6th. semester
Special focus formation

The main project in the sixth semester is usually a cooperation with a renowned company such as Bosch, BSH Hausgeräte, Braun, Deutsche Telekom and Dräger. However, students are also free to choose their own visionary project topics. Here, the subject areas are diverse: health care, consumer goods, sustainability or medicine. For example, in the last few semesters topics have ranged from razors to hammer drills, from water supplies in crisis areas to workers' safety underground, from medical infusion systems to shock absorbers...
... and in the coming semester, something new and completely different - but always something exciting!

Through the project, the design process is further practiced and extended: from research and identification of potentials to design and the final result.

Most projects are confidential and cannot therefore be shown publicly.

Besides an understanding of the way in which technical construction is integrated into the design and product development process, this module is concerned with traditional ergonomics (the human-machine interface), as well as basic concepts of GUI (Graphical User Inter-face). Products of low and medium complexity are used to develop understanding and realistically professional skills.

The module provides a key qualification at the interface of product development and product ergonomics.

In addition to the integration of the focal points above into a classical product development process, the interdependence of materials, construction, manufacturing, and usability is tackled early on in the research and conception phases and set in overall relation to the desired design outcome. Discussion and evaluation focus on the need for transferable criteria that are valid across the whole course and at the same time train students in the critique of their own work.

Lehrveranstaltungen

• Concurrent Design and Engineering
• Angewandte Ergonomie

Modulbeauftragter
Prof. Andreas Kalweit

Industrial design is an interface discipline in which communication is of great importance. Using practical examples, the module conveys the fundamentals of product language, communications theory and perceptual psychology. It aims to heighten awareness of formal charac-teristics and the ability to describe them in practical contexts. The overall emphasis is on applications.

In this module students learn to perceive formal characteristics more consciously and to describe them in a target-oriented and compre-hensible way.

• development of linguistic sensitivity and competence
• recognition of formal and textual archetypes
• development of perceptive abilities
• development of critical and expressive language
• development of individual expression
• extended knowledge of technical and/or business English.

Courses

• Product presentation
  · Design criticism
  · Communications theory
  · Web publishing
  · Technical English
  · Business English

Module Director
Prof. Matthias Schönherr

The module prepares students for a semester abroad, with the long-term aim of qualifying them interculturally for work in an interna-tional company or a multicultural design team.

Culture-specific design activity
Preparation of the formalities for residence abroad and instruction in the culture and language of the country concerned, including infor-mation about design training and activities there.
Intercultural training: preparation for life in a different culture with different values.
Colloquium on international cooperation: preparation of a presentation.

Intercultural training

• preparation for life in a different culture with different values.
• colloquium on international cooperation: preparation of a presentation.

Courses

• Culture-specific design activity
• Intercultural training
• Documentation and colloquium

Module Director
Prof. Gert Trauernicht

Strategically oriented design concentrates on the integration of design into the context of strategic corporate or brand planning. Over and above the classical aspects of design, students will be made familiar with more complex aspects of strategically oriented product development and product communication in the context of brands, platform products and product diversification.
The module explores more advanced levels of design and product language not only in their bearing on product design, but as mediating aspects of construction and manufacturing strategy. Students will learn on the one hand intelligent constructional features of platform products, and on the other the function of design as an instrument for economically viable high-quality manufacturing processes and sus-tainable products.

Case studies from industry are analyzed and evaluated. In combination with the drafting module, an additional strategically oriented draft project – for example on the development of a design language or platform connected with a specific brand – may also be undertaken. This might well involve an industrial partner – in any case an integral aspect of the special focus phase of the program.
Project and office management addresses the special organizational and administrative aspects of strategic development, and covers such areas as budgeting, time and resources planning and monitoring in overall furtherance of quality assurance.

Courses

• Strategic design project
• Organization and management of a design bureau or NPD team

Module Director
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