Materials & Systems MINOR
Tutors:

Renée Spanjer. Olivier Otten, David McCallum Marina Martinez Garcia 

The Minor Materials & Systems focuses on the importance of having a systems view of the world, to be able to understand the materiality of things. Every product is the output of a system, every lived moment is intertwined with systems. Indeed, everything is a system, from a biome to a mobile phone. For example, we may think of digital interactions as immaterial, but the cloud is simply a computer somewhere else; internet traffic would be impossible without undersea cables; and the minting of bitcoins takes enough energy to power an entire country. In other words: when we redesign materials, we also need to redesign systems.

This minor allows you to fully explore that side of art and design. You will dive into materials, how and to what use they are made, but you will also explore the social and economic systems in which they circulate. Through making, we question in this minor why we make, how we make, and the impact it has on the world. In this course you have the opportunity to dive into your unique curiosity about the material world and the interconnected webs in which everything is linked.
This minor asks what the social, cultural, and economic dynamics are that could help redefine and reinvent art and design work under heavy environmental constraints. What sort of new design and making opportunities could arise from working with fewer material resources, computational limits, recycling, and re-purposing? How can we design for longevity, disassembly, and descent? 

What we offer:
On a practical level, the program of the Materials and Systems is structured into two interrelated components.
A practice-based course where you conduct your material research and develop your prototype by engaging with the stations at WdKA. A research-based course where you analyse your work (research through making) within the embedded systems, contexts and fields. Classes will consist of group and individual guidance meetings. You will work to engage in a process and develop it into a final proposition, You will also formulate your position within a broad professional domain. You can see the Minor as a laboratory, where you can experiment with ideas, methods, models, techniques, to see what fits and what you want to further develop in the graduation project. Added to this program, guest lectures are organised covering relevant topics, as well as related external art/museum/institution visits.  

Learning Outcomes:

In addition to the general learning objectives of the Commercial Practices Minor program

• ·You understand the of the role of (im)materiality within complex systems and how the perception of materiality is constantly shifting
• You are able to speculate about the impact of the materials that are used in design on our ways of living and the way we view and experience the world around us.
• You are able to position your work in a relevant societal context and add value to that context.
• You are able to use design as a critical tool to question everyday contexts, both current realities as well as possible futures.
• You can reflect on and experiment with alternative modes of organization and production
• You are able to make work that creates not only economic value, but also social, cultural, and environmental value.

What we expect: We expect students to engage with the group discussions and your peers and to have a self-driven initiative. You will be taking ownership of your project. A show and share attitude is required for the creative process .. Experiment, trial and error, test. Open to collaborative and interdisciplinary working environments. Open to critical -constructive feedback. Be present.

Research methods and approaches:

systemic thinking, critical thinking, desk-field research, relational design, design activism, ecoliteracy, , (im)material research, prototyping and positioning,

Components:

·Research and practice

Deliverables:

• Material Prototype
• Research process document (physical- visual collection of all your process and research)
•  Research document (3000 words max.)
• Pitching presentation during the assessment week
•  A final collective public presentation is required.

Working method:

Collaborative and individual

Assessment:

Individual

Entry Requirements (Non WdKA students HR + KOM):

Open to WdKA students; students from other institutes at Hogeschool Rotterdam must respond to written questions after registering for the minor.

 

 

 

Learning outcomes

n addition to the general learning objectives of the Commercial Practices Minor program

• ·You understand the of the role of (im)materiality within complex systems and how the perception of materiality is constantly shifting
• ·You are able to speculate about the impact of the materials that are used in design on our ways of living and the way we view and experience the world around us
• You are able to position your work in a relevant societal context and add value to that context.
• You are able to use design as a critical tool to question everyday contexts, both current realities as well as possible futures.
• You can reflect on and experiment with alternative modes of organization and production
• You are able to make work that creates not only economic value, but also social, cultural, and environmental value.

Entry Requirements (Non WdKA students HR + KOM):

Open to WdKA students; students from other institutes at Hogeschool Rotterdam must respond to written questions after registering for the minor.

Classes consist of group and individual guidance meetings

Deliverables:

•  Material Prototype
•  Research process document (physical- visual collection of all your process and research)
•  Research document (3000 words max.)
•  Pitching presentation during the assessment week
•  A final collective public presentation is required.

Working method:

• Collaborative and individual

Assessment:

• Individual

Entry Requirements (Non WdKA students HR + KOM):

Open to WdKA students; students from other institutes at Hogeschool Rotterdam must respond to written questions after registering for the minor.

PPLICATION PROCESS (KOM)

Are you a student from another educational institution and would you like to follow a minor at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences? If so, you must apply in two steps:

Step 1
Register for the minor of your choice via the blue Apply button. You can find this button at the top right of the minor’s page.
Download the learning agreement and complete it.
Submit this learning agreement to the examination board of your study programme.
Once the examination board has granted approval, register for the minor in Step 2 no later than 01-07-2025 at 9:00 a.m.

Step 2
After approval, register via OSIRIS Application of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences using the link below (first create an account).

https://osiris.hr.nl/osiris_aanmeld_hrprd/Welkom.do?proces=KOM2609&opleiding=MINOR-WDK-VT 00

Part of the application process is uploading the following documents:

The learning agreement, signed by you and by your institution;
A scan or photo of your passport or ID card.
 
You will be informed by Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences whether your application has been approved.

In OSIRIS Application, you must also upload the Proof of Paid Tuition Fee (BBC) for the academic year in which you wish to follow the minor. This can be done from 01 May 2026onwards. You can request the BBC from your institution after you have signed or issued an authorization for the payment of the tuition fee for the relevant academic year. You may also choose the option for your institution to send the BBC directly to collegegeld@hr.nl.

You will receive a notification from Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences once your application has been approved.