Master courses for design - Spring 2025

Studiocourses

Introduction

Studio courses are 24 credits. Please note that some courses are offered across study programs. See course descriptions for studio courses in the dropdown menu below.

Service Design 2: Service Design Futures

Course responsible:

Josina Vink
 

Required prerequisite knowledge:

Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS). 
 

Recommended knowledge:

• Service Design concepts and methodologies 
• User-centred design methodologies
• Qualitative data analysis 
• Prototyping 
• Project communication 

Language of instruction:

English
 

Course series:

Service Design
 

Who can apply for the course:

Design master level students. Students who have taken Service Design 1 will be preferred, but this is not a requirement for this course. International 2 year master students must have been approved for service design.
 

Course content:

This course focuses on advanced service design knowledge and competencies by engaging students in service design research. Students will be actively involved in hands-on research-through-design work with community and public sector partners. Through this process, they will contribute to advancing the theories and practices of service design, while at the same time supporting the student’s own development in becoming a more rigorous, reflective and informed service designer. As part of the course, students will read and discuss academic articles on service design, strengthening their critical thinking skills and integrating learnings into their own practice. 

The course will be delivered in three modules with different partners all focusing on public services and the service systems that enable them. Modules will include projects within areas of Norwegian welfare, healthcare and social services. We will partner with different designers, researchers and practitioners to learn more about how to navigate the messy realities of service design in public sector contexts. The Norwegian public sector has been an early adopter of service design to drive change in public service provision. This course looks at how public service design can be extended and deepened to more thoughtfully work with public policy, structural changes in service systems, the underlying logics of service development, transformation in the public sector, and how public service systems influence social inclusion. 

By working within this research context, students will practice what they have learnt in Service Design I and/or GK5 and GK6 by applying these design skills toward meaningful contributions to pressing issues in Norwegian public service systems. Throughout the project-based work, students will be introduced to concepts and frameworks based on different approaches to service design that will support reflection on their own praxis. They will be guided through a learning journey that aims to strengthen their ability to design in relation to significant, complex public challenges and more carefully navigate within high-risk and sensitive settings.

 

Learning outcome:

Knowledge

• Gain insight into the different framings and perspectives on approaches to service design whilst reflecting on one’s own burgeoning practice 
• Develop an analytical approach and critical perspective on the evolving field of public sector service design 
• Deepen understanding of policy processes, service development, and administration in public service systems as well as the role of service design in relation to these 
• Reflect on what design research and its methodologies mean for service design practice and vice versa 

Skills

• Strengthen ability to read, understand and contribute to service design research 
• Enhance capacity for analyzing service design situations in relation to relevant theories and insights from research 
• Demonstrate the capacity to reflect upon the potentials and limits of service design within the context of public service systems 
• Show competency in working ethically and carefully with marginalized populations 

 

General competence

• Gain an overview of the state of the art of service design research 
• Promote an active and designerly participation within research projects 
• Learn to engage and collaborate with external community and public sector partners 
• Promote critical reflection on the unintended consequences of service design decisions 

 

Compulsory work or attendance requirements

Project assignment + 80% attendance in the course.

 

Working and learning activities

The course is run differently from Service Design 1. In Service Design 2 students will be working more independently and in close collaboration with service design researchers and practitioners at the school. 

The main learning activities will be based upon research projects in collaboration with external partners, where the students will be part of the research team. The course also integrates studio work (group and individual), tutoring and reflective sessions in the classroom, workshops, structured presentations and deliveries, and discussions with other course participants. 

There will also be lectures with invited guests, designers and researchers. These will include sessions specifically designed to give students insight into differing ways to approach designing both in practice and research, whilst providing space to reflect on their own practice. The students are expected to read some academic literature.

Compulsory work or attendance requirements

This is an intensive course and it demands consistent and hard work from the participants. Students are required to attend at least 80% of the main course events described in the detailed calendar for each project to pass the course. Attendance will be taken 15 minutes after the start of the class. The students are also expected to keep count on their absences. 

Form of assessment

Individual assessment folder

Evaluation 

Being a practice-driven course, the student’s progression through the modules will be evaluated based on: 

• Group and individual mid-term deliverables  
• Workshops, interviews and field work 
• Evidencing material and project deliveries 

In each module, students will have group and individual deliverables that will receive qualitative assessment with regards to their integration of learnings from the course curriculum.  

At the beginning of each module, the structure, contents and examination form will be detailed. Each project will have a final presentation and/or report or equivalent deliverable that will be assessed in pass/fail by an external sensor and the course leader. The details for each project regarding particular deliverables and the evaluation criteria will be described in the brief for each project at the beginning of the module.  

Students need to pass all modules to pass the course. The pass/fail will be evaluated individually although there will be group assignments. For students who fail a module, a supplementary delivery can be submitted before the final assessment.
 

Course readings:

Blomkamp, E. 82018). "The promise of co-design for public policy." Routledge Handbook of Policy Design. Routledge, 59-73. 

Dietkus, R. (2022). The call for trauma‐informed design research and practice. Design Management Review, 33(2), 26-31. 

Duan, Z. (2022). Professional Design in between Plural Makings. In Satu Miettinen, Mikkonen Enni, Maria Cecilia Loschiavo dos Santos, and Sarantou Melanie (Eds), Artistic Cartography and Design Explorations to Pluriverse. Taylor and Francis. 

Duan, Z. (2023). Attending to How Practices Come Together: Situating Design among Relational Practices. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 9(1), 33-57. 

Hay, A. F., & Vink, J. (2023). The Emotional Neglect in Recent Service Design Developments. Nordic Journal of Innovation in the Public Sector, 2(1), 22-42. 

Hirsch, T. (2020, April). Practicing without a license: Design research as psychotherapy. In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-11). 

Kimbell, L, & Bailey, J. (2017). Prototyping and the new spirit of policy-making.CoDesign 13.3 (2017): 214-226. 

Vink, J., & Koskela-Huotari, K. (2021). Social structures as service design materials. International Journal of Design, 15(3), 29-43. 

Vink, J., Koskela-Huotari, K., Tronvoll, B., Edvardsson, B., & Wetter-Edman, K. (2021). Service ecosystem design: Propositions, process model, and future research agenda. Journal of Service Research, 24(2), 168-186. 

Further readings to be confirmed. 

 

Industrial Design 2: InnoForm

Course responsible: 

Hilde Angelfoss
 

Required prerequisite knowledge:

Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).

Students must have chosen Industrial Design specialization in GK5 and GK6, and taken Industrial Design 1: Futureproof or similar in the first master semester.  

2nd year international master students must have been accepted for Industrial Design and taken Industrial Design 1: Futureproof. 

Experience with industrial design methods, shaping form, digital and physical 3D modeling is required.

 

Language of instruction:

English
 

Who can apply for the course:

Design master level students
 

Course content:

In the realm of Industrial Design, innovation is driven by the ability to reimagine products through novel solutions that address the needs of society, the economy, and the environment. The InnoForm course is designed to equip students with the essential creative methods and skills needed to develop sustainable and impactful design solutions. Effective communication of these ideas is paramount for transforming concepts into reality and ensuring they resonate in the marketplace. 

This studio-based course immerses students in advanced tools for developing, prototyping, and presenting design solutions. Structured around iterative processes and comprehensive phases, participants will refine their skills from initial idea conception to compelling concept pitches, focusing on objects pertinent to industrial design. 

Throughout the course, students will explore form-giving techniques supported by methodologies such as semantics, biomimicry, and parametric design. By engaging in design fiction and future scenario exercises, students will enhance their creativity and innovation capabilities.  

The learning outcomes emphasize storytelling, physical modeling, and extensive use of digital media, ensuring students can communicate their design narratives effectively. Students will create a rich variety of physical and digital prototypes, integrating traditional sketching and model building with material experimentation and digital visualization. Regardless of the technological tools employed, the course remains anchored in the core competencies of Industrial Design. 

 

Learning outcome:

Knowledge

• A profound understanding of the scenario-driven design process within Industrial Design
• Awareness of sustainability principles and their application in the design process, emphasizing long-term impacts on society and the environment
• Familiarity with contemporary trends and technological advancements in Industrial Design
• Insights into storytelling across various media platforms, rooted in core Industrial Design skills
• Knowledge of the professional standards and practices relevant to the design industry, including ethical considerations and the role of design in driving innovation
• Understanding of the designers role both as a Creator and also their role as Curator in the use of digital tools 

 

Skills

• Gain a deeper understanding of their competencies in Industrial Design and how to leverage them for innovation
• Develop a reflective and realistic perspective on their current skill set and the requirements for professional advancement
• Adapt to new tools and contexts, even in scenarios where traditional user feedback is unavailable. 

 

General competence

The course adopts a design studio format, featuring a blend of lectures, seminars, workshops, and presentations. High attendance is essential, as participation in lectures, collaborative sessions, and individual work will be assessed alongside the completion of defined practice and project tasks.
 

Working and learning activities

Workshops, lectures, individual and in groups. Peer feedback is a core method in the course. 

The course starts with Design4Craft, the industrial design week at AHO. 

Excursions related to project topics may be arranged and will be confirmed at semester start. 
 

Compulsory work or attendance requirements

The students are expected to attend lectures and tutoring at AHO and work at their assigned studio space throughout the semester.
 

Form of assessment

Individual assessment folder.

The course has 3-4 project deliveries. Each project will have a delivery of a physical objects supported with visuals and presentations and/or a reflective text. 
 
If a student does not pass any of the introductory modules, an improved delivery can be submitted for new assessment at a given date in due time before the final assessment. 
 
All assignments, presentations during the course must be completed and passed before a student can have the final assessment. There will be an external examiner for assessing the final module. 
 
Group delivery/assessment may occur in part of the course.
 

Interaction Design 2: Design for Digital Products 

Course responsible: 

TBA

 

Required prerequisite knowledge:

Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).

AHO students must have chosen interaction design specialization in GK5 and GK6, and students that have taken Interaction Design 1 will have first priority, and students with Service Design 1 have second priority. 

2 year international master students must have been accepted for interaction design courses, and have taken Interaction Design 1. 

 

Language of instruction:

English

 

Who can apply for the course:

Design master level students

Course content:

Interaction Design 2: Design for Digital Products explores the increasingly interconnected world we live in, where digital products, software, and their interfaces are everywhere. At the heart of interaction design is creating these digital experiences—whether by shaping the interfaces themselves or designing the overall user experience with software. Designing for digital products takes place in a variety of contexts and scales: from personal devices like phones and computers, to specialized workplace tools, and even large-scale public information systems. 

This course looks at the key role interaction design plays in integrating software and digital products into different environments, networks, and spaces. A major focus is on designing interfaces for different types of digital products. Key topics include the information and data presented in user interfaces, the messages those interfaces communicate, and how we, as users, interact with them. 

Digital technologies, especially the internet, are transforming how information and data are created, shared, and interacted with. The internet itself is a prime example of how technological systems and software have evolved in recent decades, shifting from static, closed systems to open, collaborative platforms that prioritize information sharing, creativity, and innovation. 

This shift presents unique challenges for interaction designers, such as: 

• How to present large datasets in dynamic and accessible ways
• How to design cloud-based software that is easy to navigate and understand as shared digital spaces
• How to display complex information in visual interfaces that offer both an overview and the ability to drill down into details
• How to design interactions for collaboration with AI-driven software

These and other design challenges will be explored throughout the course in a variety of workshops and projects. 

Each year, the course will focus on a series of relevant challenges related to different types of digital products and software. The goal is to update the topics and themes annually to reflect technological innovations, new partner collaborations, available experts, and the evolving field of interaction design. 

The course will equip students with the practical skills, design methods, and problem-solving tools they need to address complex interaction design challenges and create engaging, informative, and effective user interfaces. The semester is structured around several smaller modules and workshops, each introducing students to specific interaction design methods, processes, and tools. These methods will be applied in various contexts for designing software and digital products. The course will conclude with a final project, where students will apply what they've learned to create more detailed and comprehensive interaction design solutions. 
 

Learning outcome:

Knowledge

• Develop an understanding of the core challenges in interaction design for digital products and software
• Gain insight into the key issues involved in designing screen-based interfaces, and learn how to apply this knowledge to create engaging user experiences
• Understand the designer's role and the opportunities available in a technology-driven environment

Skills

• Learn how to use tools and methods to prototype interactive concepts for various contexts
• Strengthen their ability to apply iterative design processes through hands-on tasks
• Enhance their skills in screen-based graphic design, technical execution, and production
• Improve their ability to present and communicate their concepts and ideas in a compelling and persuasive way

 

Working and learning activities

Modules 

The semester is structured around several shorter modules, which together provide a thorough introduction to the field. Each module typically begins with lectures or workshops, followed by time for students to work on assignments, with guidance and mentorship from teachers and experts. 

Partner Collaboration 

In the final module, students can choose from a range of tasks in collaboration with external partners. These collaborators may include local businesses, design consultancy firms, design research projects, or future-oriented conceptualization initiatives. 

Group Work 

Students will work either individually or in pairs, depending on the assignment. 
 

Compulsory work or attendance requirements

This is an intensive course and it demands consistent and hard work from the participants. Students are expected to participate and be present on a daily basis with continuous work effort throughout the semester. 
 
There is at least a 90 % expected attendance for lectures and workshops. 
 

Form of assessment

Individual assessment folder.

The course consist of 4 - 7 modules, and all modules need to be passed in order to pass the whole course. 
 
Evaluation will be based on the following elements in percentage: 

• 95% Design projects, presentations, minor deliverables, workshops and appropriate presentation material for the final project. Projects will be assessed for their creativity, expression, innovation, usability and appropriateness of design
• 5% contribution towards the group exhibition 

 
The course will be assessed by an external examiner. 
The course is evaluated as pass or fail.

If during the semester the student fail in one of the modules, they will be given the option to supply material within the timeframe of the semester. And in addition, the external sensor for the final module will go through all the deliverables from the whole semester for this student do a portfolio evaluation.

 

Elective courses

Introduction

Elective courses are 6 credits. Please note that some courses are offered across study programs. See course descriptions for specialization courses in the dropdown menu below.

Interactive Spaces and Environments

Course responsible: 

Enrique Encinas

Required prerequisite knowledge:

Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).

 

Language of instruction:

English

 

Who can apply for the course:

Architecture master level students
Landscape Architecture master level students
Design master level students

Course content:

The course looks at an expanding overlap between interaction design, architecture and media arts, to explore how the ideas and methods of interaction design can be applied in larger environments and spaces. The course investigates emerging trends in responsive spaces and installations, environments and interactive architecture, focusing on larger scale experiences, using physical spaces as the arena for interaction. These investigations will look beyond the direct point and click‐style interactions to less direct forms. 

Interactive Spaces and Environments is aimed at both design and architecture students, working in cross‐disciplinary collaboration, and aims to foster thinking and designing beyond the material object, towards the experimental and performative. 
 

Learning outcome:

Knowledge

The students will: 

• get an overview of a broad range of existing work and theories in the fields of sensate space, interactive architecture, immersive environments and digital installation art
• gain a grounding in basic sensor and interactive technologies and how they can be used to create reactive and interactive experiences
• build a theoretical and practical framework for how people will experience such intervention. 

Skills

The students will: 

• be able to use tools and methods for prototyping interaction concepts and problem 

General competence

The students will be able to utilize knowledge and skills (as defined above) in an independent manner in different situations and collaborations, within and across disciplines.

 

Working and learning activities

Different workshops and projects to be arranged according to activity plan. During the final project and exam week, it is expected that the students are participating in a bigger group work, building an experimental and interactive room/environment. The project needs to be documented with a short, written report. Several smaller modules will be carried out during the course, some individual and some in groups. One of the modules shall result in a written text. All deliveries throughout the course will be evaluated accordingly. 
 

Compulsory work or attendance requirements

The semester has an expected 80% general attendance and a 90% attendance at lectures and workshops. 
 

Form of assessment

Individual assessment folder.

Each student is expected to conduct research on interactive spaces and environments in relation to their own field of interest. 
 
Evaluation will be based on the following elements in percentage: 

• 80% Design projects, presentations, online deliverables, workshops and appropriate presentation material for the end of term AHO‐works exhibition
• 20% Evaluative report

Projects will be assessed for their creativity, expression, innovation, usability and appropriateness of design. 
 

Curriculum 

Recommended reading: 

Grau, O. (2003). Virtual art: from illusion to immersion. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. 

Fox, Michael & Kemp, Miles (2009) Interactive Architecture. Princeton Architectural Press. 

Ihde, Don (2010) Embodied Technics. Automatic Press / VIP. 

Novak, Marcos (1991) ‘Liquid Architectures in Cyberspace’, Cyberspace: First Steps. (PDF) 

Shepard, Mark (2011) Sentient City. MIT press. 

Schwartzman, Madeline (2011) See Yourself Sensing – redfining human perception. Black Dog Publishing, London/UK. 

Bullivant, L. (2005).4dspace: interactive architecture. London: Wiley‐Academy. 

Bullivant, L. (2007) 4dsocial: interactive design environments. London: Wiley. 

Noel, S., Rucki, E., & Freyer, C. (2008) Digital by design: crafting technology for products and environments. London: Thames & Hudson. 

Fox, M. and Kemp, M. (2009) Interactive Architecture. Princeton University Press 

Roosegaarde, D. (2010) Interactive Landscapes. Amsterdam. 

NAi Bullivant, L. (2006) Responsive Environments: Architecture, art and design. London: V&A Contemporary. 

Uexküll, J. v. (1936). Niegeschaute Welten: die Umwelten meiner Freunde : ein Erinnerungsbuch. Berlin: Fischer. 

Rethinking Development and Sustainable Futures

Course responsible:

Håkan Edeholt

Required prerequisite knowledge:

Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).  

Language of instruction:

English

Who can apply for the course:

Architecture master level students
Landscape Architecture master level students
Design master level students
 

 

Course content:

The elective course “Rethinking Development and Sustainable Futures” is a reading course that takes a critical stance by scrutinizing how the fundamental concepts of “Development” and “Sustainability” are understood.

With growing concerns of climate change, loss of ecosystems, forced migration, urbanization, and increasing social and economic disparities, these are concepts of global importance to the fields of design, architecture, urbanism, and landscape architecture; concepts that are partially interrelated, sometimes conflicting, and often prey to sectoral or profession-based interpretations. In this course, we will be stepping outside our “defined” professions to critically rethink the future of both development and sustainability through interdisciplinary readings, discussions, and writing.

The goal is to reveal and deliberate the kind of paradigms such assumed conceptions and discourses typically hold and what they try to sustain. The course will also explore if there are other alternatives to be found that also could be engaged with, promoted, and acted upon. Informed by these dialogues, Students will produce articles or essays based on their reading on a topic of interest. They will also be tasked with critiquing each other's texts as a part of the production.  
 

 

Learning outcome:

Knowledge

• Improved knowledge about "Development" and "Sustainability "
• Knowledge about and experience in critical readings of texts.  

Skills

• Developed their skills to write their own texts
• Developed their skills to describe and discuss their own and others´ texts in an academic seminar setting

General competence

• Developed a critical and reflective stance towards society, trends, and development

Working and learning activities

The content of the class spans from practical work with texts, lectures, discussions, student reviews, and the compilation of a reader. Typically, students are expected to produce an academically oriented essay based on curriculum readings and related readings sourced by the students. They will also have the opportunity to act as editors of each other’s work.
 

Compulsory work or attendance requirements

Presence and active participation in class is expected, as well as involvement in the production of the final delivery.
 

Form of assessment

Individual assessment folder.

What is evaluated: taking part in class discussions, peer student assessment, student presentations, and final delivery of an academically oriented essay based on curriculum readings.

 

Public Sector as Material for Design

Course responsible:

Andrea Plesner

 

Required prerequisite knowledge:

Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).
 

Language of instruction:

Norwegian
 

Who can apply for the course:

The course is open for master level students from all programs, but design students have priority.

Course content:

This course will investigate the complex structures, systems, experiences, connections and culture of the public service sector in Norway. The primary framing of the course is to consider the public sector as material for design and how investigating this material through visualization and mapping can give access and an understanding of this complex context. 

Through the course students will be introduced to leading voices from design, public service management as well as others engaged in questions of public service innovation from several levels of government. 

The course is positioned from an interdisciplinary perspective that represents systems orientated design and service design. 

The main activity of the course will be to investigate, unpack, reflect, visualize and disseminate the material that is public service sector Norway and make this accessible to other designers and bureaucrats working in this context. The output and value of the activity is not only in the finalized visualizations but in the co-created and co-learning space created between students and the many actors with which they will engage.

 

Learning outcome:

Students will gain an understanding of how the public sector in Norway is constructed; from governmental, to directorate to municipal level. They will also learn about how the Norwegian public services are organized, interconnected, managed and delivered. From a material perspective they will gain an understanding of tensions, flexibilities and qualities within the structure, system and relationships up and through the entire system. You will also learn techniques of dissemination and visualization that will make this material accessible to others whilst honing skills of facilitation and collaboration with others from outside of design. 

In particular you will gain: 

• An overview of how designers can work together with the public sector in Norway
• An in-depth understanding of the system 
• A sense of the materiality of the system 
• Guidance on how we might unpack and communicate the public sector in Norway 
• Skills of critical reflection 
• Insight on how the use of visualization and mapping might be used as a strategic tool for engagement and reflection 

Working and learning activities

The first few weeks of the course will start with direction to help gain an overview of public sector Norway as a whole whilst, through practice, learning visualization skills necessary to engage and disseminate this knowledge. 

After the introduction phase students will hear from speakers who work with social science, public sector innovation, representing several disciplinary perspectives to draw out detailed material knowledge about service system. 

Finally, students will further investigate, detail and refine their insights into visualizations for dissemination and as a vehicle for further discussion. 

Compulsory work or attendance requirements

The students are expected to take an active part and be present in the studio, attend lectures and groupwork throughout the whole course. They are expected to attend all presentations, workshops and formal counselling.

Form of assessment

Individual assessment folder.

You will deliver the following as part of the course and will be evaluated based upon this: 
 

• Individual visualizations of aspects of the area of study
• Reflections on the material aspects of public sector Norway 
• A broader visual narrative that brings together insights from all students that disseminates findings 

 
You will be evaluated on the deliverables listed above and your contribution to discussions throughout the course. You should show your understanding of design and public service in your work. Your final piece of work shall be communicated so it highlights the unique characteristics, challenges and potentials of the public sector as material for design. 

 

Ideation and Drawing Techniques in Product Design

Course responsible: 

Harald Skulberg and Anders Christensen

 

Required prerequisite knowledge:

Admission to AHO and successful completion of three years bachelor level studies (180 ECTS).

Language of instruction:

English

Who can apply for the course:

Architecture master level students
Landscape Architecture master level students
Design master level students
 

Course content:

The course focuses on methods and tools for redesign of one chosen home appliance. Comprising: sketching techniques using mainly analogue but also digital tools for ideation and conceptualization, visualization through 2D and 3D sketching, mockup techniques, presentation for course exhibition. 

 

Learning outcome:

Knowledge

• Experience from ideation
• Visualization through sketching variations in product design proposals
• Mock-up model making
• Visual presentation.

Skills

• Basic skills in ideation
• Conceptualization
• 2D and 3D sketching techniques
• Visualization through analogue and digital drawing techniques
• Aesthetic assessment
• Visual presentation
• Exhibition design

General competence

• Design methods
• Three-dimensional form and aesthetics.

Working and learning activities

The course is organized around lectures, discussion groups, individual tutoring, individual work and delivery. 

 

Form of assessment

Individual assessment folder.

The following elements will count in the assessment:
Process, deliveries as specified, visual presentation, and final exhibition. 
 

Required delivery:  

Delivery of visual documentation on Moodle during the course: 

• Analogue drawings (as specified) in A3 landscape format
• Rendering (as specified) in digital format using Wacom tablet 

For the exhibition: 

2 posters in A2 format containing: 

• Descriptive concept name(s)
• Sketches that describe new, alternative product design proposals
• Visualization of the product in use
• Digital rendering of product solution 

3D format: 

• 1 physical mock-up model 

Delivery of final course documentation in Moodle: 

• 1 photo of your final exhibition stand
• 1 photo of each poster 
•  1 image of mock-up model

 

Resources for the Spring 2025 course admission

• Program for course presentations can be found here
• Practical information about course admission can be found here