Design is NOT a noun, it is a VERB

The University of Deusto offers an attractive exchange opportunity for industrial design students all over the world to experience life and design in Bilbao.

Download our approach to Industrial Design

The semester courses will run at our Deusto FabLab, a Digital Fabrication Laboratory in the University of Deusto, created to be an educational platform of digital fabrication and computation. Our FabLab belongs to MITs FabLab Network, of more than 630 labs around the world, and it is qualified to teach the FabAcademy Program in collaboration with the Center of Bits and Atoms of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

International semester in Industrial Design and Digital Fabrication

Digital Fabrication Technologies (6 ECTS)

[4 hours/week - 15 weeks]
This course introduces students to digital design and fabrication techniques within the context of Industrial Design. Through a series of technical demonstrations and different assignments, students will make connections between computer-aided-design and computer-aided-manufacturing, digital fabrication technologies and the physical world. Students will complete a series of assignments exploring 2D drawing, 3D modelling and experimental approaches to digital model generation. Simultaneously, students will need to make physical objects from their digital models using additive or subtractive technologies including 3D printing, CNC machining or laser cutting.

Design Methodology & Creativity (6 ECTS)

[4 hours/week - 15 weeks]
Methodology and creativity are two essential elements for design. On one hand, a designer must be able to plan and structure a suitable design process that ensures accomplishing the final goal. On the other hand, creativity and existing related tools and methods are key to identify and generate innovative ideas and concepts that industrial design others. Within this course students will not only learn about existing methodologies and creative tools but also put them into practice and incorporate them into their own way of designing.

Digital Fabrication Technologies (6 ECTS)

[4 hours/week - 15 weeks]
This course introduces students to digital design and fabrication techniques within the context of Industrial Design. Through a series of technical demonstrations and different assignments, students will make connections between computer-aided-design and computer-aided-manufacturing, digital fabrication technologies and the physical world. Students will complete a series of assignments exploring 2D and 3D modelling and experimental approaches to digital model generation. Simultaneously, students will make physical objects from their digital models using additive or subtractive technologies including 3D printing, CNC machining or laser cutting.

Design Laboratory II: User-centred Design (6 ECTS)

[4 hours/week - 15 weeks]
The goal of this course is to foster the creativity of the students and to introduce the perspective of User or People Centered Design. The central point of this kind of design projects is the person, user or customer. By studying existing contemporary design tools and methods derived from ethnography, within the course the students will put such tools into practice and get hands-on experience in creating innovative user-centred solutions and designs.

Design Laboratory III: Experience Design (6 ECTS)

[4 hours/week - 15 weeks]
After the industrial revolution, current markets have evolved from the urge of getting manufactured products and services into delivering meaningful experiences. Accordingly, industrial design also needs to adapt itself regarding manufacturing processes but more importantly in terms of the final outcome of the design process. In order to do so, this course offers an introduction to the new paradigm both theoretically and in terms of design practice. Different design projects and exercises will help visualize and create such experiences.

Smart Products (6 ECTS)

[4 hours/week - 15 weeks]
This course aims at exploring the role of design in the development of smart products. In order to do so, basic theoretical knowledge will be studied, including Internet of Things, Smart Cities, Wireless technologies and Wiring programming language (the basis of Arduino boards). However, apart from understanding and using such technologies, the course will approach the topic from the point of view of the designer: get the skills to get the most out of a technology and be able to incorporate them into their design projects successfully.

Depending on the amount of ECTS credits covered by the selected courses, international students are entitled to carry out a design project weighing 6, 12, 18 or 24 ECTS. With the help of a supervisor of the university, the project can take advantage of facilities of Deusto Fablab and other laboratories of the faculty of engineering and end up materialised in diferent types of prototypes.

Alternatively, other more generic courses are also available for incoming students, such as:

• Spanish for incoming students (6 ECTS)
• Civic and Professional Ethics (6 ECTS)