Masterstudio Design

“What makes the Masterstudio Design at the Institute Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP) at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW so special is the interaction between the three studios, Industrial Design, Scenography and Fashion Design. While each studio has a strong disciplinary focus, collaboration and exchange between the three disciplines is an essential part of the programme. Students also get the opportunity to complete their MA thesis as a team, which promotes a reality-based approach to work.

The Masterstudio Design ICDP is internationally oriented, students from all over the world meet with us in Basel. This diverse background influences and broadens the understanding of design and enables students to develop new perspectives and attitudes in design. Our students’ research and projects address current issues related to global crises, climate change, and social inequality. Sustainability and ecology, inclusion and technology, interaction and materiality are the fields in which the role of design is questioned and new visions for human coexistence and economy are defined. We encourage a high degree of independence, but also recognize the need for continuous exchange between students and experts. We as lecturers, experts, as well as students are always encouraged and striving to challenge normative standards, break binary thinking and create an inclusive space.

We always experience a strong desire for individuality as well as togetherness from our students, which is strongly reflected in their projects. We also always strive to ensure that students, experts and lecturers can meet at eye level and thus with their projects become an important part of the design culture and future making.

The Masterstudio Design ICDP is very well networked with economic partners. On the one hand, this enables cooperation with companies in order to check design in reality, on the other hand, it gives students the opportunity to take the first steps into their future and to implement their own projects with partners. The collective language is English, but in the studio you will hear many other languages. This diversity is part of the culture of the Masterstudio Design ICDP.” —Prof. Nicole Schneider, Head of Masterstudio Design, Institute Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP), Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW

Studying at the Masterstudio Design ICDP
The Masterstudio Design at the Institute Contemporary Design Practices (ICDP) is composed of three studios: Masterstudio Industrial Design, Masterstudio Scenography and Masterstudio Fashion Design. Each studio has a disciplinary focus. In addition, the research discourse of the ICDP focuses on Digital Integration, Design Cultures and Circular Design and are reflected and communicated multidimensionally.

Semester fee: CHF 700 (CH); CHF 1,000 (EU); CHF 1,250 (Non-EU/EFTA)

Apply now! The application deadline is March 15, 2024, with the MA programme beginning on September 16, 2024.

Masterstudio Industrial Design
The Masterstudio Industrial Design provides a high-level, individualised, professional and research-oriented qualification on the basis of “advanced design”. The programme enables the students to methodically and creatively hone their own individual forward-looking approach to design. Product design and project work are embedded in our international network, taking place in close cooperation with selected experts affiliated with the ICDP. The Masterstudio Industrial Design programme focuses on three main contemporary research areas: Digital Integration, Design Cultures and Circular Design. The discourses surrounding global crises such as climate change or social inequality provide the basis for concrete research questions on and design solutions for sustainability and ecology, future planning and technology, interaction and materiality.  Rather than adhering to the entrepreneurial dynamic of maximisation, we take the idea of a collaborative, systemic, inclusive and sustainable economy as our starting point.

Masterstudio Scenography
In the Masterstudio Scenography programme, students advance their skills of translating complex contents into walk-in spatial images and to inject narrative quality into staged spaces. Alongside getting to know the tools and methods of designing staged spaces, the students are given the opportunity to work on hands-on projects together with renowned experts. The aim of the Masterstudio Scenography is to teach students in their role as independent designers how to assume progressive positions in the context of scenography. Relevance in the sense of “social scenography”, the efficient use of the means at hand, and the application of state-of-the-art production techniques constitute the framework of this kind of project-based, research work. The offer is aimed at interior designers, architects, set designers and designers in general who wish to advance their skills in creating dense spatial narratives and to explore new application opportunities and spheres of activity in the field of scenography. 

Masterstudio Fashion Design
The way we dress is a powerful form of non-verbal communication that can convey a wide range of messages about our identity, including our cultural background and personal values. Students of the Masterstudio Fashion Design will embark on a creative journey to explore the intersection of cultural identity and innovation in fashion. The project aims to challenge traditional boundaries, encourage self-expression, and push the limits of conventional fashion design by fusing diverse cultural elements into their own design statements. Challenging societal norms is a powerful way to make a statement through fashion. It involves pushing the boundaries of what is considered norm in fashion, which can lead to groundbreaking and thought-provoking designs. This can involve challenging gender norms, body image stereotypes, or even sustainability practices within the industry. The emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and the possibility of completing the master’s thesis in a team within the Master Studio Fashion Design program reflects a progressive and inclusive approaches. Complex challenges in the fashion industry often require multidisciplinary solutions. By collaborating with experts from various fields, students can address real-world issues, such as sustainability, inclusivity, and social responsibility, more effectively.

About studying at Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW
The Basel Academy of Art and Design is linked with other universities and academies, in Switzerland and abroad. Ties with renowned schools and universities in Europe, the United States, and Asia provide an opportunity to study your subject from a different viewpoint and against a new cultural background. At the same time, the Academy welcomes candidates from other Swiss universities and from abroad to study here in Basel. You will find more information here.