The curriculum in transportation design education is set to follow a gradual increase in complexity along the study programme. It is also logically planned to guide our students through following the Scandinavian design principle of having a human-centred approach in product creation.
Skills & Techniques
Students join the programme in the fall and are initially introduced to the basic tools that will be utilised during the study period. They are trained to handle the equipment found in the school’s facilities and workshops. All new students develop their creative skills by doing intensive sketching exercises and also sculpting using materials like wood, wire, paper and clay.
CAID
During the CAID course students attend lessons on digital modelling where the state-of-the-art Autodesk Alias Automotive is taught. Visualization tools like Opticore and Hypershot are also introduced.
Vehicle Design
During this project our students must apply their previous knowledge to develop a complete vehicle (interior and exterior). Such exercise is normally implemented in collaboration with the industry and comprises further education about ergonomics, vehicle architecture and design methods. These student projects should present a mix of conceptual ideas and detailed realistic design solutions that give credibility to their results. An external tutor is assigned to support the group of students during all phases of the project and the collaborating company is normally represented during the reviews.
Vehicle Design Theory
This course covers manufacturing methods, new technologies and the main technical aspects that influence vehicle design.
Form Workshop
As the course title implies our students focus on intensive form development during this block. Traditional and digital tools can be applied in the process.
Strategic Design
At this point in the programme students are exposed to the subjects of branding and presentation techniques. With the support of specialised lecturers and tutors, students learn to examine and understand brands. They will then propose strategies that could promote such brands in a meaningful direction for the future. During this block our students also learn and practice to speak in public and to organize their presentation content in effective ways.
Storytelling in Design
During this course students will focus on “visual storytelling”; a creative technique that sparks ideas and helps them to visually explain the thinking process behind new vehicle concepts.
Vehicle Interior Design
This project is normally carried out in collaboration with the industry. Students understand the importance of mapping real user needs in order to propose attractive, innovative and improved vehicle interior environments. The formal subjects included in the project are ergonomics, applied graphics, colours and materials.
Future Mobilty
This course serves as preparation for the final thesis in the programme. It involves approaching transportation design with a holistic perspective and finding opportunities to develop the subject in bold and meanigful ways. The focus may not be the vehicle design itself but eventual systematic solutions for public and private transportation in the future. This course deals with reflections about the student's own design philosophy and the responsibilities related to the transportation design profession in the future.
