“Design Studio” is an advanced Master course where the students will develop projects across themes and partners curated by the Institute of Design. These can be connected to research projects, external partners or emerging problematics within the field of design. The ambition for this course is to develop stand-out projects where students go in depth into the issues they chose to work with, and create high level outcomes. The core values of the course are exploration and professionalism – meaning that the course encourages the development of reflection, criticality and new knowledge about emerging fields, but also has the ambition of developing high quality deliveries and communication.

In this course students will have a large degree of freedom and responsibility as to how their projects are developed. ‘Design studio’ is a place for students to integrate the knowledge they have gained throughout their education and work towards exploration, professionalism and specialisation. A central part of the studio course is to develop project-experience and knowledge about how different forms of larger design projects can be structured and executed.

Students work individually or in small groups. Each project will be followed throughout the semester by a supervisor and typically, a partner. Partners and supervisors depend on the specialisations and/or themes that the projects take up. Each track supervisor will be responsible for the students that choose to follow his or her track. The track may consist of one long project or several projects.

The main teaching structure is mentoring on project level and the ongoing evaluation of progress. There is a common structure for milestones and core-deliverables throughout the course (development of project descriptions and plans, documentation and deliverables, and main presentations). Co-learning is central across the projects, and students will be involved in developing research, lectures and course-materials for the whole group.

Projects will come out of curated themes and partners developed by the Institute of design or from research topics across the institute’s research projects. Projects can both be done as specialisations towards specific fields or in inter-disciplinary groups, where students from industrial design, service design and interaction-design work together.

Tracks for Fall 2024: 

1. OCEAN INDUSTRIES CONCEPT LAB: Advanced Interaction Design

Track responsible: Kjetil Nordby

Max amount of students: 8

Field: Interaction design

Prerequisites:

The course builds upon design skills and methods acquired through courses at the bachelor's and master's levels. In the "Design Studio," students and teachers integrate and further develop these skills and mindsets to create complex projects with a high level of professionalism. A pronounced curiosity, an experimental attitude, and independence are therefore necessary for students who wish to participate in the "Design Studio." For taking part in the OICL track, students will need to have a background from interaction design and master interaction design tools and methods for prototyping and developing interfaces. Students need to apply with a portfolio that demonstrates this.

Introduction:

Are you eager to engage in projects where your contributions can drive real change? The Advanced Interaction Design Studio offers you the opportunity to collaborate with leading industry partners and participate in cutting-edge research projects, enabling you to make designs that push the boundaries of interaction design.

The studio revolves around authentic design cases undertaken on behalf of industries, public entities, or researchers across various domains. Supervised by Professor Kjetil Nordby and OICL's PhD candidates and design researchers, this course provides a platform for practical application and exploration. The results of the cases will be used as input in several ongoing research projects. OpenRemote, OpenZero, OpenAR and OpenBridge. These projects produce design guidance that is in use all over the world.

We've curated a selection of project cases, each linked to leading companies and research endeavors. We will adapt the project to the interest of each student to make sure the project brief will align with your learning objectives.

Possible design cases:

1. Back to Sails: User interfaces for very large sail ships. (OpenZero)

2. To the Moon: User interface for spacecraft control. Satellite to be launched in 2028. (OpenRemote)

3. The Swarm: Interface for remote control of flying drone swarms for search and rescue operations. (OpenRemote)

4. Eco Feedback: Interface for reducing energy use for ships in operation. (OpenZero)

5. AI for Public Services: Exploring interaction design for AI-supported public services. (Digdir)

6. Working with AR: Designing augmented reality interfaces for maintenance workers. (OpenAR)

Additionally, you have the option to propose cases that align with ongoing OICL research projects. Feel free to contact the lab for a discussion. Note: Find updated description of the cases on this link: https://www.oicl.no/courses/design-studio

About “OCEAN INDUSTRIES CONCEPT LAB”

Design Studio is an advanced master's course where students develop design cases under the guidance of interaction design researchers at AHO (Oslo School of Architecture and Design) and various public and industry partners. The ambition of the course is to cultivate outstanding projects where students delve deep into the issues they choose to work on, producing high-level results. The core values of the course are exploration and professionalism, which entail encouraging reflection, a critical attitude, and new knowledge in emerging areas, while also aiming to produce high-quality results and dissemination.

In this course, students will have a significant degree of freedom and responsibility for how their projects evolve. The "Design Studio" is a space where students can integrate the knowledge they have gained from their studies and work towards exploration, professionalism, and specialization. A vital aspect of the studio course is to provide students with project experience and knowledge of how various types of larger design projects can be structured and carried out.

Students work individually or in small groups. Throughout the semester, all projects are supervised by an advisor and usually also a partner. Specializations and/or themes of the projects dictate the choice of partners and advisors. All track supervisors will be responsible for the students who choose to follow their track. The track may consist of one long project or multiple projects.

For those keen on integrating new design methodologies, the OICL track Advanced Interaction Design offers access to state-of-the-art equipment, including mobile eye trackers, VR and AR devices, and game engine templates. Moreover, as a participant in the design studio affiliated with OICL, you'll benefit from access to ongoing research seminars hosted by the group.

The primary learning structure involves project-level guidance and continuous evaluation of progress. There is a common structure for milestones and significant submissions throughout the course (development of project descriptions and plans, documentation, submissions, and main presentations). Collaborative learning is essential across projects, and students participate in the development of research, lectures, and course materials for the entire group.

2. EXPLORING DESIGN FOR SERVITIZATION 

Track responsible: Paola Trapani

Max amount of students: 12

Field: Service Design

Prerequisites: Students need to have at least one out of two semesters on master level focusing on service design or provide a portfolio showcasing an equivalent experience. 

COURSE CONTENT: The course delves into servitization principles and practical applications through a product-service system (PSS) approach. Servitization involves offering a combination of products and services or transitioning entirely to services to add value to products. For instance, in consumer products like sneakers, companies could offer sneakers-as-a-service (SAAS) through subscription models, refurbishing or recycling returned shoes. Servitization aligns with sustainability goals by promoting resource efficiency and supporting a circular economy.

EXPECTED OUTCOME: Students develop a servitization project, starting from a product of their choice, to demonstrate how transitioning to selling services can enhance customer relationships, create revenue streams, promote sustainability, and increase profit margins.

LEARNING OUTCOMES: Students grasp PSSD and servitization principles, analyze industry drivers, and develop skills in service-centric business models, critical thinking, communication, and ethical decision-making.

COURSE ACTIVITIES: The course will include lectures, readings, presentations, group discussions, research on case studies, and prototype development.

EVALUATION: Focuses on knowledge-based practice, methodology-driven investigation, communication, and prototyping.