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Postgraduate

Space and Service Design

Mechelen

English

International Postgraduate in the design of services and service environments

Designing for change

  • Ready to use your design skills for forward-thinking, inclusive solutions to tackle today's social, cultural, and economic challenges?
  • Do you want to collaborate with real clients and end-users to tackle genuine design challenges?
  • Eager to dive into users' lives through research-led and user-centered design?
  • Come and study with us and use your personal vision to add sustainable value to public spaces and improve the accessibility and user experience of the clients of public services.
  • Embark on the 'Designing for Change' journey, where your creativity shapes innovative services and service environments that have a positive impact.
  • Become a proactive and socially aware agent of change, making tangible differences for people through the application of innovative design thinking.
Space and Service Design Classroom
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Space and Service Design

A service designer is a professional who designs the experience of users by improving interactions between the users and service organization, they purchase or use products or services from. A space and service designer does not only design the services but also the spaces, objects and communication system that make the service system really work. And that is exactly what you can learn with us!

  • You will build on your BA or MA in design (industrial, product, graphic, service etc.), architecture, UX-UI, management, social sciences, tourism... with this fully accredited (60 ECTS) international postgraduate programme. 
  • You will acquire vital 21st-century skills: focussing on the users’ needs, co-creation with communities, developing a digital perspective, creating evidence-based and context-based solutions, teamworking and team leading, prototyping and testing, strategic thinking and working with constraints. effective intercultural collaboration and communication, agile working. This skill set equips you for success in navigating today's dynamic, diverse and interconnected world.
  • You will work collaboratively in multidisciplinary teams on real-life design challenges with real clients and end-users.
  • You will expand your professional network with weekly Master Classes from industry experts, network events and work experiences.
  • You'll push your boundaries and actively contribute to the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • You will transform your design career or business aspirations to new heights via this one-year programme in service design developed in collaboration with the Department of Interior Design & Architecture.

Practical information

  • Duration

    1 year (or 2 yrs part-time)

  • Where

    On campus

Programme

  • Goals and structure | A service designer is a professional who designs the experience of users and employees by improving interactions between the users and the organization, they purchase or use products or services from. A space and service designer does not only design the services but also the spaces, objects and communication system that make the service system really work. And that is exactly what you can learn with us!

  • First semester |Your first semester provides you with knowledge and skills in researching and designing services and experiences. The methodologies and tools presented support you in developing innovative design ideas and delivering relevant solutions to real-world design problems presented by our client-organisations.
    You collaborate in international, multidisciplinary design teams and take up individual designer roles (the designer-researcher, designer-sustainability coordinator, designer-manager, designer-entrepreneur, designer-social media guru,…). As part of the team, you will apply and share your previous knowledge and interact directly with our clients and users. The SSD Master Classes bring in professional experts from creative industries that will share their knowledge, approaches and experiences.
  • Second semester |The second semester offers the opportunity to focus on your own strengths by working on a challenging real-life project and take part in an (international) internship, taking a client project to production or contribute to a service design research project. You expand your professional network.
  • Major Project | In the major project you will demonstrate your research skills and your ability to define the tangible and intangible context and needs related to the project. Your end work will be the creation of a relevant user-centred space and service design solution that you effectively document and present.

Below you can find an overview of the courses ( under reservation of changes), with the number of credits per phase. Credits express how many hours you need on average to process the subject matter (incl. lessons). Count about 25 to 30 hours for 1 study credit. 

  • We have explained the most important courses in a blue tooltip.  
  • Would you like to know the detailed content of each subject? Check the programme guide.
Semester 1 2
Space & Service Design i 15
SSD Master Classes i 5
Future Proof Designer i 5
Design & Research i 5
Semester 1 2
Final project Space & Service Design i 15
Professional Experience i 10
Professional Development and Design Management Master Classes i 5

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Timetable

pg-ssd-me.pdf
.pdf
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This course does not start in February.

Eyecatchers

Making the future sustainable

Space & service designers focus on making the future sustainable and shape solutions that support the UN sustainable development goals. You work on emerging challenges such as sustainable food, health & wellbeing, circular economy, inclusion, …

Real needs, real-life projects

We involve real clients and users, organize co-creation workshops  and work on site to understand the context, needs and dreams. Some clients: De Lisdodde, Regional Landscape Riverland, Museum Dr. Guislain, Province of Antwerp. , ...

 

Go international

Fostering international and intercultural collaboration is vital for a society-oriented design course. Besides welcoming Belgian students, we welcome international students with their specific design knowledge and cultural background that creates a dynamic international class-setting.

Student learning is facilitated through a range of workshops, seminars, lectures and tutorials by both national and international professionals and experts which allows for the knowledge exchange with other service design schools and networks.

Over the past decade the ID&A unit has collaborated with various professional, national and international design firms looking for talented interns. Continuing this tradition, in the second semester, postgraduate students work within a professional design context through a national or international internship or service project.

(Picture: Our international team of Space and Service Designers visits the client’s, Vrijbroekpark, location)

Personal coaching

Coached by a committed team of design professionals, lecturers, and researchers, our student teams engage in a collaborative learning process.

Creating an authentic learning environment is at the heart of our approach, where we champion learning-by-space-and-service-design-development (LSSDD). This method intertwines real-life projects, insightful master classes and workshops, personalized coaching, and hands-on participatory sessions involving clients, experts and end-users. The co-creative methods you learn, allow low-threshold participation from your target audience and stakeholders and foster co-ownership.

Our students actively exchange knowledge and experiences with stakeholders, users, and field experts, gaining valuable insights from both communities and their peers.

Postgraduate students benefit from additional support provided by ID&A services, including access to resources like Whats'on (the Design Learning Centre and Fab-Lab) and ID&A Workshop Facilities, featuring well-equipped wood, metal, and plastic workshops.

Further assistance is extended through Thomas More's Admissions and International Support service.

(Picture: SSD PG-students organizing a co-creation workshop at het Provinciehuis of the Province of Antwerp for the client, the Tourism department of the Province of Antwerp, involving stakeholders and end-users)  

Got questions?

Nansi Van Geetsom

For all your questions about the Postgraduate in Space & Service Design.
nansi.vangeetsom@thomasmore.be +32 15 36 92 40
Unit Manager

Guy Foulon

For all your questions about the ID&A department.

guy.foulon@thomasmore.be +32 15 36 92 40
Admissions

Admissions Officer

For all your questions about Admissions & Application.
Available by phone 9.00 - 15.00

admissions@thomasmore.be +32 15 36 92 50
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Excited? Apply now!

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Professional bonus

Postgraduate programmes aim to build upon the skills and knowledge priorly acquired in a Bachelor's or a Master's degree programme.

  1. Focus on professional skills: Our postgraduate programme places a significant emphasis on design industry-relevant knowledge and skills. Our curriculum is designed to bridge the gap between academia and the professional world, empowering you to thrive in dynamic work environments.
  2. Networking opportunities: You will immerse yourself in a community of professionals through network events, internships, and exclusive workshops. You will connect with design agencies and service organizations, expanding your professional network and gaining insights from industry leaders.
  3. Real-life projects: Learning by SSD Developing. Our programme integrates only real-life projects which enrich your knowledge base and provide hands-on experience, equipping you with the skills needed to navigate the complexity of space and service design projects.
  4. Master Classes and workshops: Benefit from the expertise of design agencies and service organizations through master classes and workshops. Gain invaluable insights from seasoned professional designers, ensuring that your learning experience is enriched with practical, industry-centric knowledge.

Embark on a transformative journey where theory meets practice, and academic knowledge seamlessly integrates with the demands of the professional landscape. Our postgraduate programme is your steppingstone to becoming a proficient and future-ready designer!

Professional network

We add value to the labour market

Space and service designers make a significant difference to the success and effectiveness of designed environments and experiences. Our students are not just learners but future-proof designers shaping the future of environments and experiences. Here's a glimpse into the competences that set our designers apart:

  • User-Centric Expertise: Designing solutions tailored to user needs.

  • Strategic Research: Conducting impactful research and co-creation sessions.

  • Holistic Visions: Understanding services and service environments as interconnected ecosystems.

  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Sparking innovation across disciplines.

  • Creativity and innovation: Solve real-world challenges with creativity and adaptability.

  • Aesthetic and Functional Integration: Blending functionality with visual appeal.

  • Purposeful Trendsetting: Integrating latest trends and societal needs.

  • Masterful Communication: Clearly articulating ideas to diverse audiences, including non-designers.

  • Tech Innovation: Integrating cutting-edge technology for enhanced user experience.

  • Environmental and Social Championing: Prioritizing inclusivity and sustainability.

  • Project Management Expertise: Navigating design processes efficiently and effectively

Join our postgraduate in Space and Service Design, where passion meets profession, and design becomes a transformative force. Enroll to be part of a community that doesn't just design spaces and services.
And if you are a (public) service organization or a service design agency... why not employing our postgraduates who can craft sustainable experiences with a positive impact?

SSD PG-student Jilte Heyvaert at Twisted Studio, design agency

Designing for change, design with impact

Our postgraduates offer clients research-driven solutions: spaces, objects, communication and services that effectively change people’s day-to-day life. Our future-proof designers can play a significant role in tackling contemporary social, cultural and economic challenges through evidence-based and human-centred design. For the Mama Sabina Health Care Centre in Bwera Uganda, students converted an existing school building into inviting and vital spaces and service experiences. Supported by Ekisande, Medics Without Vacation, the TM nursery department and Aquafin, feasible and desirable solutions were designed. The project is executed

Check it out

Additional studies

Once you have completed your postgraduate, there is the opportunity to extend this to a Master’s of Design in Service & Experience Design.
Space and Service Design graduates can enrol in a short-track master's programme in English at our partner university Jiangnan University in China.

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