Master in Strategic Design of Spaces - Study Plan
Unleashing the power of design to boost transformationSkills Accelerator
Designed with the student in mind, this full-time program is a life-changing experience. Classes take place on weekdays in Madrid from October to July. There is also a four-day international study trip to Milan and Basilea (Vitra Campus)—both renowned for their holistic and artisanal commitment to products and design.
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Receive infoThe learning experience is organized around three convergent areas—design, environment and technology—which together contribute to create human-centered experiences. Students will propose design strategies to create new experiences and behaviors. This topic leverages sociology to improve design, whereby work, retail, hospitality or learning spaces serve as social transformers.
Design: Understanding, visualizing and designing new environments that both respond to needs as well as innovate, are the key objectives of this area. In each design lab, students will gain hands-on training by working directly with industry experts, and will be able to put into practice previously developed concepts.
Environment: Multifaceted assignments will demonstrate students´ acquire learnings throughout their studies, and their knowledge for tackling complex problems. Quality, coherence, feasibility, sustainability, and innovative aspects of each project will be evaluated. Students will broaden their knowledge, as well as delve into the new challenges and opportunities facing the environment.
Technology: The objective of this area is to provide students with sufficient background to be able to understand and evaluate the relative efficacy of various design choices, and to formulate compelling, resourceful and appropriate technology proposals.
STUDY PLAN
360º Program structure
Basic Research Tools
This subject will teach you the research tools, framework and structure to analyze the five areas that impact every design project: behaviour, bricks, bytes, business, branding.
Introduction to Workplace Consultancy
The design of a workplace reflects culture and brand, can reduce rental costs and operating expenditures, improve sustainability measures, increase flexibility that will allow businesses to respond faster to change and improvedemployee performance, commitment & recruitment.
Design Ethnography Techniques
The purpose of design ethnography is to gain design insights understanding the current culture and unwritten rules, design ethnographers are visitors who observe and immerse themselves in the organization.
Anticipating the Needs of the Future
This is an interactive course, led by a renowned innovator and forward thinker, who will lead students into the framework of disruptive thinking.
Design for and with Stakeholders
Only through the early and full integration of the key stakeholders, taking into account all types of stakeholders and understanding who will use and be affected by your project, will your design solutions be relevant and will stand the test of times.
Briefing, the Strategic Process
Briefing is not just presenting a set of documents to the design team; it is a process of developing a deep understanding about client needs. Understanding and ensuring compatibility between the client’s vision and the resulting product.
Organizational Culture
During a project, there are some key strategic decisions: how you set up your project team, how you interact and share information, knowledge and advances with your client and how you interact with them to understand their culture. All design solutions will contribute in order to change the organizational culture and you need to be aware of your impact.
Metrics
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” Peter Drucker. And you can’t improve any issues if you don’t know what you are improving it against, success is achieved when it is well defined and tracked.
Sustainability and Cost Control
You will learn how to respond to a challenge providing a design solution which needs to be future proof, sustainable and with a controlled cost.
Well Being + Sustainability
Workplace well-being strategies focus on workplace health and well-being, throwing a spotlight on how businesses can ensure their people are well, engaged and satisfied in their jobs, to drive productivity.
Change Management: People and Performance
Change Management is the application of processes and tools to manage the people side from a current state to a new future state so that the desired results (and expected return on investment) are achieved.
Desing Tools, Skills & Solutions
Design thinking refers to the cognitive, strategic & practical processes by which design concepts are developed by designers and/or design teams. Applying DT to providing solutions to business, increases dramatically the success rate for innovation & the alignment of all stakeholders.
Narrative and Visual Communication
Narrative offers a new way of thinking about holistic design, by envisioning experience themes at the start of a project. An “Experience Theme” is a phrase that encapsulates the value & focus of the experience we intend to deliver to users & identifies what the product/service is about.
Creating the Atmosphere
Having the ability to design an atmosphere is critical to a designer. How to select the best lighting scenarios and the best elements to achieve the atmosphere that you intended to convey.
Working with Providers
To guarantee we deliver a successful project, all our design ideas will need to be constructed, manufactured, or customized. Only through a close collaboration among designers & manufacturers/craftsmen innovation will arise.
Space as Brand
Living the brand values and being able to convey key business differentiators to employees, collaborators, clients and visitors is key for all businesses. In this course, you will learn how to create brand with space and space with brand.
New Trends, Spaces for Innovation
How do spaces affect your creative abilities? How can they impact your skills and make the most out of your talents? Go beyond the digital and technological solutions and develop a holistic approach towards innovation.
The Technological Environment
How to assess your client about which new technologies and means are necessary for implementing the system and whether new technologies should be employed for strategic and technical reasons and how they would benefit your project.
Digital Transformation
Digital transformation is the use of new, fast and frequently changing digital technology to solve problems. A designer and consultant needs to ensure that Design, Sociology and Technology are aligned and progress jointly to ensure success.
Ethical, Sustainable Technology
You will learn how to contribute deeply to your clients’ needs for digital transformation maintaining the focus on sustainability, viability, and ethical solutions.
What is next in Technology?
Learning how to make the most effective use of the existing technology, understanding the obsolescence of the technology you are implementing in your project, and planning for the unknown future will be key for the success. Versatility is the key word here.
Insights Studio and AI
Artificial Intelligence (AI) now forms part of our everyday lives. Data drives every decision, every response about each new product, service, project…You will learn about AI and the use of data to help you boost your design career.
Creative and Sustainable Design
Every designer hopes for the perdurability of its designs; sustainability, relevance & durability are key drivers for companies that manufacture products. You will learn how some of these companies have been successful during many decades.
Agile Methodologies for User Centric Design
The design world has adapted the “Agile Manifesto principles” to improve its own methodologies and ideas: collaborate more with clients, communication, focus on delivering and testing design solutions, be open to changes.
A Sustainable Future: Focus on Relevant Solutions
Some designers put creativity so high up that they forget about the perdurability, adaptability and versatility of their solutions. We live in a moment of excess of impactful images and the overambition of getting likes. You will learn how to be creative and respectful with the use of all resources, ensuring that your solutions last and can be adapted easily to future changes.
Design for Sustainability Involving Stakeholders and Raising the Awareness
This course will focus on the analysis of the user as the center of gravity for each project, considering all individual aspects and the organizational behavior.
Built to Last. Designed to Remain
Built to last is a sustainable business strategy that mimics the regenerative cycle of nature in which waste is reused. You will learn how to respond to the global environmental challenge providing a design solution which needs to be future proof, sustainable and timeless.
STUDY TRIPS
MILAN
A city renowned for its holistic commitment to design, product and handcraftsmanship.
Vitra Campus - Basel
Students will get the chance to visit the remarkable ensemble of contemporary architecture bringing together the commercial and cultural aspects of the Swiss furniture manufacturer, for decades, the buildings designed by renowned architects, have made the production site a magnet for fans of design and architecture from all over the world.
