Contemporary Design MA
The Contemporary Design Programme supports students to discover and advance their individual creative processes and in linking them to the problem-solving processes and methods of others. Students are working in a multifaceted learning environment that provides support for creativity, as well as critical and analytical thinking. It educates sensitive and visionary students who have skills to propose radical solutions and responsible innovations for the future.
In the programme, students learn strong practical design skills for material productions and experiments. They also learn to profit from emerging technologies and materials in their artistic and design practices. During their studies, students learn to critically reflect and innovate on established design traditions, emerging interpretations of design and their own design practice. The program trains students to display a strong artistic vision and take responsibility, argument and stand behind their work as a designer.
Students are also trained to understand how the field of contemporary design works internationally and how their own work is connected to broader developments in society and commercial opportunities. They gain experience in exhibiting and curatorial practices in the fields of design and contemporary craft, as well as how to connect their work to external partners and sponsors. The graduates are familiar with means to commercialize design and design driven innovations.
The program bridges research and design, and it provides students with strong foundation in practice-based research. The students learn skills in gathering and analyzing information and applying it to design and research. The programme provides students with skills needed to continue in doctoral studies.
Education Content
The Contemporary Design Programme enables designers to nurture an artistic mindset in a multidisciplinary environment that fuels design innovations as well as personal and business engagements. In the program design is understood in a broad sense including experimental and conceptual works from the spheres of critical and speculative design, experimental design, contemporary craft and product design.
The education prepares the students to develop their own creative and experimental processes to explore and materialize ideas, concepts and final designs. Alongside their own creative work, students study in multidisciplinary teams and develop their skills to present, exhibit, produce and commercialize their design works and talent. The education is studio-based with close connections to real life, critically merging features of hands-on material exploration and fabrication with observations of contemporary and emerging phenomena.
For further info about Contemporary Design MA you can reach out to our associate professor:
Julia Lohmann
Associate Professor, Contemporary Design (Department of Design, Master鈥檚 Programme in Contemporary Design)
Tel. +358 50 4720055
julia.lohmann@aalto.fi
School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Aalto University
PO Box 31000, FI-00076 AALTO, FINLAND
Courses
Personal Exploration
The aim of the course is to provide challenging environment for action, where the student is encouraged to experiment his/her ideas related to a given theme with a brave and open-minded attitude.
MUO-E5020
Product and Form I + II
The topics of the course belong to the fundamentals of design capability. The course gives the students an opportunity to focus on form and aesthetics and deepen their skills.
MUO-E5025
MUO-E5026
Experimental Design
The course follows a pre-determined and changing topic that establishes the frame inside which the students work. Each time a different corporate partner is involved in determining the characteristics of the introduced course case.
MUO-E5009
Glass Challenge
The aim of the course is to encourage students to refine and articulate a personal approach to the discipline and improve skills in communicating ideas and getting familiar with the co-operative nature of glass making practices.
MUO-E5023
Wood Studio Design Project
Wood Studio Design project CoDe
Materials and Living Systems
As biomaterial is a broad and currently widely used term, the students learn to explore and discover new perspectives to biomaterials within their systems and understand how to create their own creative approach towards these materials.
Creative Digital Design
Want to experience VR, really focus on 3D printing or maybe you would like to design purely virtual goods 鈥 feel free to join the course!
Parametric CAD
During the course the student is introduced to the basics of parametric 3D CAD modeling.
Ceramic Laboratory
The course is studio-based and includes the practical realization of an experimental art or design project in ceramics. The theme and standpoint changes yearly: from artifacts to surface design, from material research to exploring one麓s artistic expression, and others. The assessment starts with gathering research material in pairs. The final brief is processed individually. It starts by sketching and presenting the concept ideas, proceeding to studio work, and resulting in the making of prototypes or material experiments from ceramics. The concept development, designing, readings, and evaluation are processed theoretically in project seminars, where ideas, working methods as well as chosen solutions are discussed. The module ends up with a small exhibition presenting the results.
Reflective Practices
This 6 week long reflective practices course introduces critical and reflective approaches to design, which we consider to be an evolving, political and activist field. We look at different practices of critical design including speculative design, transition design, design activism and their theoretical and historical foundations. We also discuss how to use our agency as designers in line with our values and learn to incorporate new reflective practices into our work.
Professors and Lecturers
Professor Maarit M盲kel盲
Associate Professor, Practice Led Design Research
Professor Julia Lohmann
Professor of Practice in Contemporary Design
Professor Pirjo K盲盲ri盲inen
Professor in Design driven fibre innovation, CHEMARTS
Lecturer Simo Puintila
Lecturer Simo Puintila
Lecturer Nathalie Lautenbacher
Lecturer Nathalie Lautenbacher
Lecturer Anna van der Lei
Lecturer in Contemporary Design
Lecturer Anssi Ahonen
Lecturer Anssi Ahonen
News
New Academy Research Fellows and Academy Projects
A total of 44 Aalto researchers received Academy Research Fellowship and Academy Project funding from the Research Council of Finland 鈥 congratulations to all!
CCA Research Funding available for cross-school and cross-disciplinary research collaborations
The internal research funding of cross-cutting approaches aims to support innovative, cross-disciplinary research initiatives at Aalto University. We are looking for blue-sky thinking and significant impact on the future society. Deadline for proposals is 14 October 2025.
Applications for the WiT Programme are open till June 15th!
The Aalto WiT Programme is a 3.5-month, 24 ECTS post-master鈥檚 programme, focusing on the resilience of human settlements in the Global Majority context. The application period for this Autumn is extended till June 15th. Apply now!
Sustainability transformations by the best experts - an open lecture series and doctoral course in the autumn
Sustainability is the imperative of our time. The Sustainability Transformation Doctoral Education Pilot (SusTra) presents an essential opportunity for everyone to engage with our open Studia Generalia lectures in autumn 2025.
The Making of ARTEFAKTI
The founding story of ARTEFAKTI - the annual CoDe graduation show
An interview with the Faculty of Aalto University鈥檚 MA in Contemporary Design
The聽ARTEFAKTI聽Team sits down with the faculty of Aalto University鈥檚 Master鈥檚 in Contemporary Design to discuss the origins of the programme, students鈥 expansive outcomes, and the common values that underscore its teachings. We also talk about how we interpret contemporary design and the way it factors into the wider field of design.
The Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition showcases 30 projects for a more sustainable future
What is wise to design for future generations in a world of plenty?