Köln international school of design

The Köln International School of Design (in short: KISD) is an institution of the University of Applied Sciences Cologne and is offering an interdisciplinary and innovative study program in the field of design. Their approach is to understand design as a complex process. Therefore design education should always adapt to the challenges of life- and work environment. In 2002 – eleven years after the "Cologne Model of design education" was initiated in 1991 – they did another big step: The change from the Design Department to the "Köln International School of Design".

History and the cologne model of design education

In 1991 Michael Erlhoff and his dedicated colleagues founded the Department of Design of the University of Applied Sciences Cologne. In these eventful years the "Cologne model of design education" adapted and enhanced continuously having an active and strong international presence and recognition. A model, which particularly by the project-oriented doctrine, the annulment of traditional term structures, and the denial of the idea of specialization, provided attention and discussions again and again, and in the meantime influencing many curricular concepts in Germany and around the world.Fact|date=September 2008

Internationality

Already 25 % of the students in the current term are internationals. Internationality is applied through cooperations with other design universities all around the world. Studies and trainings abroad are important aspects of our contemporary design education. Besides, we currently develop international postgraduate programs in cooperation with other design universities.Study offers and academic degrees

Besides our four years diploma-program, we offer the new Master of European Design-program. Furthermore we are in charge of planning different new postgraduate Master-programs and the first Ph.D.-program in Design in cooperation with the University of Western Sydney, Australia.

Areas of expertise and main focus

Students work together in different projects and seminars within twelve areas of expertise. The areas are overlapping and by doing so, they become new temporary areas, which form the basis for a problem-oriented and multi-dimensional design discourse. This consolidation creates a clear profile and simplifies the interaction with the existing know-how of other design universities. Key aspects of the areas of expertise are e.g. healthcare, mobility, work environment, knowledge and educational organisations as well as questions and problems of empiricism and systematism of signs or horizons coping with the possibilities of design. This twelve areas of expertise are the focus of the project-oriented design programme. Students have to enroll for at least ten areas of expertise and can develop their own main focusses.

*Audiovisual media
*Corporate identity
*Design for Manufacturing
*Design concepts
*Design management
*Design theory and -history
*Gender and design
*Interface design
*Ecology and design
*Production technology
*Service design
*Typography and layout

External links

* [http://kisd.de Köln International School of Design]
* [http://www.kisd-club.de/ KISD Club]
* [http://roger.kisd.de/ ROGER, Related Design Magazine]