Industrial Design is
an engineering sciences programme. At the University of Applied Arts Vienna the design process is central in the programme.
Industrial Design is taught with a deep awareness of the responsibility for cultural, social, ecological, economic, and political
developments. The professional field addresses questions about the shaping of our environment, with regard to both objects
as well as processes and procedures. The discipline is approached through people, their ideals and material needs, as well
as the environment in which they move. Various aspects of disciplines with contextual relevance are linked and incorporated
into the respective analytical and creative planning process, whereby the collaboration takes place in interdisciplinary teams.
Professional practice can take place on a self-employed basis, both outside and within companies or institutions,
and in theoretical work, teaching, and research.
Graduate Activities
The objective of the programme
is that- students establish their own unique position as designers and are capable of lending their practice
an individual, unmistakable signature within the broad spectrum of theoretical approaches and mindsets,
- students develop
an attitude informed by an awareness for cultural, social, economic, ecological, and political responsibilities,
- students
attain a readiness to elaborate technological, economic, and cultural developments and to actively take part in them.
The following competences should be obtained:- the ability to recognise the essence of a design task,
to analyse its requirements, and document them in a comprehensible way
- the ability to acquire appropriate information
in line with the latest artistic, scientific, technical as well as social and cultural developments and to translate it into
the design
- the ability to recognise the difference between artistic and scientific methods and to employ both in a
meaningful way
- the mobilisation of creative potentials for exploring new solutions
- an understanding of the
complexity of the design process and concept development
- the ability to visualise, convey, and convincingly argue
ideas and concepts
- self-organisation, organisation of the work flow in a scheduled context, project organisation and
project management
- command of presentation techniques, prototyping
- the ability to judge and criticize and
a capacity for (self-)assessment
- a capacity for teamwork, work in interdisciplinary teams
- the ability to consciously
deal with diversity
- the ability to participate in national and international discourses
- an understanding of
the boundaries of design
