This department is dedicated to teaching and research in the theories and practices of (applied) design. Its thematic focus is on the following key areas:

Teaching

Teaching focuses on the theoretical reflection of design practice. To this end, the courses integrate approaches from aesthetic theory, cultural and art studies, sociology and philosophy. In lectures, seminars, colloquia and supervised individual projects, design phenomena are placed in cultural, social and political contexts. Students learn to apply different methodological approaches and engage with the history, present and possible future of design. A thematic focus is placed on the interplay of technological, ideological and aesthetic developments. In addition to knowledge and skills, students practise developing a critical perspective that can be reliably justified and defended.    

Research

In its research work, the department takes a broad interpretation of design. It examines design practices of various forms and formats and interprets them in terms of their respective functions: from consumer goods and commodities to aesthetic interventions in bodies and spaces to the design of digital cultures. In each case, the aim is to understand design as an attempt to arouse interest, assert claims and negotiate identities. One of the department's methodological concerns is therefore to examine design in terms of its social prerequisites and political conditions. In this way, essentialist attributions are to be refuted and the contexts of design explored.