Department of Design

Department of Design

The Department of Design is a diverse community of competent, creative and responsible individuals. In design, we appreciate technical skill, social significance and artistic expression.

We educate front-line design professionals and visionaries for established, changing and emerging fields of design. We renew our expertise through high level research in continuous collaboration with our stakeholders. We strive towards a sustainable and just society and environment.

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Studies at Department of Design

You can choose the Bachelor's degree major between Design, Fashion or Aalto Bachelor Prorgamme in Design. Master's studies can be conducted either in Collaborative and Industrial Design; Fashion, Clothing and Textile Design; or Contemporary Design programme. In addition, the Department provides two Aalto-level Master's programmes: International Design Business Management and Creative Sustainability.

A student focuses either in the Master's degree major or the field of the programme, and may take advantage of Aalto University’s wide range of multidisciplinary courses for the minors and freely selectable studies.

Aalto University student putting post-it notes on a glass wall.

Studies leading to the degree of Bachelor of Arts

Studies leading to the degree of Master of Arts

Majors of the Master’s Programme in Design

Prof. Maarit Mäkelä and her work

Research

Our research is at the international forefront in sustainable design, practice-based design research, human-centered design and co-design. Our research environment enables and our culture encourages goal-oriented research, imaginative experiments, critical discussion, and transdisciplinary collaboration.

Go to Aalto Design Research Site

Research Groups

ENCORE - Engaging Co-design Research Group

The ENCORE research group explores constantly application fields for co-design through hands-on exploration and ambitious research. The visionary competence stems mostly from industrial design spiced with engineering, architecture and anthropology.

Encore

Empirica – Research on art, design and culture (external link)

Group approaches research with an attitude, where making, acting and engaging play important roles.

Empirica tutkimusryhmän työtä

Fashion/Textile Futures

The Fashion/Textile Futures research group explores new perspectives on human-centered design research. The group approaches research in the field of fashion, clothing and textiles in multi-faceted ways.

A coat made of Ioncell. Design: Anna-Mari Leppisaari. Photo: Eeva Suorlahti

INUSE - The Users and Innovation Research Group

Researches designer-user relations in sociotechnical change.

INUSE transition arena workshop - panorama of indoor space with groups discussing around whiteboards

NODUS – Sustainable Design Research Group

NODUS Sustainable Design Research Group undertakes transdisciplinary design research for sustainable futures.

Nodus tutkimusryhmäläisiä keskustelemassa

Collaborate with us

We offer our partners the opportunity to collaborate with international level designers and design researchers.

Read more
Design for Government 2018 photo by Heidi Konttinen

Gallery

The gallery of the Department of Design.

Browse the gallery!
Emma Saarnio ja Helmi Liikanen

News

The winning collection by Ruusa Vuori at Aalto University's fashion show Näytös23, a model walking on the catwalk
Awards and Recognition, Research & Art, Studies Published:

Ruusa Vuori wins the Näytös23 Award with her delicate collection

Aalto University's Fashion Show on Friday 26 May displayed collections by Bachelor's and Master's students.
Picture of Marika Tervahartiala and Kamyar Hasanzadeh after the event in front of the Hybrid Stage area.
Research & Art Published:

Perspectives on open data: Aalto Research Data Uncovered

Marika Tervahartiala and Kamyar Hasanzadeh took the stage to share their insights on opening geographic and visual data.
Yleisöä Aalto-yliopiston Naytos18 -tapahtumassa kuva Mikko Raskinen
Studies Published:

Aalto University's fashion show Näytös23 challenges norms and highlights non-discrimination in fashion

Aalto University's student fashion show Näytös23 will take place on the Otaniemi campus on Friday 26 May at 20:00. You can follow the invitation-only event on Instagram @aalto_fashion
Digital ethics, symbolic illustration Matti Ahlgren
Research & Art Published:

Research integrity morning

Are you conducting research in Finland? Do you know where to look for advice for the integrity and high ethical standards in research?

Events

Creative Technologies event image
Lectures and seminars

Creative Technologies

Note! 1 June 2023 seminar is cancelled. The event series will continue in Autumn 2023.
Image depicting a stack of theses.
Public defences

Public defence in Design, M.Sc. Nils Ehrenberg

Panopticons of Convenience - The Internal Politics of the Smart Home (title of the thesis)
Art of Research 2023 conference
Academic events, Conferences, Workshops

Art of Research 2023 conference

The Art of Research conferences promote the continuous dialogue of research 
practices in art and design.

Department management

Department of Design - Personnel

Where to find us

School of Arts, Design and Architecture by Sari Dhima

Väre

Otaniementie 14
School of Arts, Design and Architecture

Locations

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