Design Innovation & Interaction Design

Key Facts

Staff

Programme Overview

Award

MDes in Design Innovation and Interaction Design. All GSA degree programmes are validated by the University of Glasgow. Established in 1451, the University of Glasgow is a member of the prestigious Russell Group of leading UK research universities and a founder member of Universitas 21, an international grouping of universities dedicated to setting worldwide standards for higher education.

Assessment

The assessment combines written work, visual and project material produced both by groups and individuals. The assessment formats are designed to develop analytical thinking, creative synthesis and a rigorous capacity for reflection and self-evaluation. There is an emphasis upon collaborative studio working combined with individual exploration and analysis of theoretical positions and discourses.

Facilities
You will study at GSA’s Creative Campus in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Located just outside Forres, the Creative Campus is a research and postgraduate teaching centre for international excellence in creativity and innovation. The combination of modern studio environment and workshop with a traditional highland setting offers a unique educational experience. We deliver Masters and PhD programmes, and the campus location enables us to research in geographically diverse and distributed contexts as well, as develop innovative forms of teaching with our academic partners around the world.

Programme Director
Dr Gordon Hush

Programme Leader
Don McIntyre

Programme Coordinator
Dr Iain Reid

Subject Leader
Jeroen Blom

Studio Leaders
Leigh-Anne Hepburn & Dr George Jaramillo

Studio Tutors
Jeroen Blom

Programme Overview

This programme is taught at the GSA's campus in the Highlands of Scotland. More information on living and studying at our Highlands campus is available here.

The relationship between humanity and technology has shaped the world as we experience it, whether these technologies were agricultural, industrial or, as they are today, digital.

The interaction between social, cultural and technological aspects of life defines the study of Interaction Design as a field of enquiry. Interaction is no longer merely a technological phenomenon, rather it is relational; it links every aspect of social life.

People experience their environment and interaction with others mediated through new technologies. Interaction Design considers not only the opportunities that designed products or system provide, but also the space and relationships with the people who are affected.

Course themes

This one-year course examines the relationship between the technological push for innovation and the societal search for personal equality, quality of life and community wellbeing. Students on this programme will explore how these societal issues are addressed by technological advancement and social innovation within contemporary society.

Course content

You will explore, prototype, evaluate and iterate concepts with key interactive components and in doing so, challenge the experience people have in their engagement with society and technologies itself. Students will develop an understanding of Interaction Design in complex environments and learn to analyse behavior to inform the design process. The course is ideal for students who are interested in UX design and prototyping.

Learning through live projects

The emphasis upon collaborative working and real world engagement is examined through projects exploring the impact of the Internet of Things, ‘big data’ and emerging technologies. We cover subjects as varied as high-rise living, improving the experience of homeless people and the encouragement of political discourse. Many projects are ‘live’ with organisations as diverse as Toshiba, the Scottish Government, Tesco Bank and Alzheimer Scotland, offering graduates a professional portfolio of work upon graduation.

An international perspective

International links are a valued component and the Winter School held in the Scottish Highlands is a collaboration with students and faculty from Schools such as The Royal Academy of Art & Design (Copenhagen) and KISD (Køln), while participants from Japan and the USA may also feature. Sharing knowledge, methods and approaches to design issues shaped more by culture and context than by formal considerations allows students to explore complex issues and experiences of diverse users and stakeholders of contemporary design – whether these are artefacts, services or interactions.