Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design - specialisation design, Master Programme

For your submitted portfolio to be deemed complete, it must consist of two components:

1. Representative work, including your degree project and its written report, if there is such. Please send the report as PDF in low resolution.
2. Statement of purpose

1. Representative Work

Your portfolio should include a maximum of 12 pages of your most creative work, and should represent a variety of design and art approaches and outcomes. We encourage you to choose work that demonstrate the range of your interests, even outside of your studies, such as internships, etc.

In the upload form, enter a brief description of the work you upload.

2. Statement of purpose

Besides your portfolio the statement of purpose is an important part of the application –it gives you opportunity to present yourself and it gives us the opportunity to know your interests in advance. Write a short statement (max 2xA4) containing:

Name:
Application number:
Name of University at which you have studied for your BA degree:
Country you have studied for your undergraduate degree:

Answer then the following questions:

• What is innovation for you?
• What is your definition of design and what is the role of a designer in the future?
• Why do you believe you would benefit from joining a multidisciplinary program?
• What do you think you could contribute with?
• What are your career ambitions immediately after graduating from the program?

Describe then shortly how you plan to achieve the goals of the program.
Describe your experiences concerning interdisciplinary development work/process.

Finally attach a one page CV/resume to your statement of purpose

The statement of purpose will be evaluated in terms of:

• Your approach to innovation
• Your definition of design, your role as designer and the future challenges you see
• Your capacity to describe your skills and how they might contribute in a multidisciplinary team
• Your proficiency in expressing yourself in English

Application Procedure and Deadlines

The application process consists of two steps:

Step 1

Apply to the programme online at Apply to the programme in English online at universityadmissions.se, or apply in Swedish at antagning.se. Submissions of documentation attesting your eligibility for Master´s level study must be submitted here.

Step 2

Submit your portfolio to Linnaeus University at universityadmissions.se (in English), or antagning.se (in Swedish).

Acceptance to the programme

If you meet the eligibility criteria, your application will be accepted and evaluated on the basis of your portfolio. Evaluation of portfolios is conducted by a selection committee consisting of faculty members, external experts, and current MFA students. The portfolio is regarded as a whole and the portfolio is evaluated in terms of the following criteria:

• Artistic quality
• Visualization skills
• Creative approach

The university will not disclose the reasons behind the decision to accept or reject any individual application. Approved students will be notified through www.universityadmissions.se or www.antagning.se.

Checklist for Application

• I have submitted my application through antagning.se or universityadmissions.se
• I have prepared my portfolio according to the guidelines provided.
• I have included a Letter of intent with my portfolio.
• I have uploaded my portfolio and made sure that all my files are included, and that I have submitted written descriptions of my uploaded files.

After submitting your application and portfolio you'll be contacted if you have been selected for interview. At the interview, we ask you to bring a hard copy of your portfolio. If you're an international or EU student who is unable to attend an interview in person, we may offer a telephone/online interview.

Do you have any Questions?

If you have any questions regarding the application or permisson related issue don´t hesitate to inquire by e-mail to Admissions Office: admission@lnu.se

If you have any questions regarding the application and portfolio, or other related issue don´t hesitate to inquire by e-mail to programme coordinator Miguel Salinas: miguel.salinas@lnu.se

Ramona Hallgren studies on the design specialisation. Her group collaborates with the company CumVex, specialising in office furniture. Since CumVex is based in Växjö it is easy for the group to arrange meetings with the company without having to plan too far in advance.

"The company has been very open to our ideas and they listen to what we have to say. The fact that it is a local company is, of course, a great advantage, almost luxury", says Ramona. The collaboration within the group is also working well. All groups consist of students from the three different specialisations: business, engineering and design.

"The interesting part about working in a collaboration like this is that I, being a designer, view things differently. As opposed to financial managers and engineers I don't think very much about production and costs in the first stage of generating ideas", says Ramona.

Sebastian Duque studies on the business specialisation. He thinks that it has been very instructive to work together with students from the other specialisations.

"We all have different perspectives, and our working processes are also different from each other. We get to learn how designers and engineers think, just like in real-life projects", he explains.

Sebastian's group works with Alstermo Bruk, a company making suitcases. They keep contact through email, but also through visits both ways. Sebastian's group has focused on the concept of sustainability and is developing a new product.

"First, we worked four weeks with the development of a design model and now we have reached the engineering process. Once we have completed that, we will work four weeks with the business process. In this way, we will all learn the entire development process, which is very rewarding", says Sebastian.

Joe Sullivan studies on the engineering specialisation and works with the company Quickbutton, a supplier of campaign buttons, name tags and conference badges. Joe's group has also had a sustainability perspective in the development of their product and they have chosen to work with the material bamboo.

"We are really benefitting from each other's different skill sets and different previous experiences within the group. I, for instance, have never before really come into contact with the financial management part. The entire programme is very focused on teamwork", Joe says.

Innovation through business, engineering and design is a 2-year master programme offered at Linnaeus University in Växjö. The programme offers three different specialisations and the language of tuition is English.

- I chose to study the programme because of its uniqueness. The thought of studying alongside other students from different disciplines and positioning myself in the professional

world through real-life projects attracted me, and the experience has exceeded my expectations.

Studying at Linnaeus University has been a good experience. She appreciates the facilities on campus and finds it interesting to meet people from different cultures.

- It has been an amazing experience. Apart from learning and growing professionally on the programme, the facilities provided by Linnaeus University has helped me as a person who was not initially familiar with the Swedish culture. It’s interesting to meet people from different cultures who are involved in the programme, in addition to the different disciplines. The experience of working with different companies and organisations has also helped me grow as a person. Being surrounded by a culture that believes in everyone’s equal value has opened my mind and made my experience even more satisfying. It made me feel safe, despite being halfway across the globe from my family.

However, she admits it has also been challenging to move to a new country.

- Even though it’s fun working with people from different disciplines and different cultures, it can also be extremely challenging. Misunderstandings and arguing are bound to happen, especially considering the language barrier. However, this has also helped me understand other people better and to develop my teamwork and communication skills. Something that will surely prove helpful for my professional growth.

All the new people she has met at Linnaeus University has helped her adapt to the new environment.

- The friends I have met through my programme have been extremely helpful, not only in connection to the programme but also beyond that, in my personal life. The different student organisations have also made me feel welcome – I would describe student life here as unforgettable.

After graduation, she would like to work with innovation and design to make a difference.

- Innovation will always be a part of me once I have graduated from the programme. I have a passion for mental health and I dream about connecting the dots between innovation, design and mental health, and hopefully being able to create a safe space for everyone, where they can feel that they belong.

It was during her maternity leave that she found out about the master’s programme Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design, and decided to go for it.

“I chose to study the programme because I found it refreshing in comparison to what was offered in other places. I have always liked to collaborate and work with people from different disciplines. I was also compelled by the focus on sustainability and the opportunity to explore and learn about design from a Scandinavian perspective”, Juliana says.

As a PhD student, Juliana works in the intersections between Design, Sustainability and Life at Home. Her research is practice-oriented and conducted in collaboration with householders, mostly women living in Sweden and Colombia. The aim is to create space for continuous dialogue, a space to think about possibilities and actions relating to the climate crisis.

“I am interested in exploring alternative ways to understand the concept of home and sustainable living through relational cosmologies and practices. For example, I am exploring the cosmology of Buen Vivir (Living Well) from the Andean territory in Abya Yala, South America, based on relationality and reciprocity as principles to live in harmony with our planet”, Juliana explains. 

Juliana also takes PhD courses and participates in several research seminars and activities. Furthermore, she works as a design lecturer on the programme Design + Change, at Linnaeus University. 

“I enjoy teaching and facilitating meetings and interactions between people, and between people and nature”, Juliana continues.

During her studies she was introduced to the concept of meta-design as a framework that inspires and supports design for change and collaboration. Something she wants to continue using in the future.

“When I finish my PhD in 2024, I hope I can continue working at the department of design, both with research and as a design lecturer. I would like to combine this with leading research projects in collaboration with communities and organisations”, Juliana concludes.

During Anna's studies at Linnaeus University, the goal with her education was to start working with product development at IKEA. Today, she works at the marketing department at IKEA in Älmhult and thinks that her education has given her a good foundation.

– At IKEA, I work primarily with local marketing, administration of the local website, their Instagram account, and the digital screens that are in use in the department store. I also participate in the development of the trade center in Älmhult at which we try to increase the collaboration with other IKEA units in Älhmult but also the collaboration with other lines of trade. I also coordinate activities in the department store that are aimed at our catchment area, for instance, previews of collections for IKEA FAMILY members, says Anna Hamlin.

Anna worked at IKEA during her studies as well, but then as restaurant staff and sales person. However, after she got her master's degree in innovation she applied for a job at IKEA that was more in line with that she had studied, and she got it. Her contact with IKEA during her studies, created good conditions for establishing important contacts.

–I wrote my degree project at IKEA of Sweden in Älmhult. I studied the product development process and focused on how organisational culture can affect knowledge transfer both positively and negatively in large multinational companies. Since I met and interviewed many employees during the course of my study, my master thesis led to an increased network at different IKEA firms in Älmhult. In addition, my final term writing my degree project, gave me a broader understanding of the work processes and organisational culture at IKEA, something that is valuable to me in the work I do today.

In February, the Swedish Institute hosted the digital Hackathon. An event with the purpose to design, test and execute ideas focusing on mobility. Linnaeus University’s students from the Innovation through Business, Engineering and Design, master’s programme, received The Hackathon Spirit award. Team BED @ LNU received the award because they were actively engaged in the challenge, collaborating with others, and had an overall positive energy. The students that were part of the winning team were Astrid Cox, Eliot Bota, Erik Ström, Jonas Thordeman Andersson, and Varun Kishore.

- We were quite active during the event, participating in mini challenges and connecting with other participants, organisers, and partner companies. We threw ourselves entirely into the hack over the weekend and had a lot of fun doing it. This award is an acknowledgement of that effort, says Astrid Cox, team leader of the group.

The Hackathon had several different challenges and the team felt that their skill set was particularly suited to the IKEA challenge of “VIP Truck Drivers”. The task was to come up with solutions that could improve the safety of truck drivers in India. 

- The challenge was put out by IKEA Logistics and Supply Chain Operations. IKEA recognises that the truck drivers are a crucial part of their value chain and of utmost importance. Therefore, they wanted the teams to ideate on a solution that could address the major safety issues these truck drivers face every day on India's road, says Varun Kishore, one of the team members.

Finding a solution - Vip pit stops

In order to tackle the challenge and come up with a solution, the team used many of the same methods that they use on the Innovation master’s programme.

- Working with multidisciplinary talent, we followed the problem-solving cycle from problem definition to analysis and diagnosis, stopping just after solution design. We researched, discussed, collaborated, and laughed our way to an understanding of the problem. For us, it was clear that the most common causes for accidents on the road in India are reckless driving, inattentive driving, and other drivers on the road, Astrid explains. 

Their solution to address driver safety in India works on different levels, using positive reinforcement. The first step addresses individual drivers by promoting good resting behavior. The premise is to develop a network of truck stops across India with access to basic amenities and a place to take a break. The second step works on the corporate level, continuing work with driver rest behavior, and also tackling scheduling stress. The final phase focuses on the national level.

- We want to create a national standard of using the app and maintaining driving logs for all trips. We see this as a way to drive economic growth, improve work conditions, and increase public health and safety. For us, truck driving in India was a whole new world to immerse ourselves in. For instance, how the profession is perceived in India and what challenges the average “desi” truckers are faced with on a day-to-day basis was really eye-opening, Astrid concludes.

In simple words, the aim is to tie together a number of disciplines to create a better life at home for the many people. It deals partly with what fundamental needs we have and what furniture we need, but also with how production can be made as cheap and environmentally friendly as possible.

As a result of The Bridge, Linnaeus University has been able to establish an IKEA professorship, unique to the world. The research environment revolving around the subject area Life at Home is developed in collaboration with doctoral students. It is this research environment that makes it possible for Linnaeus University to establish the interdisciplinary master programme.

The master programme has an interdisciplinary perspective, combining engineering, business, and design. The programme enables students to learn from each other's knowledge and improves their ability to work with different projects and product development. The master programme is offered in close collaboration with a number of companies, IKEA being one of them.

Read more about The Bridge