Master of Arts Degree in Design by LASALLE College of the Arts

As design exists within an increasingly complex and interconnected world, we need to emphasise the social, environmental and downstream impact of designed products, services and systems. We will need to factor in not just market-driven forces and material possibilities, but what the making process itself means. This is why the practices of Design and Design Research are increasingly important across industry contexts, whereby we rethink not only the makeup of the solutions, but also the process of inquiry that generates those solutions as well.

The complexity and unpredictability of the problems we face means that solving them will require us to bring multi-disciplinary skills, expertise and processes to bear on any one problem, as not one domain of expertise has the monopoly on the solution. As more individuals and organisations recognise this, designers today are applying their craft in a staggering variety of contexts, from products to services, organisations, systems and policies, beyond the previous conventional domains of design.

Against this backdrop, the MA Design Programme is designed to respond to the important role of design in re-imagining the world we live in. You will be challenging your thinking and making processes. You will emerge fully proficient in being able to articulate and produce design as a force for impact. You will be part of a new generation of research-based creators, innovators and inventors challenging conventions and creating well-informed positions of what design is, what it is able to do, and how it can help strategically transform lives.

The programme develops design research and practice capabilities in critical analysis, collaborative engagement and intellectual argument. You will learn by doing along the iterative process of research-led design practice. You will hone your critical thinking and ability to identify problems and formulate solutions, increasing your agility to perform across the roles of thinker, researcher, strategist and innovator.

We provide a learning environment for interdisciplinary, collaborative processes. You will explore research themes through modules on context, discourse, methodology and interdisciplinary design labs. You will experience active learning, dialogue and debate with your fellow students, and faculty and industry partners with diverse backgrounds, expertise and experience.

In order to support your exploration of the emerging applications of design and where you can best apply your skills towards them, the programme provides a supportive environment full of advanced practical and research-driven opportunities for you to experiment across a wide range of domains.