Nordic Design Futures Summer School

Entry requirements

Months of entry

July

Course content

Nordic Design Futures is a two-week immersive exploration of the trajectories, materials, and mindsets shaping contemporary Nordic design. Through a balance of critical design, hands-on experimentation, and foresight-driven thinking, the course invites students to develop design approaches grounded in place, culture, and future possibilities.

In the first phase, students develop a grounded theoretical understanding of these themes within the socio-cultural contexts of the Nordic countries, with a particular focus on Finland, through visual materials, films, site-based references, and interactive dialogues. The second phase shifts toward hands-on exploration through workshops, site visits, and material-based experiments, engaging students in both collaborative and individual practice.

The course fosters a holistic creative process moving from ideation to the development of tangible artefacts, with a strong emphasis on foresight thinking and scenario-building. By the end of the course, students will be able to critically question design challenges and formulate their own design approaches grounded in Nordic design practice, while developing the ability to document, communicate, and present their design processes and outcomes. The students are also encouraged to reflect on and translate these perspectives into their own cultural and broader international contexts.

Information for international students

Find all applicant information here.

Fees and funding