About the course

Are you creative and aiming to work for an innovative small ormedium sized enterprise (SME) or design agency? Then this minor programme is fit for you. Working for a design agency or an innovative SME requires all-round skills and knowledge. Your client expects you to consider all technical, commercial and human-interaction interests it takes to turn his product idea into a market hit. This all-round or integrated approach is what this minor programme is all about. Key is that it involves working on real assignments for real clients!

The minor is available in three variants:

• EDPADENG: ‘Engineering’ with emphasis on function and manufacturing of a product design

• EDPADPE: ‘Product Experience’ with emphasis on design for interaction(s)

• EDPADI: ‘Innovation’ with emphasis on creation of a viable new product market combination.

Your main project and most of the courses will fit your chosen variant.

Entry Requirements

General requirements: two years of design/engineering and English B2 level. Note that for the Innovation variant a business related study also applies.

Classes will be scheduled between 8:30 AM and 18:30 PM, with a maximum of 6 to 8 hours a day.

Two weeks before start of the semester, the schedules are published.

Project All-round Designer (20 ECTS)
An intensive design and creation or innovation project spread over a 15-week period. You work both in teams and individually. The project must lead to a concrete product, a convincing concept or business proposals for participating industries. Choose between three varieties as detailed below.

* Module 1: A 5 ECTS module for:

Professional Life (2x28 hours)
All you should know about the design business and your career start. Learn how to create, check and enhance your portfolio, make an effective LinkedIn page, use social media, about the ins and outs of a small business, and much more.

International Workshop (2x28 hours)
Teams work in close collaboration with visiting foreign students. The assignments are company-driven design explorations. The workshop takes one week.

Open Subject (1x28 hours)
Choose subjects of your preference in consultation with the minor coordinator. Foreign students can attend the introduction and language programme (check your Learning Agreement).

* Module 2: A 5 ECTS module for:

Designing Interactive Products (4x28 hours)
In this course you will acquire the tools, knowledge and skills for designing and prototyping interactive products. Subjects like user-product interaction, Interaction Design, user experience, sensors and actuators and programming Arduino will be discussed.

Open Subject (1x28 hours)
Choose subjects of your preference in consultation with the minor coordinator. Foreign students can attend the introduction and language programme (check your Learning Agreement).

* Project variant ENGINEERING:

Biomimicry: Learn from nature how to solve engineering challenges.

When it comes to problem-solving, nature has a 3.5 billion-year head start on humans. In this course you learn a methodology to apply biomimicry in a design process.

Course modules All-round Designer (total 30 ECTS credits).

Functional Testing: Learn how to design experiments and do research to find out if your ideas for functions will work in real life.

Factory Excursions & Design Rules of Production Techniques:

Conduct research into design rules of the manufacturing techniques suitable for your design and apply these rules in the project.

Mechanical Strength Analysis: Prove that your product will hold the forces applied on them, by assessing the critical points in the design and calculating the mechanical strength.

* Project variant PRODUCT EXPERIENCE

Consumer Experience: In the course of the project, several lectures concerning the experiential psychology of consumers will be given, linked to an assignment.

Design Research: Embedded in the project we will offer knowledge about how to research consumer experience aspects and the communication of cultural meaning through design.

Meaningful Design: You will do design research and an assignment on communicating meaning by the use of design tools, such as color, shape, material etc.

Product Context: Introduction to the design of a context to support the use of a product.

* Project variant INNOVATION

Context Discovery: After receiving the request for innovation from a client you start to explore what business you are in. Look in the past, present, and future for the internal and external perspective. Analyze the business model, company culture, relevant trends, markets and technology.

Concept Validation: Run (design) experiments to find a profitable and sustainable product market combination. Using build-measure-learn loops and interactions you validate through feedback the worth, desirability, feasibility and the market.

Scaling up: Write a design brief for future product development with a provisional program of demands. Provide the client a viable business case with a scope and planning for further design and engineering.

Practical information

General entry requirements: two years of bachelor study in a relevant field (e.g. engineering, business, etc.) and English-language skills at B2 level. Note that for the Innovation variant also a business related study applies.

For more information on entry requirements, application deadlines,semester duration, accommodation and on how to apply, please visit our website: www.windesheim.com.

Contact

For questions about the programme: Mr Martijn Verkuijl, m.verkuijl@windesheim.nl / phone: +31 88 469 86 09

Mr Paul Touw, International Coordinator, p.touw@windesheim.nl / phone: +31 88 469 77 93

For general questions about exchange programmes: Windesheim International Office: internationaloffice@windesheim.nl / phone: +31 88 469 97 77