MA Interaction Design

at University of the Arts London

As part of this initiative, we’ve shaped our courses around social and environmental sustainability principles that ensure learning outcomes reflect the urgent need to equip you with the understanding, skills, and values to foster a more sustainable planet.  Our aim is to change the way our students think, and to empower you to work towards a sustainable future.

Each course is divided into units, which are credit-rated. The minimum unit size is 20 credits. The MA course structure involves 5 units, totalling 180 credits.

Autumn, Term 1

Term 1 of the course introduces you to the theories and concepts that are core to the course’s research-led and critical form of Interaction Design.

Theories and Practices of Interaction Design (40 credits)

You’ll participate in a seminar series that will introduce you to both historical and contemporary theories and approaches drawn from the world of art and design, giving you a profound understanding of the research context for the course. Alongside this, you’ll produce individual and group practice projects in a brief that engages with the deepest complexities of the modern technological landscape.

Through these activities,  you’ll gain an important foundation of knowledge in critical design, exploratory research, and interaction, which are crucial for your development throughout the course.To assist you in your work and to broaden the horizons of your practice, you ‘ll take introductory workshops in key technical skills such as physical computing and creative coding, alongside specialist approaches such as sonic improvisational practice and augmented reality (AR).

Spring, Term 2

Term 2 offers you the opportunity to engage further with your critical practice to produce research-led and experimental interaction design projects.

Collaborative Unit (20 credits)

You’ll complete a group studio project in response to a brief from an external partner. Previous partnerships have been with organisations such as the V&A, the Design Museum , and BBC Research and Development.

Explorative Research (20 credits)

This unit will give you the option to choose between 2 distinct electives to pursue your own thematic research path in the field of interaction design.

As part of your ongoing exploration into the relationship between research and practice, you’ll produce a piece of screen-based media that reflects your elective research.This could take the form of a short film, interactive website, or video game.

Summer, Term 3

Term 3 offers you the opportunity to use both the critical and technical skills gained in Term 1, alongside the research and development skills you developed in Term 2, to produce a new work of interaction design that is creatively and technically ambitious, and underpinned by in-depth critical research.

Expanded Practice (40 credits)

You’ll undertake further skills development in physical computing and creative coding, alongside specialist workshops in narrative world-building and creative writing.

Final Major Project (60 credits)

(Weighted 50% research component and 50% practical component)

Beginning this term, you will undertake a Final Major Project which relates to the expanded field of design and interaction. At the end of this term,  you’ll turn your focus to the research video aspect of your Final Major Project, with one-to-one support for developing your own research domain and specialism for your work.

Autumn, Term 4

Final Major Project (continued)

With access to broad theoretical models and practical skills spanning multiple disciplines, you will apply these models to your own specialist area of interest to produce a critically aware major project.

MA Interaction Design has a particular aim to appeal to communication designers who are interested in exploring these new and emerging areas of design practice.

The course seeks students who have a critical understand of how technologies and digital culture are affecting design practices, and who are keen to work with network digital systems and in areas of design research and practice that challenge preconceptions.

Although not an entry requirement, you should be comfortable with some basic coding (some i.e. HTML CSS) in order to communicate ideas with colleagues, although strong creative experience in this area is an advantage. We will introduce you to various coding languages and design prototyping platforms during the course, but expect that individuals will develop their skills base within specific project work.

The course team welcomes applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, from all over the world. MA Interaction Design attracts students who apply direct from an Honours degree course in a field relevant to graphic design, or those with other, equivalent qualifications.

The course team also welcomes students with relevant experience or those who may have previously worked in industry.

Educational level may be demonstrated by:
 

• Honours degree (named above);

• Possession of equivalent qualifications;

• Prior experiential learning, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required. Your experience is assessed as a learning process and tutors will evaluate that experience for currency, validity, quality and sufficiency;

• Or a combination of formal qualifications and experiential learning which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.

APEL (Accreditation of Prior Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:
 

• Related academic or work experience

• The quality of the personal statement

• A strong academic or other professional reference

• OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

Language requirements

All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language, we strongly recommend you let us know your English language test score in your application. If you have booked a test or are awaiting your results, please indicate this in your application. When asked to upload a CV as part of your application, please include any information about your English test score.
 

• IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required, with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four skills.

Home fee
£11,550

International fee
£23,610

Graduates of the course are equipped to work in an increasingly technologically informed and interdisciplinary design world with real skills in areas such as: interaction design, user experience, design prototyping, physical computing, open source digital platforms, futurecasting, design research, experience design, communication design, value engineering, thought leadership and digital arts.