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.
Berrak from Turkey joined the Summer School course Nordic Design Futures to get a first-hand introduction to the future of design and learn more about Aalto University as a potential option for her master’s studies.
Aalto University Summer School offers a brand-new undergraduate-level summer course on Nordic Product Design for 2024.
Tommaso Astaldi wanted to experience the Nordic approach to learning and teaching at Aalto University Summer School.
18 – 29 January 2027: Lecture weeks on-site at Aalto University campus
| WEEK 1 | Monday 18 January | Tuesday 19 January | Wednesday 20 January | Thursday 21 January | Friday 22 January |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Welcome and Registrations Course session |
Course session | Course session | Course session | Course session |
| Afternoon (13-16) |
| WEEK 2 | Monday 25 January | Tuesday 26 January | Wednesday 27 January | Thursday 28 January | Friday 29 January |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | Course session | Course session | Course session | Course session | Final presentations |
| Afternoon (13-16) |
*Note that this is a preliminary schedule subject to change or updates.
Alongside the lectures, students have independent work, either in groups or individually. Students can coordinate with their teammates to complete these assignments outside of teaching hours.
The total workload of the course includes both contact lectures and the estimated amount of independent work. Some of the courses also have pre- or post-assignments included in the independent working hours.
This course does not require previous experience in the topic.
Participants must have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts. However, they do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our courses.
Additionally, all summer/winter school course students must be 18 years or older, as it is the legal age in Finland.
The course assignments include:
Course workload
Preparation Exercises 2h
Contact hours, intensive course participation 30h
Individual or team student work 22h
Total 54h (2 ECTS)
The course is graded as pass/fail.
Please note that the undergraduate courses offered by Aalto University Summer School can not be included in Aalto degree studies.
Please include a motivation letter or video in your application. In your motivation letter or video, describe your motivation for taking this course. The recommended length for the motivation letter is 150-250 words, and 1-2 minutes for the video.
Tuition fees for Winter School courses
One course: 1270€ (incl. VAT 25,5%)
Social program fee
More information about the social program coming soon!
If you need a visa, we recommend applying by October 15th 2026.
Learn about the Aalto University Summer School cancellation terms. You will receive the full terms before making the payment and confirming the course participation.
Sushant Passi is a transdisciplinary designer and specialist for Creative Digital Productions & Prototyping at Aalto Design Factory. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Contemporary Design from Aalto University, with a minor in ChemArts, where he has fostered a deep interest in critical thinking, speculative design, materials futures, applied art and product development.
As a designer and researcher, he has collaborated with various design, innovation and social impact firms, such as the Godrej Innovation Centre in India and Scope Impact in Finland. Sushant has also taught and facilitated various design-centric courses and workshops at Aalto University and XAMK. His notable works have been exhibited at Iittala & Arabia Design Centre and Helsinki Design Week. Some of his recent publications can be found in the Journal of Virtual Exchange (2022) and with the DFGN-R Conference (2023).
The application period for Winter School 2027 runs from 15 September to 15 November 2026.
Get to know the application guidelines and tuition fees.
Learn about the guidelines for visa application and budgeting for your stay during the summer course.
