Master of Design (Extension) at University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

This degree is for graduates who want to deepen their understanding and hands-on skills in both research-for-design and research-by-design as a way to define the future of the design profession. Design challenges are becoming more complex: digitisation, globalisation, the growing importance of services and the shift towards culturally and socially intelligent design means that the profile and role of the designer are changing. Research for design and researching through design experiments are becoming part of new design practice. In this course, students are challenged to develop a deep understanding of what this means for them as practising designers. They are trained in the insights and hands-on skills to do the various types of research that are becoming all-important in modern design practice.

UTS Master of Design meets the national and global need for graduates with skills in social and service design, transition design and design leadership. Unique in Australia, it has been created for those who want to conceive, deliver and manage high level service experiences and/or lead social, community and organisational change. It is a comprehensive and integrated program that has been developed in collaboration with industry leaders and researchers from UTS School of Design.

While industry demand for skilled interaction designers and various other jobs, such as user experience (UX) designers, service designers etc., is increasing, there is a lack of formal education/training offered by universities in interaction design. This course is designed to provide students with the most current and requisite skills in this fast-evolving field. Graduates possess skills in industrially applicable and cost-effective information environments (i.e. multimedia, interactive systems design and associated information technology). The course provides industry with graduates who can combine these skills with those of their original discipline in professional applications-oriented settings. The course is committed to producing graduates who have a deep understanding of human-centred approaches to designing digital technologies. This ensures that 'products' created are more likely to 'fit' meaningfully into users' lives, because the design process is informed by a deep understanding of people's practices, particular situations and values. This course is attractive to different types of learners, namely: those who are currently working in a job that is not related to interaction design those working in jobs closely related to interaction design, and those already working in interaction design-related jobs.