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Lauren Currie, MDes, 2009

Dr Qin Han, MDes, 2006

Master of Design for Services

MDes

The landscape of design is changing. Design has historically focused on the form of artifacts; Design for Service focuses on the relationships and interactions between people, artifacts and activities. Healthcare providers, local government, law enforcement and business have increasingly become involved in using design in the conception and development of services.

Our innovative course is multidisciplinary and multicultural, attracting talented students from a range of different design disciplines from across the world.

Status: If you need a visa to study in the UK, this course is closed to applicants for Sept 2012 entry. Apply by 15th July for Sept 2013.

Why
Teaching & Assessment
Careers
Entry Requirements
Fees/Funding
Your Application

Why study Design for Services at Dundee?

The challenges of today's world mean that designers need to see the big picture, communicate clearly and work with others to innovate. Our Master of Design for Services Programme supports students from a range of different design, healthcare, education, business and other areas to discover, define and develop your skills to position yourself to make an impact on the world.

You will use new tools and methods to explore new contexts in which your skills can be applied – or enhancing your existing professional skills with design thinking.

We have been working in the area of Design for Services for several years, and in 2012 renamed our long established Master of Design Programme to Master of Design for Services to reflect this.

To find out more, read our Master of Design for Services blog

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design

This course draws upon Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design's (DJCAD) diverse, unique and internationally acclaimed research. In the RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) DJCAD was rated as the top institution in Scotland for research in art and design, and one of the best in the whole of the UK.

We have also been described as "the outstanding Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, regarded as one of the top colleges in Britain." (Sunday Times University Guide, 2008).

Aims of the Programme

The programme aims to:

enable you to work with people who use, deliver and commission services to co-design experiences which are pleasurable, efficient and effective.
equip you with the skills to research, develop, evaluate and communicate service design solutions
develop skills to observe and understand the current situation, visualise change and prototype the future

To learn more about the course, and to see examples of some of the projects students have worked on, and careers that they have gone into, please visit our Design for Services slideshow.

Who should study this course?

Applicants may come from all areas of design: product, interaction, graphics, 3D, jewellery, interiors and architecture and we also welcome applicants from healthcare, education, business, social services and other areas where a design can be applied to improve services.

Related courses

All Postgraduate Design courses

Teaching & Assessment

This course is taught by staff in Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design.

Members of staff include:

Hazel White
Prof Tom Inns
Prof Mike Press
Fraser Bruce
Catriona Macauley
Jonathan Baldwin
Jeanette Paul

The start date is September each year and the course lasts for 12 months of intensive study, research and design practice.

Programme Content

You will initially work on set project briefs to try out new methods of working and thinking, before focusing on your individual project proposal.

Throughout the course you will have the opportunity to attend workshops, lectures and seminars from nationally and internationally renowned speakers from design, ethnography, business and a range of other disciplines.

Individual modules may be taken by arrangement for credit and CPD.

Semester 1

Design Research

20 credit module led by Professor Mike Press

This module provides students with an understanding of how research contributes to design practices. Masterclasses and project work provide the skills, knowledge and critical understanding for students to creatively apply relevant research methods to a critical design investigation. Students learn methods and approaches to communicate research outcomes effectively using a variety of media.

People, Design and Services

20 credit module led by Fraser Bruce

This module introduces students to the tools and principles of design for services through lectures and hands on project work. Students work with a range of stakeholders to visualise the current service offer and co-create new service offers which are presented back to the clients. Visiting lecturers include Professor Colin Burns, (Designer and former Head of IDEO, London)

Strategic Design Thinking

20 credit module led by Professor Tom Inns, Dean of DJCAD

Workshops explore innovation, strategy, design processes, branding, ethics, stakeholders and creativity resulting in a futures portfolio.

Semester 2

Mindful Design Practice

20 credit module led by Hazel White, Master of Design Course Director

A programme of workshops, seminars and tutorials support students as they develop their design project for Masters. Students undertaking research interviews and pilot studies with the key stakeholders in their project. Projects can be self-generated or selected from the 'challenge bank' - live projects provided by project partners who have included telecoms companies, healthcare providers, local government and business.

Prototyping

20 credit module led by Fraser Bruce

The aim of this module is to introduce students to the tactical and strategic use of prototyping in academic and commercial practices and to be able to differentiate the two in problem finding/solving situations. Students will investigate through research and practice how creative practitioners and researchers can use prototypes and prototyping methods to drive forward innovation and ingenuity.

Design Futures

You will have a choice of one of three 20 credit modules:

Masters Placement: students have previously undertaken worked with Deutsche Telekom's T-labs, Berlin, Charities, Healthcare Providers and Technology and Design Companies undertaking research, design or project management work.

Strategic Information Design: this module explores the changing information design landscape and will provide you with insight into the use and application of both traditional visualisation and communication techniques and new and social media.

Teaching + Learning : an opportunity to apply theory and practice through teaching practice at DJCAD under the guidance of the School of Education at the University of Dundee.

Semester 3

Realisation and Communication

In this 60 credit module you will complete your Masters research and design project and disseminate through presentation, web and other appropriate means.

Previous projects include:

The FastID Forensic Jewellery Identification System developed for use by INTERPOL.

RIP + MIX, a toolkit of Design Methods developed for Deutsche Telekom, Berlin to engage everyone involved in bringing products to market in the initial design stages of product development.

i Giveadam, a service system which connects blood donors and services using a mobile app and web based interface to encourage blood donation through social networking.

Spoonful of Movies is an educational tool to teach children storytelling through film editing techniques.

ReTent - a system to encourage music festival goers to re-use their tents.

Methods of Assessment

Course work, including team project work, exploratory and finalised practical work, and written work.

Careers

Our students leave to design for public and private companies, run commercial and social enterprises, study for PhDs and become lecturers around the world.

Lauren Currie graduated in 2009 with an MDes. She is now the co-director of Snook, a social innovation and service design outfit based in Glasgow.

Qin Han is a User Experience Architect at LBi, London. She was recently behind the organisation of one of the biggest global service design events: Global Service Jam - with over 70 attendees at the London event creating and prototyping 'Superhero' services in 48 hours.

Maria Mclennan, who graduated in September 2011, has fought off stiff competition to secure a fully-funded three-year PhD Studentship conducting research into Forensic Jewellery Identification systems, which she began researching as part of her Masters Degree. Maria's research will be supervised by world-renowned Forensic Anthropologist Professor Sue Black at the University of Dundee's Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification and designer Dr Sandra Wilson.

Entry Requirements

We welcome applicants from backgrounds in Design, Healthcare, Education or Business. Graduates from other disciplines, or those without an undergraduate degree but with relevant work experience, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

English Language Requirement

IELTS of 6.0 (or equivalent), if your first language is not English. Please check our Language Requirements page for details of equivalent grades from other test providers, and information about the University of Dundee English Language courses.

Fees and Funding

Academic Year	Home/EU	Overseas
2011-12	£3,400	£11,435
2012-13	£3,400	£12,000
2013-14	to be confirmed	to be confirmed

Sources of Funding

Scholarships are available for home, EU and international students taking this course. Please visit our Scholarships webpage to find out more.

Living Costs

Dundee is ranked as one of the most affordable places for students to live in the UK, and the cost of living is around 15% cheaper than the UK average.
Increasing numbers of students are successfully undertaking part-time work to supplement their income. You can get advice from our Careers Service, both about job opportunities and how to find a suitable study/work/life balance. EU and international students are also allowed to work up to 20 hours per week.
As a student in Scotland, you have free access to the National Health Service. Visits to doctors and hospitals, as well as prescriptions, sight tests and dental checkups, are available free of charge.

Your Application

Candidates should contact Course Director Hazel White (h.white@dundee.ac.uk) to arrange a telephone or Skype chat to discuss the course before submitting a full application via UKPASS.

Once we have received a completed application, including all references etc. we will invite you for interview, either in person or by phone or Skype. We will then make a decision whether to make an offer. We make conditional offers based on successful completion of your undergraduate degree (normally at 2.1 or above) if you are still studying, or an unconditional offer if you have all the necessary qualifications.

At interview, we will ask you:

Why you have chosen to apply for the Master of Design for Services Course
About any previous experience you have of Service Design
What Services you are interested in designing for
What you hope to get from 12 months of study
What particular skills and experience you will bring

We will also be happy to answer any questions you have.

How to apply

Apply online via UKPASS

Closing date

We highly recommend that applications are fully submitted by 29th June 2012 to ensure that all funding opportunities can be explored and visa applications and English language tests can be completed (overseas students). Later applications may be considered, but funding and visas become more difficult to secure.

Course Contact

Lynne Morris
Postgraduate Secretary
Duncan of Jordanstone College
of Art & Design
University of Dundee
Perth Road
Dundee
DD1 4HT
Scotland

Telephone: 01382 388 219 (from the UK)
Telephone: +44 1382 388 219 (from outside the UK)

Fax: 01382 386 937 (from the UK)
Fax: +44 1382 386 937 (from outside the UK)

Email: l.p.morris@dundee.ac.uk