Design Innovation and Environmental Design

Entry requirements

All applicants should normally have a good honours degree or equivalent professional practice. Previous study or experience need not be in an art or design discipline, and we welcome applications from any background.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This programme is taught at the GSA's campus in the Highlands of Scotland.

The focus of this unique programme is the potential for design to shape how we interact with the spaces we inhabit. In recent decades, our experience of space and place has been radically transformed, as people travel further and more frequently than ever before. Alongside this, the expansion of digital technology has led to novel forms of environmental interaction. As societies shift and adapt, the meaning of place and community are being redefined, presenting designers with an exciting range of possibilities and challenges.

The programme focuses on ways of using design to explore our experience of the physical and cultural landscape, so that we can reimagine the potential and possibilities of places and communities. You will learn about tools and processes that are essential when responding to the needs of particular demographics and environments. After immersing yourself in your chosen context, you will develop, prototype and test proposals based on how people use and feel about that specific place.

You will also be encouraged to explore your personal motivations, which might relate to community development, design for sustainability, place-making or wayfinding. Through the programme’s emphasis on innovation and the exploration of preferable future scenarios, our alumni are well equipped to make a significant and lasting contribution to the field of environmental design.

You will also have the opportunity to engage with peers from international schools as part of the annual Winter School held at the campus in Forres. This seasonal event brings together students and faculty from leading institutions around the world for a two-week programme of lectures, workshops and networking opportunities that offers an insight into what a career in design as a global activity looks like.