Dean of Studies for Interior Design (B.A.) and Product Design (B.A.) at AMD Düsseldorf
New Position
With the appointment as head of the Bachelor’s programmes in Interior Design (B.A.) and Product Design (B.A.) at Hochschule Fresenius, Faculty of Design (AMD), Düsseldorf, the question arises of what kind of pedagogical and disciplinary stance design education must adopt today.
Design permanently shapes spaces, objects, and processes. For this reason, it is not sufficient to merely teach students tools or stylistic approaches. At the core of the curriculum is the development of judgment — the ability to connect perception, analysis, material, construction, and social responsibility.
The development of the programmes is therefore not understood as a simple expansion of an existing curriculum, but as a deliberate conceptual positioning. The aim is a practice-oriented and culturally reflective design education that does not reduce design to imagery or short-term trends, but understands it as a responsible process.
The teaching integrates architecture, interior design, product design, and art in a deliberate way. Atmospheres, materials, proportions, and spatial effects are not treated abstractly, but investigated through real projects, concrete situations, and direct experience. The process moves from perception and language to artistic reflection and finally to spatial and constructive development.
Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between analog thinking and digital precision. Drawing, material studies, and physical models remain the foundation of design thinking. Digital tools complement this process but do not replace the capacity for conscious design decisions.
The development of the programmes in Düsseldorf is carried out together with an interdisciplinary team of practitioners, architects, designers, and specialist planners. The goal is to establish a teaching culture oriented toward real projects, international compatibility, and a high level of design responsibility.
The role is not understood as the administration of existing structures, but as a continuous engagement with the question of what role design will play in a changing social and technological context in the future.
