The Universe of the Department of Design
The first students of the Department of Design started in 1992 in the Communication Design programme and in 1993 in the Product Design programme. In the winter semester of 2000, the first students of the European Media Studies programme came to the university. In the winter semester 2003/04, the Interface Design degree programme was opened. In the summer semester of 2003, the Department of Design introduced the MA programme in Product, Communication and Interface Design.
The open structure of the department offers scope and points of contact for expansion and cooperation in almost all design-relevant and related fields.
The Design House
The domicile of the Department of Design is the so-called Annex I on the campus of University of Applied Sciences Potsdam. The building was developed particularly with sustainability in mind. The building contains a lecture hall, seminar rooms as well as workshops and drawing studios and a spacious foyer that can be used as a gallery. In addition to the design department, the building is also used by the Department of CITY | BUILDING | CULTURE.
Info Day Design
At the Department of Design's information day, you will receive important information about the Bachelor's programmes in Interface Design, Communication Design and Product Design, as well as the admissions test. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and meet the teaching staff.
In addition, there will be a portfolio consultation regarding the artistic and design admissions test, which is mandatory for admission to the programme. Even if you do not yet have a portfolio, you can still take part in the consultation and get valuable tips and advice from professors.
Before the information day, you can find out about the requirements for portfolios and the admissions test on the Bachelor's degree programme pages. However, please do not hesitate to bring any specific questions and concerns you may have to the information day!
Platforms
Many projects emerge within the Department of Design, some of which later become self-organised initiatives, such as the Campus Ambulance, or independent platforms that reach far beyond the department, such as the communication platform Incom.
Campus Ambulance
The Campus Ambulance is a student initiative. Its main task is to ensure that applicants for a bachelor's or master's degree at the Department of Design feel welcome on the campus of the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam in the run-up to and during the admissions test days. On its website, the Campus Ambulance offers all applicants information about the application process.
Incom
The Incom communication platform is an in-house development of the Department of Design. It is used to organise the individual seminars and teaching projects of the department. Students also have the opportunity to publish their projects here. In this sense, Incom is based on a community model and on successful Web 2.0 concepts such as blogs, wikis or tagging. Students and lecturers have equal rights in the system and form small working groups that correspond to the courses offered. Incom thus accompanies teaching in design courses by continuing the real teaching conditions in the digital space.
Showcase
The fluid showcase of the Department of Design offers an experimental approach to the department.
WERKSCHAU
The WERKSCHAU is our student-run annual exhibition at the Department of Design. Here, students from the degree programmes European Media Studies, Interface Design, Communication Design, Product Design and the MA in Design have the opportunity to present their work and projects from the past two semesters. With its diverse programme, the WERKSCHAU is aimed at everyone who is interested in design and innovation, wants to be inspired or is simply curious. Admission is free of charge.
Interaction Design Lab
The Interaction Design Lab (IDL) is the research facility of the Bachelor's degree programme in Interface Design. It is one of the contact points in the design area at the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam for cooperation between education, research and development. Multidisciplinary projects are developed in the IDL.
Urban Complexity Lab
The Urban Complexity Lab (UCLAB) is an interdisciplinary research group for data visualisation at the interface between design, computer science and the humanities.
Podcast Design;30
The podcast with five episodes was created as part of the 30th anniversary of the Department of Design in October 2022. In each episode, professors from the department look back on the past years and venture a glimpse into the future.