NICE TO MEET YOU!
FIND OUT MORE ON MA Product Design:
EN
DEAR MA-APPLICANTS,
We are looking for strong candidates for our MA-Product Design, who aim for:
RELEVANT DESIGN
The world of design is changing and with it the position of the designer. In this changing reality UdK’s Institute for Process and Product Design will develop its Master Program ‚Innovative Futures‘ in the upcoming years.
* A program that is open to applicants who want to relate to this changing reality with social relevance, and who want to explore the boundaries of both artistic and applied design, underpinned by research in both practice and theory.
* A program that wants to raise innovative designers who explore current and future challenges in their field and are able to take a lead in this with a personal attitude and a pioneering role in upcoming tranformation processes:
critical and responsible towards the world of design and… towards the effects of design on the world.
This can be reflected on many levels:
by exploring new materials, tools, and production methods, sustainable concepts, or artistic expressions
by digital experiments, investigating geopolitical relations, or researching on a theoretical level
by designing innovative applications and product typologies with an eye for environmental and societal impact
by interventions in real, social contexts through to speculative and experimental approaches that stimulate the development of future living environments.
Are there artistic and socially relevant design themes,
that you would like to explore with us,
and are you interested,
to develop your approach within design?
Send us your application!
-> more info on online application
via application MA-design
and via UdK-website
2. March 18:00 -19:00 (CET): online info meeting
for all questions on the MA programs
and the application process
PLEASE CLICK LINK HERE (active March 2cnd 2026)
DE
LiEBE MA-BEWERBER*INNEN,
Wir suchen FÜR UNSER MA-Produkt Design, HERVORRAGENDE KANDIDAT*INNEN, die Folgendes anstreben:
RELEVANTES DESIGN
Die Welt des Designs verändert sich stark, genauso die Rolle von Designer*innen. In dieser sich wandelnden Realität entwickelt das Institut für Prozess- und Produktdesign in den kommenden Jahren das Masterprogramm ‚Innovative Futures‘.
* Ein Programm, das offen ist für Bewerber*innen, die mit Hilfe gesellschaftlich relevanter Themen auf diese sich verändernde Realität reagieren wollen und die Grenzen von sowohl künstlerischem als auch angewandtem Design ausloten möchten, wie auch ihre Arbeit durch Forschung in Praxis und Theorie untermauern.
* In diesem Programm sollen innovative Designer*innen ausgebildet werden, welche sich aktuellen und zukünftigen Herausforderungen in ihrem Gebiet stellen und durch gestalterische Kompetenz und persönliche Haltung in Transformationsprozessen eine Vorreiterrolle einnehmen können. Die Kandidat*innen sollen kritisch und verantwortungsbewusst die Welt des Designs reflektieren, wie auch die Auswirkungen von Design auf die Welt.
Dies kann sich auf vielen Ebenen widerspiegeln:
durch Erforschung neuer Materialien, Werkzeugen, Produktionsmethoden, nachhaltigen Konzepten oder künstlerischen Ausdrucksformen
durch digitale Experimente, Untersuchung geopolitischer Beziehungen, oder der Forschung auf theoretischer Ebene
durch den Entwurf innovativer Anwendungen und Produkttypologien in Anbetracht von ökologischen und sozialen Entwicklungen
durch Interventionen in realen, sozialen Kontexten bis hin zu spekulativ experimentellen Ansätzen, die zur Entwicklung zukünftiger Lebenswelten anregen
Gibt es künstlerisch und sozial relevante Designthemen,
welche Du mit uns erkunden möchtest,
und bist Du daran interessiert,
diesen Ansatz innerhalb des Felds Designs zu entwickeln?
DANN schick uns Deine Bewerbung!
-> Infos zur Online Bewerbung
über Bewerbung MA-design
und über die UdK-website
2. März: 18:00-19:00 Uhr (MEZ): Online Infotreffen
alle Fragen zum MA-Programm
und dem Bewerbungsverfahren werden geklärt
LINK BITTE HIER KLICKEN (aktiv ab dem 2.März 2026)
PROGRAM 2026/2027
THE MA IN PRODUCT-DESIGN IS SET UP THIS WAY:
• You apply with a proposal based on your own interests and get our support in developing it.
• There are some focus points though were our strengths are and where UdK’s Institute for Product & Process Design will develop stronger in the future:
– Design & Experiment (autonomous, free, and experimental design on artistic basis)
– Design & Impact (applied design for labels, industry, communities with an eye for climate change, geo-politics and societal impact)
– Design & Research (for the development of theory-based projects and as an incentive for a possible future PhD or research work)
• MA students will develop their project proposals with supervisors, but also work on other design projects.
• The MA program is extended with collaborations with companies, workshops, residencies and challenges outside the UdK.
COURSE OF THE COURSE
• In the first semester you will be introduced to our workshops and labs and ‚levelling courses‘ are followed if needed. While working on an external MA- project and personal selected seminars, you research and pre-sort on the focal point of your MA.
• Between the two semesters, the Master Hypothesis is written: a theoretical research that focussus on the theoretic, cultural and historic backgrounds and context, as well as personal interests and the potential of the MA design project that will be worked on.
• In the second and last semester, your final Master Project is developed based on the hypothesis, with a self-selected focus in the field of Design & Experiment, Design & Impact, or Design & Research.
• For group-meetings (colloquia) day excursions and extra courses are offered e.g. on design in praxis, critical writing, design & sustainability, design & responsibility, design research, or on topics that you suggest as a group.
• At the end the Masterproject is handed in with a documentation of the process plus the Masterthesis which contains the Hypothesis and a ‚Conclusio‘ that Reflects on Hypothesis and the Masterproject. All graduation projects are presented in a group exhibition.
• To apply for our MA course you need 240 ECTS. If you come from a 3 or 3,5 year BA course ( 180 ECTS or 210 ECTS), you will first join courses that are set for the highest semesters in our BA-program. There might also be other reasons why we can advise you to attend courses in the BA program first. After this ‘Anpassungsstudium’ (adaptation studies) you enter the first MA semester in October.
INDIVIDUAL GROWTH AT THE CENTRE OF THE STUDY
• Your own creative development and exploration are central to the Product Design Master program. You will be trained and encouraged to create strong concepts and visions yourself. The attitude and the position you want to take in as a designer in society will be challenged and critically questioned. Your concept, process and content development is strengthened, implemented and tested.
• Your use of methods, planning and tools will be sharpened. Through critical discourse in the Master’s program, theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline can be linked and incorporated into your projects in a targeted manner.
• You are offered a selection of courses in design practice, -theory -research, -attitude, -technology, coding and art-related design. Related to your project focus, mentors are selected to provide the best possible supervision, learning environment and professional skills.
• Your individual work will benefit from the exchange with other students and themes and can improve through individual projects, design challenges, -residencies, or -cooperations. The projects can be enriched through group meetings, involvement in UdK’s DesignResearchLab, connections to other institutes such as ECDF and CCC, as well as design conversations with (inter)national guests.
STAFF PRODUCT-DESIGN
Prof. Ineke Hans – Design & Social Context (program lead)
KM Justus Hilfenhaus (assistant)
Guestprof. Mathias Hahn – Design & Development
Guestprof. Aeneas Stankowski – Design & Interactive systems
Prof. Dr. Gesche Joost – Design & Research
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Busch – Design & TheoryProf. Holger Neumann – Design & Technology
Guestprof. Antje Engelmann – Design & Art
A taste of our MA program:
our Visiting Lecturers 2021-26
Dr. Michelle Christensen – design as critical inquiry
Vera Sachetti – From praxis to theory to praxis
Dr. Sascha Peters – Design & Sustainability
Louise Schouwenberg – Design & Attitude
Lukas Feirreis – Transdisciplinary UdK MA-classes
Design cooperation projects
2024/25 C2C.NGO – dare to share
2023/24 FORMLABS – customisation
2022/23 MAGAZIN – back to the wall
2021/22 BASF – one material, one product
Excursions 2021-24
Meet & Greets at Dutch Design Week Eindhoven, BASF, Dresden, VITRA, Bregenzerwald
Visits & Visiting Talks 2021-24
visit to Studio Lukas Wegwerth, our KAIROS program, Beyond Waste, Circular Impact Symposium, see also colloquia
CONTACT
Straße des 17. Juni 118
10623 Berlin, Germany
instagram: #udk_productdesign
THE MA IN PRODUCT-DESIGN IS SET UP THIS WAY:
• You apply with a proposal based on your own interests and get our support in developing it.
• There are some focus points though were our strengths are and where UdK’s Institute for Product & Process Design will develop stronger in the future:
– Design & Experiment (autonomous, free, and experimental design on artistic basis)
– Design & Impact (applied design for labels, industry, communities with an eye for climate change, geo-politics and societal impact)
– Design & Research (for the development of theory-based projects and as an incentive for a possible future PhD or research work)
• MA students will develop their project proposals with supervisors, but also work on other design projects.
• The MA program is extended with collaborations with companies, workshops, residencies and challenges outside the UdK.
COURSE OF THE COURSE
• In the first semester you will be introduced to our workshops and labs and ‚levelling courses‘ are followed if needed. While working on an external MA- project and personal selected seminars, you research and pre-sort on the focal point of your MA.
• Between the two semesters, the Master Hypothesis is written: a theoretical research that focussus on the theoretic, cultural and historic backgrounds and context, as well as personal interests and the potential of the MA design project that will be worked on.
• In the second and last semester, your final Master Project is developed based on the hypothesis, with a self-selected focus in the field of Design & Experiment, Design & Impact, or Design & Research.
• For group-meetings (colloquia) day excursions and extra courses are offered e.g. on design in praxis, critical writing, design & sustainability, design & responsibility, design research, or on topics that you suggest as a group.
• At the end the Masterproject is handed in with a documentation of the process plus the Masterthesis which contains the Hypothesis and a ‚Conclusio‘ that Reflects on Hypothesis and the Masterproject. All graduation projects are presented in a group exhibition.
• To apply for our MA course you need 240 ECTS. If you come from a 3 or 3,5 year BA course ( 180 ECTS or 210 ECTS), you will first join courses that are set for the highest semesters in our BA-program. There might also be other reasons why we can advise you to attend courses in the BA program first. After this ‘Anpassungsstudium’ (adaptation studies) you enter the first MA semester in October.
INDIVIDUAL GROWTH AT THE CENTRE OF THE STUDY
• Your own creative development and exploration are central to the Product Design Master program. You will be trained and encouraged to create strong concepts and visions yourself. The attitude and the position you want to take in as a designer in society will be challenged and critically questioned. Your concept, process and content development is strengthened, implemented and tested.
• Your use of methods, planning and tools will be sharpened. Through critical discourse in the Master’s program, theoretical and practical aspects of the discipline can be linked and incorporated into your projects in a targeted manner.
• You are offered a selection of courses in design practice, -theory -research, -attitude, -technology, coding and art-related design. Related to your project focus, mentors are selected to provide the best possible supervision, learning environment and professional skills.
• Your individual work will benefit from the exchange with other students and themes and can improve through individual projects, design challenges, -residencies, or -cooperations. The projects can be enriched through group meetings, involvement in UdK’s DesignResearchLab, connections to other institutes such as ECDF and CCC, as well as design conversations with (inter)national guests.
STAFF PRODUCT-DESIGN
Prof. Ineke Hans – Design & Social Context (program lead)
KM Justus Hilfenhaus (assistant)
Guestprof. Mathias Hahn – Design & Development
Guestprof. Aeneas Stankowski – Design & Interactive systems
Prof. Dr. Gesche Joost – Design & Research
Prof. Dr. Kathrin Busch – Design & TheoryProf. Holger Neumann – Design & Technology
Guestprof. Antje Engelmann – Design & Art
A taste of our MA program:
our Visiting Lecturers 2021-26
Dr. Michelle Christensen – design as critical inquiry
Vera Sachetti – From praxis to theory to praxis
Dr. Sascha Peters – Design & Sustainability
Louise Schouwenberg – Design & Attitude
Lukas Feirreis – Transdisciplinary UdK MA-classes
Design cooperation projects
2024/25 C2C.NGO – dare to share
2023/24 FORMLABS – customisation
2022/23 MAGAZIN – back to the wall
2021/22 BASF – one material, one product
Excursions 2021-24
Meet & Greets at Dutch Design Week Eindhoven, BASF, Dresden, VITRA, Bregenzerwald
Visits & Visiting Talks 2021-24
visit to Studio Lukas Wegwerth, our KAIROS program, Beyond Waste, Circular Impact Symposium, see also colloquia
CONTACT
Straße des 17. Juni 118
10623 Berlin, Germany
instagram: #udk_productdesign
