphasis on design, practical outputs and a multidisciplinary approach. While focusing on UK examples, the lessons from the courses are applicable to a wide range of international and economic contexts. This flexible and student-centred approach is highly valued by former graduates and their employers. The course is delivered by staff with many years' experience in practice, education, training, research, and consultancy in the UK and overseas. Outputs from the course combine into a portfolio demonstrating your ability to deal with the complexities of urban design in a practical and informed manner.

Course structure

The following modules are indicative of what you study on this course.

Core modules

• Sustainable Cities
• Urban Design Field Trip
• Urban Design and Development Planning Skills
• Urbanism and Design

Optional modules

• Master Planning
• Urban Design Summer School
• Conservation Policy and Practice
• Environmental Policy, Assessment and Climate Change
• Housing and Regeneration
• Public Participation and Engaging Communities
• Public Realm: Significance, Design and Experience

Career path

Graduates of this course typically find employment as urban designers in private consultancy or local authorities. Many find the course useful when developing careers in architecture, planning or landscape architecture.

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This one year full-time MA in Architectural Design is aimed at students who are looking for a rich, engaging and design-focused post-graduate programme, but do not wish to qualify as a UK registered architect.

Overview

This one year full-time MA in Architectural Design is aimed at students who are looking for a rich, engaging and design-focused post-graduate programme, but do not wish to qualify as a UK registered architect. It shares many of the design elements of our established MArch (Master of Architecture/ Part 2) programme, but provides greater flexibility in terms of study choices, allowing you to engage with the interests of our research staff. 

In the programme, we will focus on using design-led research to inform your learning and investigation. You will develop your existing design skills by focussing on how design thinking might address current global challenges. This approach offers an intense and lively forum for the exploration and discussion of design issues. This is why we place particular emphasis on using design as a means to conduct research. Researching through design is a creative activity that closely integrates the process of designing with the act of researching, so that they can mutually inform each other. You will explore problems by making and testing design propositions, introducing and developing established knowledge as and when required. Through project work, you will draw on knowledge from many disciplines.

Students will have the options to develop their design thinking in the School’s principal research areas which currently include:

• Low carbon/energy design and construction
• Building performance, prediction and evaluation
• Making/prototyping
• Materials
• Sustainable cities
• Urban regeneration
• Architectural practice
• Asian architecture, art and culture
• Building conservation
• History and theory of architecture and urbanism
• User-centred design of the built environment

You will work in small groups called ‘design units’ under the guidance of an experienced tutor and also work independently to develop a research-focussed approach to your studies. This will require you to question and evaluate evidence and think creatively and iteratively. Emphasis will be on individual discovery and personal reflection as a learning process.

Distinctive features

• Study in one of the top Schools of Architecture in the UK
• Supported by the School’s award-winning Design Research Unit Wales (DRUw)
• Learn from notable design-led practitioners; currently more than 50% of our design programmes are delivered by practising architects
• Perfect for students who prefer a more practical/active approach to learning through our focus on investigation through design
• Choose from a range of optional modules to supplement your learning in areas of interest to you and develop important skills in design-based research

Structure

This programme is available on a one year full-time basis. You will be based in the Welsh School of Architecture for the duration of the programme.  The taught element of this programme is structured around a 60 credit design module, where you will use techniques of research through design to explore an issue of interest related to one of the School’s design units. This will normally run between October and April and will conclude with a final presentation in front of a panel of reviewers. Your work in the design studio is complimented by a 30 credit module analysing architectural precedent, and a choice of optional study modules.

You will usually start the dissertation element of the programme in May and complete this over the summer. The dissertation is the culmination of your design research throughout the programme. The dissertation usually comprises of a documented design project, accompanied by a 5000 word critical commentary. Support for developing the necessary skills of research through design will be provided during the taught elements of the programme.

The modules shown are an example of the typical curriculum and will be reviewed prior to the 2018/19 academic year. The final modules will be published by September 2018.

During your year on the programme, you will focus on developing a design-research agenda, defining and establishing your own position in architectural design. The topics covered are usually structured around thematic studios, or ‘units’ led by design tutors who have expertise and interest in specific areas of research and/ or practice. The themes are often related to areas of research expertise within the School and may be run in conjunction with the units offered on the MArch programme.

You will undertake analysis of architectural precedent within the studio environment and choose 30 credits worth of optional modules, chosen from a list of subjects based on the research interests of the staff in the school. This list is reviewed on an annual basis. You can choose any combination of 10 and 20 credit modules for your option. 

For your dissertation you will work independently using the skills that have been developed during the taught programme to develop a critical research argument through design. This will involve completing a design thesis project. You will be expected to supplement this with a 5000 word critical written commentary.

Career prospects

Whilst many of our graduates will choose to undertake a career within architecture or other built environment professions, the programme provides a large number of transferable skills which will be of benefit across a wide range of professions. The focus on independent, project based learning is welcomed by employers in that it provides graduates with skills in creative thinking, conceptual organisation, critical reflection and taking initiative.

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This pathway enables you to develop your own individual approach to spatial design within a creative multi-disciplinary environment . It supports the development of a personal trajectory while providing room for exploration, and encourages you to explore ideas and issues concerning design of the interior in numerous environments, from the room to the city. You can explore areas of landscape architecture, exhibition design, interior design, furniture design and design for the stage.

Course Overview

Our Master’s programme has been designed to support and enhance the skills of art and design practitioners who want to work in the cultural and creative industries. Awarded by Falmouth University and delivered in partnership with Hearst Magazines UK, publishers of ELLE, Cosmopolitan, Esquire and Harper’s Bazaar, together we have designed an exciting and industry-connected Master’s to equip you for the real world.

The 12-month MA supports students across a range of Art & Design specialisms and you will be given the unique opportunity to explore your area within an interdisciplinary global culture. Bringing together students from a variety of disciplines through dialogue, idea-exchange and collaborative activities, the course prepares students for the hybrid and dynamic nature of contemporary creative practice. By enabling the pursuit of specialist subject expertise alongside opportunities to acquire the skills, experience and outlook necessary for professional success, we give our graduates the confidence to take the next step toward building their own creative futures.

The course is open to graduates from any art and design related degree subject and who already have knowledge and experience of a specialist area. Our MA will allow you to enhance your skills within your existing area, taking it in your own direction with support from a subject tutor. We currently support pathways in Fine Art, Communication Design, Illustration, Animation, Photography, Fashion Design, Fashion Communication, Product Design, Craft and Spatial Design.

Alternatively, you may be looking for a Master’s degree, but you are not clear which specialist pathway to follow, this course is designed to support those students arriving from a variety of undergraduate programmes with varying degrees of focus. The scope of the award in Art & Design is flexible enough to provide opportunities for you to experiment and try out new approaches before finding your focus.

Unique Opportunities

This programme offers outstanding specialist tuition combined with extensive academic contact and studio access. As a Master’s student, you will have:

• exclusive access to media and industry expertise through Hearst Magazines UK and their teams
• regular workshops with key industry stakeholders
• industry projects
• internship opportunities through Hearst Magazines UK and other creative industry contacts
• your own individual design space giving you flexibility on where you study
• lecturers who are visible and accessible five days a week
• opportunities to expand and enrich your ideas through daily interaction with students across other disciplines

The inter-disciplinary nature of the course and the teaching team, along with the wider staff expertise within the college means that specific tuition can be provided on a ‘bespoke’ basis if and when needs arise. In addition to support from academic staff, you will have regular group and one-to-one access to our Study Skills Coordinator for support with writing, research and academic skills.

Our dedicated Welfare Team are resourced and prepared to support all students. Should you require help with English language, support is available from our in-house provision. 

Course Structure

The course is structured to provide you with a wide range of activities in the modules at the start of the course, together with the opportunity to experiment and explore different methods and approaches. As you move through the programme you will then start to focus and identify individual ambitions, and plan and execute your final project.

Semester One

EXPERIMENTAL PRACTICE

Introduces you to new methods and approaches. You will take part in a series of set projects, which will encourage collaboration, experimental practice and creative activity.

THEORY AND RESEARCH

Within this module you will be exposed to a series of lectures and seminars around a series of shared themes that cut across theory and practice. You will be inspired to try out fresh and innovative methods in practice and you will work collaboratively and individually.

Semester Two

FOCUSING PRACTICE

This module will support your development of independent and self-initiated project work in your specialist area. To build your portfolio you will take part in live briefs set by our partners in the creative industries and supported to enter local and international competitions.

ART & DESIGN FUTURES

You will be asked to look ahead by engaging in the issues shaping the professional practice of art and design today. Lecturer talks will introduce you to a diverse range of contemporary art and design practices to inspire and orient your own career pathways. This module also gives you the opportunity to organise and complete a work placement enabling you to gain valuable professional experience.

Semester Three

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT

You will spend the final semester working on a self-initiated project in your area of specialism, underpinned by the cross discipline culture of the course. Your final submission will be a portfolio of work and a written report culminating in a final MA show.

Careers and Employability

With staff and visiting tutors active in the creative industries worldwide as researchers and practitioners, as artists, designers, writers, and curators you will be exposed to issues, debates and challenges that are transforming art and design practice in the 21st century.

More specifically, the modules encourage you to reflect upon the broad and hybrid nature of art and design and the emerging global workplace in which you will ultimately take your next steps. To offer you real-world experience through live briefs and the work placements, we collaborate with both international media and communication organisations (such as our partner Hearst Magazines UK) as well as local creative businesses on our doorstep in Cambridge—one of the UK’s centres of leading-edge creativity and innovation.

Visit the website for full specifications: http://www.csvpa.com/art-and-design/ma-art-design/course-details/about.htm

Click here to apply online: https://www.csvpa.com/apply-online/step1

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Interaction design is a rapidly changing discipline, and we maintain the relevance of our education by working with real-world design cases and outside clients that include local industry partners, as well as cultural and civic organisations. Navigating a shifting design landscape also requires the critical mindset of a scholar, and we foster reflective design by teaching research skills and involving students in active research projects.

Interaction Design at Malmö University

We educate designers who can articulate and develop cutting-edge practices in key areas of interaction design: tangible and sensor-based interaction, wearable and embodied interaction, game design, participatory design practices, critical design, social innovation and collaborative media development. Students approach these genres within a broad context that considers the social, political and ethical consequences of their designs. Our education is studio-based, bringing students into close contact with our design professors.

This is a one-year programme, which is also offered as the first year of a two-year programme providing a more well-rounded combination of design practice and academic research.

Interaction Design: one-year programme

Interaction Design: two-year programme

The education is provided by the Faculty of Culture and Society at the department School of Arts and Communication.

Practical Design Skills and Academic Research

Internationally Recognised

Our programme was founded in 1998, making it one of the more established programmes of its kind. We focus on areas where our design and research excellence is internationally recognised: tangible and sensor-based interaction, wearable and embodied interaction, game design, participatory design practices, critical design, social innovation and collaborative media development.

Who are you?

Interaction design requires the fusion of multiple skill sets. We recruit students with different backgrounds – design, media, engineering, the arts, and social sciences – and focus our teaching on creating disciplinary synergy in the concrete design work.

Content

The programme comprises full-time study for one academic year, divided into four courses starting with a studio-based introduction to multidisciplinary collaboration and mainstream interaction design. The next two courses address embodied interaction and collaborative media, two of our signature topics. The final course is a Master’s level graduation project.

Upon graduation, you are eligible for the second year of the two-year Master’s programme to learn more about interaction design research and theory. Read more about the two-year Master’s programme

Teaching Methods

The programme is based on a learning-by-doing pedagogy. This means that we encourage an iterative practice of experimentation and reflection. As teachers, we view ourselves as coaches guiding you in this process.

Studio-based

The programme is studio-based. You will also have access to computer labs, a materials workshop and a prototyping lab for electronics, sensor and microprocessor programming.

Group work in multidisciplinary teams

The primary method of learning is through group work in multidisciplinary teams with classmates and other stakeholders. Abilities to work in teams and with others – including user communities – are important parts of our curriculum, and several projects are organised to practice doing this.

Humanistic approach

With our humanistic approach, you will be practicing qualitative research approaches to support your design of tangible artefacts as well as digital and interactive services, systems and artefacts. We emphasize an understanding of people in their use situations.

Reflective and experimental design thinking and practical doing

Prototyping in the studio and real-world contexts is an integral part of becoming an interaction designer.

To practice reflective and experimental design activity, projects and courses integrate seminars and hands-on workshops introducing students to, among other things, ethnographic fieldwork, visualisation, low- and high-fidelity prototyping, microprocessor programming and video sketching, as well as evaluation of use qualities. All these practices are backed up by literature references and examples.

The thesis project

Your thesis project will be a combination of a design project and reflective writing that will involve communicating and discussing your design work. This is one result of a student's work in Thesis Project I.

Working environments

Students have access to studio space, and we encourage a healthy studio culture. This is where we conduct group-work, seminars, workshops, presentations and discussions. Close by there is a well-equipped materials workshop and a physical prototyping lab for electronics and sensor work. Additionally, we often use the facilities at the MEDEA research centre for final presentations, exhibitions, seminars and programme-meetings.

Career opportunities

Students enter the programme with different kinds of expertise, from art and design to engineering and social sciences. Upon graduation, you will have built a strong understanding of how your particular skills play a role in interaction design and how they combine with other specialities of fellow designers.

Potential positions

Most alumni move on to positions as interaction designers, user experience specialists or usability architects in the ICT, telecom and media industries. For some, this involves fine-tuning the interfaces and interactions of current products to users' needs; other interaction designers work on concept development for future products and services. Yet other alumni find their calling in strategic positions where the role of interaction design is considered in relation to market and business development.

Some interaction designers are also found in the role of change agents in public organisations and NGOs.

Degree

Master's Degree (60 credits).

Degree of Master of Science (60 Credits) with a Major in Interaction Design.

*OR (if you choose two years programme)

Master's Degree (120 credits).

Degree of Master of Science (120 Credits) with a Major in Interaction Design.

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In an increasingly urbanised world, there is growing international demand for urban design graduates. These courses will equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to participate in this rapidly expanding profession. Urban design involves shaping the physical setting for life in cities. The pace of urban change, and the challenge of making cities efficient, sustainable and meaningful, demands creative solutions to design and management. The Urban Design courses at Westminster provide a coherent approach to issues that face our cities, combining structured academic study with live design projects, allowing you to develop practical skills, a theoretical understanding and an informed approach to sustainable urban development.

Our Urban Design programme is one of the largest and longest established in the UK. It enjoys an excellent reputation and our graduates are highly respected in the profession. Our students are from a variety of professions and backgrounds, including architecture, landscape architecture and planning, from the UK, Europe, and across the globe. They range from recent graduates seeking to expand their skill base before commencing their career or those considering a shift from an allied profession, to established professionals seeking to specialise or develop a more informed critical approach. Our central London location allows you to interact with a huge variety of practitioners and organisations, as well as drawing on the city's huge range of resources; you will be at the heart of the debate over the future of cities.

The course places a strong emphasis on design, practical outputs and a multidisciplinary approach. While focusing on UK examples, the lessons from the courses are applicable to a wide range of international and economic contexts. This flexible and student-centred approach is highly valued by former graduates and their employers. The course is delivered by staff with many years' experience in practice, education, training, research, and consultancy in the UK and overseas. Outputs from the course combine into a portfolio demonstrating your ability to deal with the complexities of urban design in a practical and informed manner.

Course structure

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.

Core modules

• Dissertation/Major Project
• Research Methods and the Built Environment
• Sustainable Cities and Neighbourhoods
• Urbanism and Design: Form, Context and Philosophies
• Urban Design and Planning in Context
• Urban Design and Urban Development Process
• Urban Design Field Trip

Optional modules

• Master Planning
• Public Realm: Significance, Design and Experience
• Reflective Practice

Career path

Graduates of this course typically find employment as urban designers in private consultancy or local authorities. Many find the course useful when developing careers in architecture, planning or landscape architecture.

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The session will provide a chance to meet the course leader and some current students who will share their projects and experiences. You will also take part in a design activity that will give you a real taste of what we do on the course in addressing social and sustainability challenges.

Choose Kingston's Sustainable Design MA

This course is aimed at designers, creative workers and other specialists who want to direct their practice towards progressive sustainability and social agendas. It focuses on the value of design as a vehicle for addressing social and ecological concerns in both developed and developing world settings. It will equip you with the knowledge, capabilities and confidence to challenge the status quo by applying design thinking to the generation of design-led interventions for a sustainable future.

Key features
-The overarching course philosophy, based on an emphasis on research, methodology and design thinking, allows individual and personal concerns to be explored through focused study in sustainable design.
-The course takes an inter-disciplinary approach to the study and practice of sustainable design, by recruiting students from all creative and design backgrounds and beyond.

What will you study?

The Sustainable Design MA is directed towards the goal of creating a more sustainable and equitable society. You will explore innovative and practical ways to help realise those visions, emphasising design, creativity, empathy, innovation and activism.

The course encourages critical thinking about the social and ecological agendas it addresses. The course is design-based, but not confined to design practice - it includes a significant amount of theoretical and contextual studies. It is possible to choose a dissertation option for the final major project.

You will be taught by leading academics and practitioners in sustainable design, social design, social innovation, participatory design, strategic design, service design, design-led innovation, and related topics. The course incorporates collaboration with partners such as Design Council, Futerra, Greengaged, Sorrell Foundation, ThinkPublic and Uscreates.

Assessment

Design project work, live projects, research project folders, 5,000-word critical essay, and a major design research project.

Course structure

The Sustainable Design MA course is part of the School of Design's postgraduate programme. The structure – shared with students from Communication Design MA, Product & Furniture Design MA, and Fashion MA – enables you to explore your individual specialist interests in sustainable design within an integrative learning environment that provides a comprehensive understanding of the value and role of interdisciplinary methods and ways of working. The influences and impact of thinking from other related design subjects on your own specialist study is an important aspect of the identity and the community of interdisciplinary practice at masters level in the School of Design.

This structure is designed to help progress and develop your independent learning, encouraging you to construct and explore projects concerned with areas of particular personal interests. The overarching course philosophy, based upon an emphasis on research, methodology and design thinking, allows individual and personal concerns to be explored through focused study in sustainable design.

The two shared modules of the School of Design's Postgraduate Framework both commence with a symposium, in which high-profile external speakers present their work and contribute to a debate on a topic of relevance to all courses in the Framework.

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The Master of Design programme provide the opportunity for you to develop creative thinking and innovative strategies through an advanced understanding of the practical application of design thinking and design strategy that can be applied in a global context.

Service Design is a relatively new discipline that has emerged in the UK simultaneously with an increase in the service sector of the economy and the development of services which require innovative approaches to design, development and delivery in public, private and civil society organisations. Through the use of a specific set of methods and processes based on design thinking, Service Design aims to develop services that are useful and desirable for customers/stakeholders and profitable and efficient for the provider.

The course will provide you with the opportunity to develop and use design thinking as a device for modelling multi-faceted service experiences. In particular this requires the ability to design user research, to facilitate development workshops, and to project manage a process when initially outcomes are unknown. A detailed understanding of the management of design and innovation in service organisations is gained through case studies and project based learning. You are introduced to a range of concepts in Service Design such as co-design, user-driven innovation and social innovation. You are also encouraged to develop your own approaches and to respond to emerging industry practices.

You will benefit from staff research interests in methodology and in user experience design strategies. You may also have the opportunity to participate in one of Ravensbourne’s regular industry development projects with a strong service design dimension.

Study units

Stage One: developing a knowledge base and new reference points - introduces the learner to a range of theories and practices in the strategic use of design and innovation, with a particular focus on the method of design thinking in the global context and how it relates to Service Design. Emphasis is also placed on beginning to develop an innovation and leadership toolkit of skills and techniques.

- Unit 1: Cultural and Contextual Design Studies
- Unit 2: Practical Application of Design Thinking in Service Design
- Unit 3: Managing Design in a Global Society and Economy

Stage Two: putting new learning into a professional context - builds on the practical application of design thinking with a focus on innovation and industry oriented professional practice

Teaching and learning methods in this term are reflective of real world practices ensuring that participants are well versed in new service/product design methods, blueprinting, modelling, brand guardianship, consumer marketing and routes to market.

- Unit 4: Professional Practice in Management and Consulting
- Unit 5: Strategic Design and Innovation
- Unit 6: Studio Practice

Stage Three: evaluating and advancing existing knowledge

- Unit 7: Major Project.

Course aims:

- To encourage a human centred approach to design.
- To demonstrate that real innovation comes from gaining a deep understanding of the interaction between service providers and end users, their wants needs, participation and potential for co-creation.

Programme Aims of the Master of Design

The Master of Design programme aims to provide the opportunity for you to develop creative thinking and innovative strategies through an advanced understanding of the practical application of design thinking and design strategy to management and organisational leadership, in order to equip you with the knowledge and skills to apply your learning in a global context. In particular, this programme aims:

- To equip you with an advanced knowledge and understanding of the contextual background to, and developments in design thinking and to reflect on that learning in order to advance your own practice and subject area and to innovate.

- To develop effective managers and leaders with effective design management skills who through creativity and global awareness are able to influence and create positive change in their organisations whether at an operational or a strategic level.

- To equip you with independent study skills that support research, practice and professional development and allow you to continue developing as life-long learners throughout their professional lives maintaining contact with emerging practice from a variety of fields.

- To provide a stimulating environment, which is supportive, flexible and collaborative and allows you to develop your potential.

- To develop a high level of professionalism and confidence to initiate and lead complex design projects involving diverse disciplines and business functions.

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