Product Design

A higher tempo, and theory that is constantly tested in practice

As with the fashion and advertising & graphic design programmes, Beckmans' "youngest" study programme, Design, is remarkably broad and multifaceted in comparison with other corresponding design courses. The study programme includes product design, furniture design, interior design, graphic design, metal, glass and textiles, with freer and more directed practical exercises interleaved with theory. The emphasis is on realisation and on artistic expression in design. The tempo is generally higher than on other comparable courses, with a larger number of different assignments and projects that run in parallel with each other. The influence from its "sister programmes" at Beckmans is clear in this aspect.

"We almost always work in project form, and we don't have two-week courses in drawing technique or materials science, for example," says Matti Klenell, one of Beckmans' Design study programme's principal teachers. "As designers, we may well have longer cycles in our work than in fashion or advertising, but we deliberately try to blend longer projects with faster, shorter exercises and to "bring home" the projects at all times using criticism and discussions. I call this type of teaching method pragmatic theory, because we work and theorise at the same time."

"What we're trying to do is to play down the individual exercises," continues Matti Klenell.

"We want to eliminate prestige and to teach the students to accept criticism, to dare to fail, even to crash, and then to pick themselves up again and learn from their mistakes."

"We want to eliminate prestige and to teach the students to accept criticism, to dare to fail, even to crash, and then to pick themselves up again and learn from their mistakes."

On larger projects, Beckmans' design classes often work in cooperation with, and sometimes on assignment from the industry - with everyone from IKEA in Älmhult to smaller producers across a very wide field - companies such as Svenskt Tenn, Playsam and Kosta Boda. Learning to communicate with the industry on the market's terms and to forge important contacts for their future professional careers, while still at college, is an important part of the tuition.

"We also place great emphasis here on the students learning to speak and write about what they're doing. The ability to discuss their own and other people's work in an assured way gives the students the security and clarity they need in their professional role.

And in common with all of the Beckmans' teachers, Matti Klenell also emphasises the very real importance of the cooperation with the College's other two study programmes.

"Every class usually has four or five major cooperation projects and a number of smaller projects during their time at the College. This natural, smooth cooperation is absolutely unique and it's invaluable for the students - the ability to trade places and understand each other's roles, to learn from each other's conditions and requirements. This is particularly important, given that the students choose to do such a wide variety of things with what they learn here at Beckmans. Virtually everyone in my old classes is working at present, but in completely different areas - from product designers at IKEA, Åhléns and other companies to some who are working for advertising agencies, others who have started their own agencies together, and some who have scholarships from the Arts Grants Committee."

 

Courses

• Advertising & graphic design
• Product Design
• Fashion
• Evening Classes