Industrial Design, Transportation

About the course package

The exchange semester at Transportation Design Programme gives the student basic competence to work with design and development of different types of vehicles.
Students entering must have a basic understanding of designer tools together with a competent level of sketching skill. They will develop their creative thinking process with tutoring support focused on trying to solve future transportation problems. Students will explore how to design and develop vehicles with a growing awareness of the environmental issues.
The students are encouraged to build realistic vehicle concepts around future lifestyles. Equally, these designs must be attractive and desirable. The essence of the student work will be about form and function in balance with the human needs at the center of their design development process.

5ID231 Skills and Techniques, TD  7,5 credits
This course provides an introduction to Umeå Institute of Design and its educational resources. It also delivers knowledge and practice of core artistic skills required in the transportation design field.
Module 1. Introduction Week (1,5 credits)
A series of lectures, activities and assignments provide all new students with fundamental information about the culture, routines, resources and possibilities found at the Umeå Institute of Design.
Module 2. Sketching Techniques and Form (3 credits)
An intense practice of analog and digital sketching techniques levels up the students visual communication skills as well as their understanding of form applied to the transportation design.
Module 3. Basic Skills (3 credits)
This module introduces the techniques and safety precautions to be observed when utilising the modelmaking workshops at Umeå Institute of Design.

5ID229 CAID - Advanced level, step 1  3 credits
The aim of the course is to introduce CAID (Computer Aided Industrial Design) as a tool to test and communicate design ideas and proposals. The course covers different methods used to create, use and develop forms and details with the aid of computers. By creating virtual 3D-models the students gain the ability to generate presentation material in the form of digital images, printouts or animations.

5ID230 CAID - Advanced level, step 2  4,5 credits
The general aim of the course is to prepare for independent work with different CAID tools (Computer Aided Industrial Design). Students will perform a variety of practical exercises and learn to create advanced models with regard to both workflow efficiency, quantitative and qualitative requirements from specific modeling tasks. The instruction also includes how to digitally scan physical objects to be able to use them as a reference to process and refine form in specialized software. Students are trained in presentation methods including virtual reality, animation and real-time visualization. Knowledge of creating and exporting CAID files for physical modeling and rapid prototyping is also covered during the course.

5ID234 Project 1: Vehicle Concept Design  15 credits
The course provides a practical platform to learn and develop the vehicle design process with a main focus in the two-dimensional presentation of ideas.
Module 1. Research and concept formulation (3 credits)
This module includes instruction about information and inspiration gathering, context mapping and reflection leading to argumentation around a vehicle design concept to be explored in the process. The result of this phase is usually a design brief, including an objective description of desirable attributes for a future transportation solution.
Module 2. Technical definition and ideation (4,5 credits)
During this module students learn how to define the basic technical and ergonomic references that will frame and support the creation of a future vehicle. The students also get guidance on both broad and focused idea exploration including analog and digital methods.
Module 3. Project development (6 credits)
This module consists of learning how to effectively implement conceptual ideas into a tangible product proposition supported by 2 and 3-dimensional design tools.
Module 4. Presentation (1,5 credits)
The final part of the course will prepare the students to select relevant information needed to communicate the design process and create visualisation material that effectivelly conveys the artistic vision for a future transportation solution.

Specific entry requirements are: 60 ECTS credits in the field of Design + Portfolio. Send your Portfolio and letter of motivation directly to the International contact person at Umeå Institute of Design via e-mail.
E-mail address: uid.exchange@umu.se