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Industrial Design (MFA)

A degree project provides 30 credits and is equivalent to 20 weeks of full-time study. You must have passed at least 65 credits that may be included in the degree in order to commence work on the degree project. The degree project is an independent project and is to be executed individually or in groups of two. Company connections are welcome (discuss with supervisor and examiner).

The degree project is to include the following assessed components:

  • project documentation including a short summary in English,
  • an oral presentation of the degree project at a public seminar at the Faculty of Engineering,
  • an oral and written critical review of another student's degree project at a public seminar where it is presented.

See full course description for more information (Course website LTH)

General information

The aim of the degree project is for you to develop and demonstrate the ability to practise knowledge acquired during your education and the skills to work independently as an industrial designer.

Knowledge and understanding

  • demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the field of design, including both broad knowledge of the field and a considerable degree of specialised knowledge in certain areas of the field and
  • demonstrate familiarity with methods and processess for dealing with complex phenomena, issues and situations in the field of design.

Competences and skills

  • demonstrate the ability to formulate new issues autonomously and creatively and contribute to the formation of knowledge, solve more advanced problems, develop new forms of personal expression as well as to reflect critically on his or her artistic approach and that of others in the main field of study,
  • demonstrate the ability to create and execute his or her own ideas with his or her own personal expression, to identify, formulate and solve artistic and creative problems autonomously and also to plan and undertake advanced artistic tasks using appropriate methods within both national and international contexts and
  • demonstrate the competence and knowledge required to work autonomously with other parties in a professional capacity.

Judgement and approach

For a pass on the course, the student shall demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the field of design informed by relevant artistic, social and ethical issues.

You have the responsibility and freedom to find a suitable topic for the degree project which has to be approved by the examiner and a supervisor at the division of industrial design.

The topic and structure for the degree project must be devised and planned. (There have been some options also sent out)

The cover page of any project documentation must feature the Lund University (LU) or LTH logo as well as the name of the author and the title of the project. The logo(s) can be obtained from the image and media bank at Lund university's website.

Image and Media Bank, Lund University

On the title page behind the cover page:

  • Title (subtitle)
  • Author’s name
  • Degree Project for Master of Fine Arts in Design, Main Field of Study Industrial Design, from Lund University, School of Industrial Design
  • Department of Design Sciences
    • Name and title of examiner
    • Name and title of supervisor(s)
    • Name(s) and title(s) or position(s) of external supervisor(s)/contributor(s)
  • Copyright year (and if applicable Print year*)
  • ISRN-number – this number is obtained from the division’s course administrator (Rose-Marie).

*If the work was conducted in a year prior to the year the report was printed, this needs to be clearly stated in the documentation.

As stated in the course syllabus, it is obligatory to make an oral and written critical review of another student’s degree project at a public seminar where it is presented. It is the responsibility of each Degree student to select a project to review and make sure you get the documentation in time to prepare. NB. it is obligatory to review a project but not obligatory to have one’s project reviewed. Two people may not review each other’s projects, there must be an off-set of at least three.

The goal is not to judge the work but rather to give support through constructive criticism, both positive and negative, in order to improve the work (guidelines below). The written review, with any additional notes from the presentation, should be sent to your peer, supervisor and examiner after the presentation.

Reading Guidelines These are guidelines used to support critical reading and to present relevant feedback (also good for reviewing your own work): The documentation should be critically reviewed with respect to its integrity.

  • Scrutinise the goal(s) and motivations presented in the project documentation; do they correspond to the results and conclusions?
  • Is the brief properly formulated? Does the design process represent the outcome?
  • Inspection of the suitability of the process. Could it be carried out in an alternative way
  • Are the demarcations reasonable?
  • Is the design process been clearly documented?
    • Motivation
    • Analysis
    • Synthesis
    • Evaluation
    • Realisation
  • Are there parts that need to be expanded? Are there parts that are redundant?
  • Are tables, formulas, diagrams and other illustrations (sketches, mock-ups etc.) clear and comprehensible?
  • Is the development and evaluation process of the outcome clear and thoroughly described? • What is your own work and what has been inspired or sourced externally?
  • Are the conclusions correct?
  • Is there something left unexplained? Are there some statements that are wrong or unfounded?
  • Are there factual discrepancies to the oral presentation at the seminar?
  • Is the reference list correct? Are some references missing or are there unnecessary references?
  • Is the grammar and spelling correct?
  • Are the formalities correctly stated?

Peer review setup

The picture shows that it is not allowed for two people to review eachothers degree projects alone, ie Penny and Paul can not review eachothers degree project. But Penny can review Paul's, Paul can review Poppy's and Poppy can review Penny's as an example.

Degree shows (School of Industrial Design's website)

LUP Student papers (paper copies available at the A-house library)

  • Despina Chrisoforidou, Licentiate
  • Claus-Christian Eckhardt, Professor
  • Therese Eklund, Lecturer
  • Andreas Hopf, Lecturer
  • Olof Kolte, Senior Lecturer
  • Calrd Lidgard, Lecturer
  • Per Liljeqvist, Senior lecturer
  • Elin Olander, PhD
  • Anna Persson, Lecturer
  • Jasjit Singh, Senior Lecturer
  • Charlotte Sjödell, Senior lecturer
  • Anders Warell, Professor

Timeline

  • Launch a Degree Project online to get your prerequisites checked.

         Online form for Degree Project

  • E-mail Anna Persson by December 12th stating your project topic + preference for Examiner and Supervisor. NB please include a pdf (max 5MB) or link to your portfolio in the communication. (You will be assigned Examiner and Supervisor with consideration to your preferences, topic and staff resources.)
  • Reach out to your assigned examiner and supervisor(s) to set up a time for the first crit(s).
  • Brief and initial research crit*
    • Initial crit with examiner (1st meeting out of 3)
    • Initial crit with the supervisor(s) (1st meeting out of 5)
  • Forward the Digital Enrolment Form The examiner and supervisor officially approves the brief and time plan by signing the enrolment form.
  • Plan and execute degree exhibition together with KID3 (january - june)
  • Select a project to peer-review – In completion of the degree project, it is mandatory to review another student’s Master’s degree project. The topics should be unrelated. The result of the reading and criticism of another student’s degree project will be presented as an oral critical review at the public seminar. A written summary should be sent to the supervisor and examiner. NB two students cannot review each other's projects, there must be an off-set of at least three.

*Be prepared to present (at least) the following material:

  • Personal motivation and background
  • Project description (motivation, idea, brief, intended outcomes (there may of course be more than one project idea)
  • Procedure (planned research and activities, etc.)
  • Time plan
  • Description of possible project partner and/or cooperations.
  • Mid-February Intermediate crit with the supervisor(s) (2/5)
  • Mid-March Intermediate crit with the supervisor(s) (3/5)
  • End of March Intermediate crit with the examiner (2/3)
  • Mid-April Intermediate crit with the supervisor(s) (4/5)
    NB. The Degree project student has the responsibility to reach out to set up each meeting.
  • Plan and execute degree exhibition together with KID3 (January - June)
  • Two weeks prior to the final presentation: Project Documentation Due*. Send as a pdf to the examiner, supervisor and student reviewer(s)
  • One week prior to the final presentation:
    • Final Review Final crit with the supervisor(s) (5/5)
    • Final crit – go or no go – with the examiner (3/3)
  • Preparations for the degree show with KID3

* In a format suitable for examination: including all picture material (sketches, drawings, images, models, etc.) documenting the design process and result. Photos of the finished model may be added later. NB. Detailed feedback on the documentation is only given once the final version (including everything) is handed in.

  • May xx LTH Graduation ceremony
  • Week 21 & 22 Final Presentations (23-25 May, 30-31 May) 
  • Week 21 & 22 Preparations for the degree show with KID3
  • June 3rd Degree Show Opening

Procedure for the presentation

  • Supervisor introduces / welcomes
  • 30 min. presentation (public)
  • 10 min. peer review and questions from the audience (public)
  • 15 min. colloquium between jury, supervisor(s) and examiner (closed)
  • 10 min. feedback session with diploma student (closed)
  • (65 min total)
  • Second week in June
    • Submit final documentation to supervisor for feedback
    • NB: count on a couple of weeks for feedback-loops – very important to keep in mind for any visa extensions
    • Once okayed by the supervisor it is sent to the examiner for OK to print.
    • NB. very important to respect the timeline for visa extensions
  • End of June: Submit the printed document and digital files (including a high-res pdf and picture material) to Rose-Marie Hermansson, rose-marie.hermansson@mel.lth.se
  • Once all programme credits (including the degree project) are registered you may apply for your Degree Certificate.

Apply for your Degree Certificate

Feb-Jun 2023

  • Mid-February (2023) Catch-up presentations
  • Mid-March (2023) Final deadline for handing in report
  • Early June (2023) Degree show

Apply to start your degree project

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Interested in doing your degree project abroad?

More info here:

Overview in PDF

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Page Manager: cecilia.nilsson@lth.lu.se | 2023-10-25