At the WdKA, we believe in learning by doing. An integral part of the Product Design program is the exploration and development of new materials and production processes. This is not a theoretical exercise; it’s about getting hands-on, learning through action and experience.
Product Design is a transformative journey, constantly redefining the relationship between products and their users. Products are everywhere, from the purely functional to those that make a statement. At its core, product design is about questioning and redefining what already exists. Product designers, therefore, not only develop meaning but also shape the very appearance of our world.
Emerging technologies have triggered fundamental debates on the future of well-established ideas regarding product design, product use, and the product economy. Product designers play a crucial role in this context, as they are the ones who can harness these technologies to create innovative and user-centric products. The widespread application of new materials, distribution methods and production now provide significant new opportunities for today’s product designers.
An essential aspect of the WdKA Product Design programme is the discovery and development of (new) materials and production processes by literally ‘getting your hands dirty’.
You could even go one step further: by not being afraid to dismantle what already exists, in both a physical and a conceptual sense, as well as in production and distribution. In doing so, you will develop new ideas and ways of using products and explore the practical consequences of designing in depth. Examples of these consequences include environmental and social sustainability. We must develop ways to create a sustainable, circular future with renewable materials and reduce or eliminate waste. As a product designer, you are thus not limited to working with existing instruments; you can adapt these instruments or even design your own machines or technologies. To summarise, product designers are experimental, research-driven, collaborative, and entrepreneurial professionals who can imagine how products can change our future.
Cover project: Let's PLAY by Lisanne Meester.
Open Days & Recruitment activities
Want to know more about life at the Willem de Kooning Academy?
Check out our extended programme, full of (online) activities and interaction with student ambassadors and tutors via this link.
Knowledge & skills
- Conducting hands-on research
- Concept development
- Drawing techniques (analog and digital)
- Prototyping and testing
- Knowledge of materials
- Production techniques and crafts
- Making detailed working prototypes
- Presenting your projects for different audiences
- Enterpreneurship
- ...and more
Design must be an innovative, highly creative, cross-disciplinary tool responsive to the needs of men. It must be more research-oriented, and we must stop defiling the earth itself with poorly designed objects and structures.
Career opportunities
- Independent product designer
- Product designer for diverse industries
- Material researcher
- Social designer
- Concept developer
- ...and more
Stations
Most study activities take place at the Stations (Workspaces). All students, regardless of their bachelor programme or year, are welcome to work at the Stations. These are places where students can test their ideas and figure out how to turn them into fully functioning creations. They can experiment with tools, techniques, materials, and equipment, and receive support and inspiration by working with fellow students, tutors, and instructors.
For more detailed information about our Stations, please visit this webpage
Dual Degree programme
Are you artistically talented, and at the same time thirsty for academic knowledge? The Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) and the Willem de Kooning Academy (WdKA) offer you the possibility to combine theory and practice within a five-year Dual Degree programme. Students completing the RASL programme obtain two bachelor degrees: one from the EUR (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science) and one from WdKA (Bachelor of Arts).
