Given the success of the pilot year, the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design (CIID) and the Danish Design School (DKDS) intend to continue their collaboration in interaction design education. For more information on how to apply for September 2009, please visit: http://ciid.dkds.dk/admissions/
Dependent on future funding CIID will eventually offer a two-year Masters degree (MA) in interaction design or a certificate for completing a one-year foundation course in interaction design.
As an international program, the institute will draw students from all over the world. They will come with a range of disciplines and experiences: some straight from an undergraduate degree, others after several years of work experience.
The curriculum will emphasise concept development starting by gaining an understanding of real people’s lives and needs. Rather than viewing a brief as an exercise in a particular discipline, students will be taught the skills they require to be able to transcend standard product areas. Importantly, a strong focus on hands-on learning means that students will be given the skills to build working prototypes of their ideas.
The First Year
The first year of the Masters course (the foundation course) will consist of a series of intense 2-4 week workshops that expose students to the breadth of interaction design by teaching a series of specific skills (prototyping, electronics, programming, etc.).
These courses will not only be aimed at those who would like to update their existing skill-set – such as employees on sabbatical – but would also encourage students from other disciplines (not necessarily design related) to gain the fundamental skills required to pursue a career in interaction design. These modules will be available to corporate employees and students from other institutions.
The Second Year
The second year will consist of a student-directed thesis investigation. Students will be given the option to focus on tangible/product interactions, graphical/screen interactions and service design interactions.
Content
Both years will include short, intense innovation workshops done in collaboration with and funded by industry partners. In these 2-3 week workshops, students and faculty will work closely together to develop innovative design proposals for interactive products and services.
The aim is to open up new possibilities for the client company that it may not have considered during its normal operations. The design brief is co-written with the client, and must be both useful to the company’s goals whilst also supporting the educational requirements of the institute.