Presentation

As a decisive turning point in a career or as a follow-up to a Bachelor in Industrial Design, this Master programme is for students wishing to focus on two fundamental aspects of a designer’s practice, personal research as well as the professional handling of commissions for clients, companies or producers.

Besides the steadily ongoing refinement of design research abilities and practical design skills the students are confronted with the multifaceted realities of the design business. From production processes and concepts of efficiency through to the value of design, this Master programme offers the tools to become a successful professional. Supervised by renowned practitioners and theoreticians, the programme revolves around three basic pillars: a personal project developed by the student throughout the curriculum, assignments in cooperation with international companies leading to various productions, exhibitions and publications in the international press and the drawing up of a Master’s thesis. Students benefit from ECAL’s exceptional resources in terms of both infrastructure and the school’s unique network in the art and design fields.

Upon completion of this programme and with the help of additional training in fields such as photography, students build up a portfolio to the highest professional standards. ECAL graduates are much sought after by international agencies, design studios and companies or run their own business.

Language

English

Qualification issued

Master of Arts HES-SO in Design, major in Product Design

Yearly fees (materials included)

Fees detail

Length

4 semesters

Credits

120 ECTS

Useful links

Admissions Contact

Equipments & infrastructures

Open Space MA Product Design Materials Library Prototype Workshop CAO/FAO

Learning Objectives

First year
MA Product Design Studio
Student Presentation
Glas Italia Factory Visit
MA Product Design Studio
Prototype Workshop

1/5

  • Get up to speed by studying technical product design, 3D modelling and rendering (Solid Works, Keyshot), prototype creation in a model workshop (wood, metal, sewing), object photography and the history of product design.
  • Collaborate with companies or institutions to address your practice in a specific context.
  • Develop a personal approach in the form of a coherent individual brief and a solution in line with contemporary and future issues.
  • Take part in weeks of workshops supervised by practitioners from all over the world with the aim of carrying out collective or personal projects.
  • Set up coherent discourse in line with the evolution of the discipline, in order to develop a critical viewpoint through theory courses.
  • Immerse yourself in group trips for collaborative projects, exhibitions and company visits.
  • Participate in basic marketing and business courses given by well-known professors from the renowned IMD Business School in Lausanne. 
Second year
Mid Term Presentation Review
Diploma Jury Presentation
Diploma Jury Presentation
Diploma Jury Presentation
«Workbays Village» in collaboration with Vitra – Exhibition at Vitra Campus, Weil am Rhein
Summer University in Boston

1/7

  • Collaborate with companies or institutions to address your practice in a specific context.
  • Develop a personal approach in the form of a coherent individual brief and a solution in line with contemporary and future issues.
  • Immerse yourself in collective trips in collaborative projects, exhibitions and company visits.
  • Write a thesis based on the knowledge acquired throughout the course.
  • Put into practice the know-how acquired in a graduation work and a portfolio, which will serve as a business card to integrate into the labour market quickly.

Projects

This section contains a selection of emblematic or recent projects related to the disciplines taught in the Master's degree.
See all projects

Studio projects

U.F.O.G.O. Wind Turbines

PRODUCT DESIGN

U.F.O.G.O. Wind Turbines

with Camille Blin, Anniina Koivu, Anthony Guex, Marvin Merkel, Arthur Seguin

In 2023, the significant role of renewable energies in tackling the environmental crisis is blatant. In this context, wind power has once again been presented as a promising avenue for regions seeking to transition to renewable energy. However, concerns about their visual intrusion on surrounding environments pose a significant obstacle to their deployment. From a design perspective, this aesthetical factor is not insurmountable. On the contrary, it highlights the need for greater consideration of how we shape these technologies and integrate them into the environment and our lives. This project, completed by 16 MA Product Design Students of ECAL, has set out to explore how wind turbines can fit into natural landscapes and cultures not only sensitively, but beautifully – if we focus on their design. To complete the project effectively, a case study location was required. Fogo Island (Newfoundland, Canada), described locally as "this rock in the battering Northern Sea," was chosen due to its natural beauty, abundant wind, and tight-knit community of approximately 2,500 inhabitants. The island's climate and geography make it ideal for wind turbines. Additionally, Fogo Island is home to Shorefast, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a sustainable, renewable economy for the island. In October 2022, the students and tutors of ECAL visited and immersed themselves in Fogo Island. The project resulted in eight speculative yet practical wind turbine designs, considerately informed by various perspectives. U.F.O.G.O. is a sustainability project  grounded in reality, but not limited by what already is. Collaboration Partners: Shorefast HEIG-VD/School of Management and Engineering Vaud (Marc Pellerin, Philippe Morey and Marco Viviani) Media Partner: Disegno Funding: Summer University Programme of the Board of Higher Education (DGES) State of Vaud HES-SO Recherche Transdisciplinaire en Durabilite (under the project title 'INTEGRATED WIND TURBINES’)

Ecal for Schätti

PRODUCT DESIGN

Ecal for Schätti

with Camille Blin

ECAL for Schätti is a inspiring collection created by ECAL’s Master students in Product Design, under the guidance of Camille Blin, head of the programme, Jörg Boner, designer and Thomas Schätti, co-owner of the company Schätti. In the lighting industry, Schätti is synonymous with high quality manufacture and proven know-how. The brand is driven by a modernist vision and a fresh perspective: “The lighting industry is in upheaval; LED technology is the center of attention. A significant research and development effort is devoted to this technology. Light is being redefined.” A premise that ECAL students followed to create portable, battery powered LED lamps. The result is a multifunctional collection featuring the potential of this technology. Collapsible or foldable, wall or desk lamp, portable and rechargeable, indoor or outdoor: the selection translates Schätti expertise and ECAL students' creative minds.

ECAL x On 2040

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL x On 2040

with Christophe Guberan

Master Product Design students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne have created, in collaboration with Swiss brand On Running, shoe soles of the future. Under the guidance of Christophe Guberan, guest designer of MA Product Design and support of Thilo Alex Brunner, head of design at On, students explored within the context of the year 2040, concept shoe soles. The outcomes range from exploring the use of new materials and processes, to reinterpreting and re-contextualising common place aspects of todays world, all with a focus on future performance. A select number of the designs were developed into elaborate prototypes and exhibited at On’s new headquarters in Zurich in collaboration with works from other ECAL MA’s photography and Type Design.

ECAL Milano 2022: Yamaha Sound Machines,07–12.06.2022,Spazio Orso 16

EXHIBITIONS

ECAL Milano 2022: Yamaha Sound Machines,
07–12.06.2022,
Spazio Orso 16

On the occasion of the Milan Design Week (7 to 12 June 2022), Master Product Design students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne have created, in collaboration with Japanese brand Yamaha and its Design Laboratory, new types of music players in order to meet new requirements related to listening to music.

ECAL x RBM by Flokk: The Future of School Seating

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL x RBM by Flokk: The Future of School Seating

with Camille Blin

Innovative architecture, technology and design are shaping the future of education, challenging the norms for those creating learning spaces more than ever before. Danish furniture manufacturers RBM by Flokk have embarked on a semester-long design project with students from ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne (Switzerland). “What a great challenge for the students to collaborate with an important brand in order to create future experiences based on their experiences from the past! Back to school and to the future!” says Alexis Georgacopoulos, Director of ECAL. Based around the title, The Future of School Seating, the 1st year Master Product Design students worked with course leader and designer Camille Blin, assisted by Margo Clavier, to explore alternatives to today’s traditional school chair, specifically for children aged 6–12. “We tasked the students at ECAL to reimagine traditional school chairs and to design a product that fits seamlessly into the operating culture of future learning environments. We know that ways of teaching and learning are more diverse than ever before and we are excited to show off some great concepts from the ECAL 1st year Master Product Design students – the next generation of super talented designers,” explains .ystein Austad, Design Manager, RBM by Flokk. Located inside Konstnärshuset, a stunning and historical art gallery based in Central Stockholm,Education Reimagined invites visitors to experience an interactive exhibition of inspiring concepts presented by the students themselves. Visitors to Stockholm Design week can enjoy a fascinating glimpse into how young designers envision education spaces of the future.

ECAL x Vitra

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL x Vitra

Following a workshop led by Camille Blin and Erwan Bouroullec, Master Product Design students of ECAL present projects around the Workbays created by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec and edited by Vitra. Together with new functionalities, these prospective work environments are presented on the occasion of Design Parade Toulon  – festival international d’architecture d’intérieur. With Workbays, which they created for Vitra a few years ago, the French designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, who regularly collaborate with ECAL, have developed a micro-architectural system that redefines the working environment and breaks with the typical rigid planning structure of offices. Thus Workbays create distinct areas where individuals or groups can retreat from the general office environment to carry out specific activities. The units come equipped with everything users need: work surfaces, seating, optional storage and power connections. The structure of Workbays consists of slim aluminium profiles and organically shaped wall elements made of pressed polyester felt. “The ECAL students suggested we devised new typologies for these working environments, adding novel features and supplying them with new accessories”, says Camille Blin, the designer and professor who headed the project. So the Master Product Design students worked for a full semester under the watchful eye of Erwan Bouroullec and invented new structures that call to mind Japanese 0capsule hotels, a prototyping workshop, a gym, a bar, a garden or a resting area. For each of these spaces, the students created specific and original objects, ranging from Bluetooth loudspeakers to miniature lamps reminiscent of stadium ones, desk pads-cum-bags, a semi-standing stool, a cable-covering carpet, in & out wastepaper baskets, multi socket trays or a desk partition with vases and drawing pins. A 3D animation film specifically created by TRAUM Inc. presenting these unusual Workbays can also be seen at the exhibition.

ECAL + Foscarini

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL + Foscarini

with Augustin Scott de Martinville

In partnership with the Italian lighting company Foscarini, ECAL Master Product Design students worked on new lamp projects developed around the concept of portable light. ECAL and Foscarini, an Italian company of reference in the field of decorative design lighting, present an exhibition of projects by students of the second year of the Master Product Design programme at Palazzo Litta. This selection of works was developed at ECAL on the basis of a brief provided by Foscarini, with the aim of stimulating creativity and design thinking. The students were asked to work on new ideas for lamps, starting from concepts of portable light and mobility, imagining how light can accompany our movements through space. Foscarini has supported the ECAL students throughout the design process: from the understanding of the brief to intermediate reviews, all the way to interventions to address problematic issues and stimulate alternative solutions. Nine lamps creating nine different moods were finally selected, each with its own features related to its shape and aesthetics as well as to the use of distinctive materials, ranging from cast aluminum to silk, including wood or ripstop nylon.

ECAL MADE

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL MADE

with Augustin Scott de Martinville

The first year students of the Master Product Design faced the stakes of the job of designer, from idea to manufacture and sale. The products created, everyday objects made in Switzerland with the help of local craftsmen, are the happy result.

USM Foundation x ECAL

PRODUCT DESIGN

USM Foundation x ECAL

with Camille Blin

On the occasion of the Design Days 2018 taking place in the framework of Habitat-Jardin in Lausanne (March 3 to 11), ECAL MA Product Design students present an exhibition on the theme of "The Lamp of Tomorrow ". This project is part of the USM Design Grant Scholarship Program launched by the USM Foundation, which promotes innovation.

Workshops

Fogo Island Plastic Free Kites

PRODUCT DESIGN

Fogo Island Plastic Free Kites

with Camille Blin, Maxwell Ashford, Anthony Guex, Anniina Koivu

Fogo, nicknamed ‘a rock in the ocean’ is a small island situated off Newfoundland, Canada. As a part of a larger on-going semester project, 2nd Year Master Product Design students of ECAL, completed a short, fun, few day workshop, utilising one of the most abundant resources on the island - wind. Working in collaboration with the ShoreFast Foundation - an organisation working in numerous avenues to create a sustainable economy on the island, students developed plastic free kites. Fogo Island has the intention of becoming completely plastic free in the coming years and as their tourist numbers increase memorabilia of this special place are in higher demand. The developed kites are therefore to be made on the island and intended for the Fogo Island Workshop gift shop. Using Birch Wood, Ripstop Organic Cotton and hemp fibre string the students created a range of designs, taking reference from the unique features of the island.

Ecal×Mini Rethinking the Wheel

PRODUCT DESIGN

Ecal×Mini Rethinking the Wheel

with Christophe Guberan

"Rethinking the Wheel" – a series of projets on steering wheels. Will we be controlling our cars through voice recognition in future? With a soft toy? How about a pizza box? The digital transformation and electrification of cars has opened up a world of possibilities at the wheel. MINI’s design team and ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne have collaborated closely on a sophisticated design study to develop unexpected ideas for the future of steering wheels. Under the direction of ECAL tutors Camille Blin and Christophe Guberan, Master students in Product Design have addressed the topic and come up with spectacular designs, developing, improving and ultimately achieving their vision in ongoing consultation with Christian Bauer, Head of Interior Design at MINI. The result: nine innovative and surprising designs that question existing shapes and materials – and, as such, the way in which we might interact with our cars in the future – with a lot of creativity.

Terre Vaudoise

PRODUCT DESIGN

Terre Vaudoise

with Augustin Scott de Martinville

The objective of this project is to facilitate access to quality products from local agriculture. Terre Vaudoise is launching a new concept of Self-service 7/7. The 1st year students presented an innovative concept for the exterior and interior.

ECAL Digital Market

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL Digital Market

with Camille Blin, Christophe Guberan

In partnership with the 3D printing company Formlabs, ECAL Master Product Design students present a range of innovative everyday life objects, produced through a print farm within the exhibition and sold directly on site. Projects from ECAL faculty and alumni are also available. The concept was imagined by Camille Blin, head of the Master Product Design, and Christophe Guberan, ECAL tutor. ECAL has turned Spazio Orso 16, a 17th century Milanese palazzo, into a contemporary production site and retail shop inspired by a new vision of digital manufacturing. Lately, most of the product design research into 3D printing has been focusing on new technologies and the shapes they can generate. The idea of this project is to present digital manufacturing as an industrial production tool thanks to a print farm composed of numerous machines printing the same pieces simultaneously. “ECAL Digital Market” offers functional and well-designed everyday objects, created by Master Product Design students as well as by a selection of ECAL-related designers (faculty members and alumni). The project looks into the possibilities of production on demand. It examines the changing environment of manufacturing processes, it emphasizes how fast and transparent today’s design industry could become, and experiments with new design details that are too intricate to achieve with traditional manufacturing techniques. Finally, “ECAL Digital Market” highlights the role of the designer in this new production cycle. Thanks to the 3D printers and know-how provided by Formlabs, a large variety of objects such as combs, tape dispensers, mechanical pencils, shoehorns, coat hooks, scissors, spinning tops, shelves and many more are produced and sold on site by the students. The digital files of the objects can also be purchased online:  www.ecal-digital-market.ch

IMD Business School Lausanne

PRODUCT DESIGN

IMD Business School Lausanne

Friday 03.05.2019 ECAL partners with IMD’s MBA program, UEFA and ThinkSport to innovate fans’ experience. Jury selects project from IMD/ECAL team about wearable tech to be considered for UEFA EURO 2024 in innovation challenge for IMD and ECAL participants (MA Product Design and MAS Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship), organized in partnership with UEFA and ThinkSport. Two schools, two leading sports organizations, ninety MBAs, eighteen design students, one challenge: to come up with an innovative new way for fans to improve their experience watching live football. The winning project was Euroband – a wristband with RFID technology, which fans can use to track their families’ locations and purchase refreshments and other items during football matches at stadiums and fanzones. The team was comprised of Anita Lee, Joseph Pineda, Peter Shibaev, Maki Shimizu, Tamil Varda Thamizharasan all from IMD, and Benjamin Bichsel from the Master in Product Design at ECAL. 18 teams pitched their projects to the jury and six teams were chosen for the finals. The teams combined IMD’s MBAs with a student from ECAL’s MA program in Product Design and MAS in Design for Luxury and Craftsmanship to reproduce the mix of business and design expertise to replicate the makeup of multidisciplinary teams in the real world of innovation. Many of the projects focused on improving the football experience for families and people with special needs. More info: https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/about-uefa/news/newsid=2603629.html https://www.imd.org/news/updates/imd-uefa-ecal-thinksport-innovation-week/ https://www.imd.org/news/updates/imd-uefa-ecal-thinksports-innovation-challenge-2019/ https://www.imd.org/news/updates/2019-uefa-innovation-challenge/

Lausanne Jardins 2019

PRODUCT DESIGN

Lausanne Jardins 2019

with Wieki Somers

From 15 June to 12 October at Lausanne Jardins 2019, discover some thirty gardens, including three projects created by ECAL Product Design Master students following a workshop with the Dutch designer Wieki Somers . The three projects presented on the Terrasse de Bellefontaine are: Le Point (Timothée Mion, Fabien Roy, Leonardo Vianello):  Perched atop the roof of a car park above the level of the street, The Bellefontaine terrace is inconspicuous and little-used. To attract the attention and incite passers-by to discover this hidden garden, a sail unfolds every time the car park’s air vent is activated, like a landmark up in the sky. The blast that comes from the bowels of the earth propels the piece of fabric that twirls around in the wind. Air is the invisible link between all the layers of this place and Le Point makes it visible. The Nocturnal Garden (Jeffery Lambert, Lorenz Noelle, Mathilde Lafaille):  Sculptures during the day, stage directors at night: a series of lampshades bring the Bellefontaine terrace to life as night falls. They transform the park, diverting the rays of existing lights onto natural elements for a new experience of the garden. Each reflector creates little scenes with a dramatic interplay between light and nature that varies according to the wind and the rain. Entrance (Samuel Lodetti, Benjamin Bichsel, Jingxiang Zhang):  There is something fascinating about gazing into water. Through the transparency of this element, hidden worlds appear and one can get lost in their infinity. Entrance plays on this fascination. Thanks to an optical effect, the park is connected to the various levels of the car park. The small fountain transforms into a bottomless abyss of stratified storeys, and visitors are invited to dive into this endless world. https://lausannejardins.ch/en/

Renault Contest

PRODUCT DESIGN

Renault Contest

with Camille Blatrix

Diplomas

Antoine Jacquat – Aura

PRODUCT DESIGN

Antoine Jacquat – Aura

with Augustin Scott de Martinville, Camille Blin

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological disorders, affecting over 50 million people worldwide. The seizures this disorder causes greatly limit the autonomy of the people concerned who often cannot drive or venture out on their own. Thanks to artificial intelligence and electrodes, it is possible today to predict and warn about epileptic seizures before they occur. Although such devices have the potential to save lives, the majority of these people refuse to wear them because of their stigmatising aspect. Thus I designed a 3D knitted cap, including all the necessary technology to securely predict seizures. The product, with its subtle aesthetics, invites people with epilepsy to wear such devices to enable them to move more freely in their daily lives.

Danpeng Cai – TEXTure

PRODUCT DESIGN

Danpeng Cai – TEXTure

with Augustin Scott de Martinville, Camille Blin

TEXTure is a fingerprint for physical objects that integrate information through a texture on their surface. It converts encoded texts to assigned machine-readable textures, which were once relatively arbitrary. Inspired by the Turing pattern, a reaction-diffusion system portrays how nature brings uniqueness to each creation, TEXTure can develop automatically and individuate each product through fabricating processes like 3D printing. An embedded fingerprint enables industrial products to move toward full life cycle traceability. It has a high potential for phone-scannable accessibility, anti-counterfeiting, extended producer responsibility, recycling, vintage markets, etc.

Trolle Rudebeck Haar – Löyly

PRODUCT DESIGN

Trolle Rudebeck Haar – Löyly

by Trolle Rudebeck Haar

Löyly is a prefabricated floating sauna on Lake Geneva. This microarchitecture offers a unique experience of relaxation from the lake while watching the water and the Alps through its translucent walls. It can be reached by swimming to the floating pontoon and opening the sliding door. The sauna is built with Swiss wood and consists of a bench for 2-3 people and a wood stove.

Silvio Rebholz – On the Way to Work with…

PRODUCT DESIGN

Silvio Rebholz – On the Way to Work with…

by Silvio Rebholz

Mention Excellent Prix EXECAL On the Way to Work with… is a series of video interviews in which I accompany designers, artists or other creative professionals on their way to work. For each episode, I designed a vehicle or a camera device adapted to the guests and their means of transport. These tailor-made objects are designed to create a surprising interview setting and to serve as a camera set-up to capture the conversation on the go without a big film crew. The daily commute is a transition period between private and professional life and forms the stage for an interview which sheds light on the guests’ personality and their passion for their job. The interview series is an experimentation to develop a personal ongoing project as an extension of my practice as a product designer.

Maxwell Ashford – RUEI-01 - Robotically Recyclable Shoe. In collaboration with ABB.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Maxwell Ashford – RUEI-01 - Robotically Recyclable Shoe. In collaboration with ABB.

by Maxwell Ashford

Mention Très bien Prix BCV + Prix Eyes on Talents In standard recycling, objects arrive in industrial warehouses facilities as unknown entities, with no communication about the components. They are fed into shredders which reduce them to a mixture of materials that are then painstakingly sorted. Coatings, glues, colours and other aspects mean that pure material fractions are near impossible to extract. The RUEI-01 shoe concept was designed to be recycled by a robot and contains all the information pertaining to itself in a digital form. This allows robots to “un-manufacture” the shoe, disassembling and separating materials with all data provided, even colour codes and original sources of materials. Existing recyclable shoes focus on mono-materialising. RUEI-01 evaluates the potential for multi-material durability and performance, with recycling by automation.

Fabien Roy – RobustNest

PRODUCT DESIGN

Fabien Roy – RobustNest

by Fabien Roy

According to UNICEF, every year in sub-Saharan Africa, 1.1 million newborns die of hypothermia during their first month of life. Developed in collaboration with EPFL’s EssentialTech Centre, “RobustNest” is an incubator for newborns that is adapted to district hospitals. Compact, robust and affordable, “RobustNest” is suited to the transport of patients in vehicles, can withstand frequent power cuts thanks to its thermal battery developed by EPFL and is characterised by components that can be easily replaced locally. This ensures babies are kept warm. fab.roy@hotmail.com https://www.fabienroy.com

Luisa Kahlfeldt – SeaCell Diaper

PRODUCT DESIGN

Luisa Kahlfeldt – SeaCell Diaper

with Camille Blin, Augustin Scott de Martinville

SeaCell is a fully biodegradable, absorbent and inherently antibacterial fibre made from eucalyptus wood and algae extract. Currently only available in fabric form blended with other fibres, its applications are limited to sportswear. In collaboration with a renowned fibre research institute, I developed the first functional 100% SeaCell fabric and created a range of reusable cloth diapers for babies. An end-use application that greatly benefits from more sustainable alternatives, the mono-materiality diaper fully utilises the material’s inherent skin protection and hygiene properties. SUMO diaper James Dyson Award 2019 website

Highlights

ECAL MILANO 2023: ECAL for Schätti,18–23.04.2023,Assab One

EXHIBITIONS

ECAL MILANO 2023: ECAL for Schätti,
18–23.04.2023,
Assab One

On the occasion of the Milan Design Week (17-23 April 2023), ECAL and the Swiss lighting brand Schätti present five playful and innovative portable lamps.

ECAL Milano 2023: U.F.O.G.O.,18–23.04.2023,Spazio Orso 16

EXHIBITIONS

ECAL Milano 2023: U.F.O.G.O.,
18–23.04.2023,
Spazio Orso 16

On the occasion of the Milan Design Week (17-23 April 2023), ECAL presents U.F.O.G.O., an exhibition that provides a solution for a better integration of wind turbines in our landscapes.

ECAL MILANO 2023: The Salone Pick-Up,18–23.04.2023,Salone Satellite

EXHIBITIONS

ECAL MILANO 2023: The Salone Pick-Up,
18–23.04.2023,
Salone Satellite

On the occasion of the Milan Design Week (17-23 April 2023), ECAL presents The Salone Pick-Up by the designer Silvio Rebholz, Master Product Design graduate: a series of interviews streamed live on Instagram and hosted between Salone Satellite and Salone del Mobile, with key players at the fair.

ECAL x RBM by Flokk: The Future of School Seating,04–07.02.2020,Konstnärshuset, Stockholm

EXHIBITIONS

ECAL x RBM by Flokk: The Future of School Seating,
04–07.02.2020,
Konstnärshuset, Stockholm

On the occasion of the Stockholm Design Week from 4 to 7 February 2020, ECAL students reimagine the school chair of the future with RBM by Flokk.

Big success for ECAL at Design Preis Schweiz

AWARDS & DISTINCTIONS

Big success for ECAL at Design Preis Schweiz

On the occasion of the Design Preis Schweiz/Prix Design Suisse awards ceremony last weekend in Langenthal, ECAL graduates have won six awards

Diplôme 2021

PRODUCT DESIGN

Diplôme 2021

with Camille Blin, Augustin Scott de Martinville

Diploma project 2021 www.ecal-diplomes.ch

ECAL Digital Market

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL Digital Market

with Camille Blin, Christophe Guberan

In partnership with the 3D printing company Formlabs, ECAL Master Product Design students present a range of innovative everyday life objects, produced through a print farm within the exhibition and sold directly on site. Projects from ECAL faculty and alumni are also available. The concept was imagined by Camille Blin, head of the Master Product Design, and Christophe Guberan, ECAL tutor. ECAL has turned Spazio Orso 16, a 17th century Milanese palazzo, into a contemporary production site and retail shop inspired by a new vision of digital manufacturing. Lately, most of the product design research into 3D printing has been focusing on new technologies and the shapes they can generate. The idea of this project is to present digital manufacturing as an industrial production tool thanks to a print farm composed of numerous machines printing the same pieces simultaneously. “ECAL Digital Market” offers functional and well-designed everyday objects, created by Master Product Design students as well as by a selection of ECAL-related designers (faculty members and alumni). The project looks into the possibilities of production on demand. It examines the changing environment of manufacturing processes, it emphasizes how fast and transparent today’s design industry could become, and experiments with new design details that are too intricate to achieve with traditional manufacturing techniques. Finally, “ECAL Digital Market” highlights the role of the designer in this new production cycle. Thanks to the 3D printers and know-how provided by Formlabs, a large variety of objects such as combs, tape dispensers, mechanical pencils, shoehorns, coat hooks, scissors, spinning tops, shelves and many more are produced and sold on site by the students. The digital files of the objects can also be purchased online:  www.ecal-digital-market.ch

Fabien Roy – RobustNest

PRODUCT DESIGN

Fabien Roy – RobustNest

by Fabien Roy

According to UNICEF, every year in sub-Saharan Africa, 1.1 million newborns die of hypothermia during their first month of life. Developed in collaboration with EPFL’s EssentialTech Centre, “RobustNest” is an incubator for newborns that is adapted to district hospitals. Compact, robust and affordable, “RobustNest” is suited to the transport of patients in vehicles, can withstand frequent power cuts thanks to its thermal battery developed by EPFL and is characterised by components that can be easily replaced locally. This ensures babies are kept warm. fab.roy@hotmail.com https://www.fabienroy.com

ECAL x Vitra

PRODUCT DESIGN

ECAL x Vitra

Following a workshop led by Camille Blin and Erwan Bouroullec, Master Product Design students of ECAL present projects around the Workbays created by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec and edited by Vitra. Together with new functionalities, these prospective work environments are presented on the occasion of Design Parade Toulon  – festival international d’architecture d’intérieur. With Workbays, which they created for Vitra a few years ago, the French designers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, who regularly collaborate with ECAL, have developed a micro-architectural system that redefines the working environment and breaks with the typical rigid planning structure of offices. Thus Workbays create distinct areas where individuals or groups can retreat from the general office environment to carry out specific activities. The units come equipped with everything users need: work surfaces, seating, optional storage and power connections. The structure of Workbays consists of slim aluminium profiles and organically shaped wall elements made of pressed polyester felt. “The ECAL students suggested we devised new typologies for these working environments, adding novel features and supplying them with new accessories”, says Camille Blin, the designer and professor who headed the project. So the Master Product Design students worked for a full semester under the watchful eye of Erwan Bouroullec and invented new structures that call to mind Japanese 0capsule hotels, a prototyping workshop, a gym, a bar, a garden or a resting area. For each of these spaces, the students created specific and original objects, ranging from Bluetooth loudspeakers to miniature lamps reminiscent of stadium ones, desk pads-cum-bags, a semi-standing stool, a cable-covering carpet, in & out wastepaper baskets, multi socket trays or a desk partition with vases and drawing pins. A 3D animation film specifically created by TRAUM Inc. presenting these unusual Workbays can also be seen at the exhibition.

USM Foundation x ECAL

PRODUCT DESIGN

USM Foundation x ECAL

with Camille Blin

On the occasion of the Design Days 2018 taking place in the framework of Habitat-Jardin in Lausanne (March 3 to 11), ECAL MA Product Design students present an exhibition on the theme of "The Lamp of Tomorrow ". This project is part of the USM Design Grant Scholarship Program launched by the USM Foundation, which promotes innovation.

Program

This section lists the detailed modules and courses for each semester of the programme.

Semester 1 2 3 4

Common modules (ECAL — HEAD)
  • Training in research I (3 ECTS)
  • Transversal workshop I (3 ECTS)

Common modules (Photography, Product Design and Type Design)
  • Cross Lectures I (4 ECTS)
  • MA Thesis preparation I (5 ECTS)

Modules (Product Design)
  • Design — Experiments I : basics & know-how
    (7 ECTS)

  • Design — Collaborations I : materials & forms
    (8 ECTS)

Common modules (ECAL — HEAD)
  • Training in research II (3 ECTS)
  • Transversal workshop II (3 ECTS)

Common modules (Photography, Product Design and Type Design)
  • Cross Lectures II (4 ECTS)
  • MA Thesis preparation II (5 ECTS)

Modules (Product Design)
  • Design — Experiments II : opportunities & conditions
    (7 ECTS)

  • Design — Collaborations II : processes & technologies
    (8 ECTS)

     

Common modules (ECAL — HEAD)
  • Training in research II (3 ECTS)
  • Transversal workshop II (3 ECTS)

Common modules (Photography, Product Design and Type Design)
  • Cross Lectures III (3 ECTS)
  • MA Thesis preparation III (6 ECTS)

Modules (Product Design)
  • Design — Experiments III : opportunities & conditions (7 ECTS)

  • Design — Collaborations III : integral approach & context (8 ECTS)

     

Common modules (ECAL — HEAD)
  • Master Thesis: Theoretical project
    (9 ECTS)
  • Master Thesis: Practical project
    (21 ECTS)

Find all the programme documents below

Alumni

Casare Bizotto & Tobias Nietsche
Moisés Hernández
Luisa Kahlfeldt
Manuel Netto
Carolien Niebling
Studio Zanellato-Bortotto
Career Opportunities

Industrial and product designer, Furniture designer, Watch designer, Textile (soft goods) designer, Packaging designer, Colors and materials designer, Event designer, Exhibition designer, Signage designer, Product developer, Creative director, Teacher…

Other alumni

(BA Industrial Design, MA Product Design MAS in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship) Ini Archibong, Dimitri Bähler, BIG-GAME, Camille Blin, Daniele Bortotto, Antoine Boudin, Thilo Alex Brunner, Michel Charlot, D’Esposito & Gaillard, Marie Douel (Hors Pistes), Christophe Guberan, FROM, Tomás Král, Bertille Laguet, Nicolas Le Moigne, LeviSarha, Carolien Niebling, Léa Pereyre, Julie Richoz, Adrien Rovero, Brynjar Sigurðarson, Christian Spiess, SUPERLIFE, Hongchao Wang, Giorgia Zanellato

Staff

Head

Camille Blin

Coordination

Artistic assistant
Anthony Guex

Assistant·e·x·s
Maxwell Ashford
Yohanna Rieckhoff

Academic partners
IMD Business School, Lausanne
Cyril Bouquet, professeur
Stéphane Girod, professeur
Peter Vogel, professeur

Professors

Camille Blin
Anniina Koivu
Augustin Scott de Martinville

Visiting lecturers

Tomás Alonso
Camille Blatrix
Erwan Bouroullec
Thilo Alex Brunner
Michel Charlot
Kim Colin (Industrial Facility)
Pierre Doze
Christophe Guberan
Christian Kaegi
Chris Lefteri
Eckart Maise
Alberto Meda
Christien Meindertsma
Carolien Niebling
Brynjar Sigurðarson
Christian Spiess
Keiji Takeuchi
Skylar Tibbits
John Tree
Jane Withers
Sebastian Wrong