Teaching-Position Eco-Social-Design

Teaching Position: ‘Communication-Interaction-Services’ in Eco-Social Design

For the MA Eco-Social Design we are looking for an experienced design practitioner with a focus on ‘Communication-Interaction-Services’ co-leading the ‘Thesis Preparation Project’ in Eco-Social Design.

Here is the call. Application deadline: 10.08.2023, 12:00 a.m. (CET). If you have questions about the application procedure please send an email to Recruitment Design. For questions concerning the MA Eco-Social Design and the teaching practice please contact me via email. My apologies for the bureaucratese form of the call. It is out of my hands to make this different :( But the work itself and the atmosphere in our study course and research projects are sunny and truly collaborative :)

Project 3 takes place in the winter semester 2023/24 (End of September 2023 to mid of Jannuary 2024; the contract can be renewed two times, usually resulting in teaching the semester course for three years in a row).

The practice-based and transdisciplinary Master in Eco-Social Design is an educational framework for designers who aim to contribute to more sustainable, resilient and solidary futures. It supports students in developing their reflective practice by introducing students to challenges, partners, knowledges, instruments and strategies from diverse fields, which they draw together in their autonomous projects.

In Project 3, the Thesis Preparation Project, students start the first part of the development of their thesis project and the accompanying written thesis. In the third semester, students choose and explore a topic, challenges or issues within a specific context, collaborating with various partners. They research the state-of-the-art, do research through design and field research. By means of practice-based experiments, interventions, failures and successes, students develop and define the elements of their work, and reach a (preliminary) proof-of-concept. This lays the foundations for the subsequent elaboration of the final project and the written part of the Thesis.

The Thesis Preparation Project is led by a team of three teachers: a design researcher together with two design practitioners, covering the areas Objects–Spaces-Services  and Communication–Interaction–Services. They collaborate closely in providing input, facilitating learning experiences and coaching students. Both students and teachers foster transdisciplinary dialogue and actions, among others by involving teachers of the courses of the areas Observe, Analyse & Apply (Social Sciences & Economics) and of Make & Intervene (Design Disciplines). Additionally, the project teachers organize the Master Colloquia, where external experts from civil society, companies, organisations and institutions are invited to discuss the students’ projects. 

The teacher of the line Communication–Interaction–Services focuses in particular on communication strategies, media tactics, experience design, interaction and/or service design bringing in best practice from socially, politically and environmentally engaged design.

The other teachers in the team are Sonia Matos, professor for transformation-engaged Design Research and Uwe Martin, independent visual storyteller.