Designer in Sustainable Innovation

Overview

During the first year (Master 1 level), students start to link their creative skills with strategic power. They will be exposed to a high level of Design studies, with published knowledge in multiple domains driving the pedagogy. They will come to understand Contextual Design Research, Research Methodologies, in-depth modules around the nature of Design, Design Thinking and Creativity.

During the first semester students participate at a workshop on Biodiversity, called Non Human Centered Design, which is in collaboration with a Dutch and a German Design institution. The entire classes travel to the other campuses and collaborate with the peer students.

In parallel to the courses and workshops, every student is enrolled in a partnership project with one of our coorporate partners, working in teams to respond to a theme proposed by the company. Here the Master level students have a leader role. The expectations are to present a solution to the company, including mock-ups, prototypes, teasers, and concepts. All of this is settled in the spirit of Sustainable Design Thinking, Frugal Innivation, Knowledge Design, Circular Economy, Social Innovation, and many more.

Durign the fist semester students have the possibility to do an international exchange semester at one of our worldwide partner institutions.

Our programme has a big emphasis on the creative part. Drawing skills are central, as well as the use of digital 2D and 3D tools.

Thinking by Drawing

Drawing is the first tool of a designer. Drawing allows to materialise imagination, to develop transversal dialogue between different job profiles, to enhance the representation of brand cultures and of the world, …..it also helps the designer to think, holding a drawing pen in his hand, about new creative stories for the future.

Digital Tools

Following the manual drawing, the numeric tool is taking over. CAO and DAO in 2D and 3D are fundamental to represent, conceive, illustrate and animate objects within their spatial context. The numeric tool is also essential for the communication between the different profiles of creators.

At the end of the year students hand in a thesis (50 pages), based on a sustainable or social research subject.

During the final year (Master 2 level), the programme is focussed on the Final Major Project, usually with the subject stemming from the memoire completed during the precedent year. The Final Project is coached by a number of Design, Sustainability and Management professionals.

The final presentation in front of a high quality jury is in April, followed by 6 months of internship, to be finalised by the end of December.

Accreditation

RNCP accreditation by the French government, level 7 (highest level). RNCP is the official national certification of professional register. The Diploma is thus recognized on international level.