About

CIID is an international hub of creative minds. Our passion for people and our life-centred approach enable us to create positive impact through the design of innovative products, services and environments.
OUR LIFE CENTRED APPROACH
Interaction Design is a practice that combines traditional design disciplines with socio-technological trends. It leads to intuitive solutions for products, software and services. Interaction Design is not so much about visual and physical aesthetics but rather about the beauty of experiences. The discipline touches on all aspects of life and therefore has significant impact on society and industry.

While Interaction Design has historically utilised a people-centred approach, CIID has evolved to be life-centred. Starting from the premise that everything is connected, Life-Centred Design means contributing to all living systems in a way that actively helps them survive and thrive. We must think beyond sustainability and push for regenerative solutions.

With the UN SDGs as a framework, we are committed to addressing a wide range of societal and environmental issues. By prioritising specific needs, ethical considerations, and regeneration, we shape interventions and experiences for individuals, communities, organisations and the environment.

We bring together diverse students, inspirational faculty, and industry partners from all around the world to create an energetic and collaborative design culture. Originally founded in Denmark in 2006, we opened our studio in San Jose, Costa Rica in 2020 and from 2024, we'll have an incredible new studio in Bergamo, Italy.

IDP field-trip to the Organisation of Tropical Studies in Costa Rica
DESIGN FOR POSITIVE IMPACT
CIID takes on real-world challenges. Our emphasis on life-centred design principles and interdisciplinary collaboration empowers individuals and organisations with the skills and mindset to create products and services that make a tangible and positive difference in the world.

Regenerative Design: Intuitive and easy to use products and services can promote responsible consumption, reduce waste, and encourage more sustainable behaviour. Through smart interventions, we can manage resources more efficiently on a large scale.

Accessibility & Inclusivity: Digital and physical experiences should be accessible to people with all levels of ability. Product interfaces that are inclusive and accommodating help individuals participate fully in society and have equal access to information and services.

Health & Well-being: Products that promote healthy behaviour, such as fitness apps or mental health platforms, encourage people to take better care of themselves. This can improve patient engagement and provide access to relevant data.

Education & Empowerment: Engaging learning tools can empower people from all walks of society to acquire knowledge and skills. Digital platforms provide customisable resources for different communities and enable remote learning.

Social Change: Advocating change and raising awareness about important issues through digital touch-points can inform, engage, can inspire people to take action on social and environmental challenges.

Community Building: Community connection can be fostered via digital platforms that facilitate communication, collaboration, and sharing among individuals with common interests or goals. This can lead to increased social cohesion and strong support networks.

Cultural Preservation: The preservation and sharing of history and cultural heritage can be enabled through digital platforms that showcase and archive artefacts and storytelling, ensuring that knowledge is passed down to future generations.
Brainstorming concepts in the studio
CONTACTS
General Information
Interaction Design Programme
Questions about the programme?
admissions@ciid.dk
Business Inquiries
Pop-Up Schools
Would you like to host one?
Questions about a specific workshop?
pop-up-schools@ciid.dk