Could an ancient martial art created by African slaves in Brazil unlock new perspectives on design? For his doctoral thesis, Nicholas Torretta drew upon his native culture to shine a light on the oppressive and consumeristic power structures that still permeate industrial design thinking. Inspired by the intrinsic decolonial traits within Capoeira, he began to explore alternative ways of designing, and living.
Umeå Institute of Design
Image: Erik Abel
Image: Erik Abel
Student Work
Me & AI
Exploring AI in autonomous vehicles towards a trustworthy environment - Mario Schaffeld / MFA TD
Interwoven
A conceptual exploration of interaction design through weaving - Sandra Lundberg / MFA IxD
Point of Contact
A tool for blind-deaf users to measure temperature independently - Mika Sinclair / BFA ID
Carbon Care Work
Exploring carbon dioxide removal under an ethos of care - Oliver Weglinski / MFA IxD
CAKE - Kibb
Sustainable e-mobility for regenerative agriculture ranchers - Fanny Jonsson MFA TD
hemi
Playful therapies for children with motor disabilities - Natalia Ikebara / MFA APD
Design evolution through the martial art of Capoeira
Explore our Master's programmes
MFA Interaction
Design
The Master’s programme in Interaction Design deals with the relation between people and IT.
MFA Transportation
Design
The Master's programme in Transportation Design challenges students to innovate all matter of mobility.
MFA Advanced Product
Design
The Master's programme in Advanced Product Design explores design through the lens of societal challenges.
Student Work
Explore visionary degree projects from our graduates
Student Work
Explore visionary degree projects from our graduates
Life at UID
The UID experience
At UID, students build friendships and networks that last a lifetime
The UID experience
At UID, students build friendships and networks that last a lifetime
Facilities
Since its inception in 1989, UID has gained a reputation as a dynamic environment offering exceptional possibilities for creative studies.
Arts
Campus
Sitting on the banks of the Ume River, the vibrant Arts Campus is located just a stone's throw away from the Umeå city centre.
Experience
Umeå
In Umeå, nature always serves as an inspiration, with a sun that barely sets in the summer and cold snowy winters.
Carbon care - by dreams and desires
What if our dreams and desires could remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere?
Oliver Weglinski, MFA IXD, explores the future of the controversial technology in his thought-provoking grad project.
Student spotlight
Soheum Hwang talks about 'FiDO'
Soheum Hwang, MFA IXD, explains her grad project ’FiDO’, a phygital driving assistant for building trust in semi-autonomous vehicles
Designing through the eyes of a
child
For her grad project, Natalia Ikebara, MFA APD, developed playful hand therapies for children with motor disabilities.
Challenging fossil fuels in
agriculture
MFA TD student Fanny Jonsson's grad project, CAKE Kibb, is an autonomous ATV safeguarding the ecosystem of farms.
Biodesign: Embracing Dystopia
In the early 2000s, Steve Jobs famously predicted that "the biggest innovations of the 21st century will be at the intersection of biology and technology".
In a challenge to develop speculative concepts designing with living things, students explore how biodesign might shape our societies through the 21st century.
Design research
Design research: Exploring the unknown
Researchers at UID talk about what design research means to them.
Sustainability at UID
At UID, we prepare students to become leading voices in initiating sustainable transformation
Sustainability at UID
At UID, we prepare students to become leading voices in initiating sustainable transformation