Editor’s note: This listing was updated on December 2, 2022
OVERVIEW
Upholding its reputation for facilities that enable dynamic working environments, Umeå Institute of Design provides students with 24/7 access to 3D printers, laser cutters, digital 3D-modelling labs, and much more. MFA candidates take such courses as “Communication Design for Co-creation” and “Experience Prototyping,” where they gain first-hand knowledge on how to develop products, services and experiences that best suit the needs of end users.
Students spend the first half of the two-year course preparing for their final examination project, through theory-based lectures, field trips, studio work and many more engaging applied design projects. For the final examination project, they work alongside professional designers to create solutions centred around user experiences and interactions. For her thesis project titled “Ocean Care,” for example, Interaction Design student Inna Zrajaeva collaborated with HUB Ocean to develop a digital interaction tool that gathers data on the ocean in order to help users cultivate a relationship of care towards the sea.
With its diverse student body, where 23 nationalities are represented, the school is noted for its unique creative energy and rich cross-cultural ambiance – which is further enhanced by its campus in one of Sweden’s fastest growing cities. A European Capital of Culture, Umeå boasts a vivid music, theatre and art scene. All of the Umeå University Interaction Design graduate classes are conducted in English.
NOTABLE ALUMNI
Helena Helmersson (CEO of H&M), Dohee Kim, Moyukh Chowdhury, Javier Jo, Steven Shen
NOTABLE FACULTY
Christoffel Kuenen, Cindy Kohtala