Ever wondered how IKEA managed to become the largest and most popular furniture retailer in the world? Well, it might have had something to do with the fact they let groups of users share their experience of the products and create sustainable furniture to suit their needs. Co-creation has become a reality for every professional designer. And it’s second nature to our IDE ‘open innovator’ students at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS). Anyone can come up with a ground-breaking idea. But IDE teaches you to funnel your creativity by collaborating with all stakeholders, taking ethics and other cultures into account and making a positive impact with the launch of your project. You could design a solution for cleaning plastic waste from the city canals based on nature’s principles (biomimicry). You could design and engineer a sun visor or windshield wiper for the car of the future. Or you could create a lighting solution that is sustainable and helps students and young professionals keep a healthy daily rhythm. You can explore other realized projects here. The first semester at IDE provides you with the Basics of IDE: the methods, knowledge and skills that you apply immediately in your first design project for an external client. The next three semesters you can choose from the different semesters on offer. All IDE semesters are integrated projects for real clients supported by training in skills and methods. Your fifth semester is for the minor space; you can choose a minor at THUAS or elsewhere, do an internship or go on exchange. In the final semester you’ll put your skills to the test in in individual innovation project for a client. Show less

Year 1
Teaching in IDE is mostly in workshop on skills and methods. No long lectures in IDE! The workshops support your work in design projects. From day one you’ll be convincing real organisations, like Bosch, Ahrend or Rabobank, how your brilliant ideas can fill a gap in the market. In the first semester, you’ll reinforce your new professional experience with workshops and skills in the Basics of IDE. This includes user research, construction, business and personal branding, visual communication, prototyping and learning the necessary 2D/3D software programmes.

In year one, you’ll also get to make your first choice for the second semester. Will you go for Product Engineering, Strategic Design or Design Aesthetics and Perception? Your choice is important because it focuses your area of expertise.

There are three profiles in IDE: Explorer, Creator and Entrepreneur. Some semesters focus on one or two of these profiles, so you can choose what fits you best.

Year 2
In the second year you bring the individual competences you’ve developed in year one to a higher level. You’ll choose two more options from the extended semester menu. Each semester offers a real-life group project and a chance to take your individual development to the next level. The results of each semester are showcased at our design expo in week 14. For example, a group of students designed a portable coffee machine. In IDE projects you’ll turn serious ideas into viable business plans by closely involving end-users and stakeholders in the design process.
Please note: this is the most common order of semesters, you are also allowed to bring forward your minor semester to year 2 and take an IDE semester in the first half of year 3.

Year 3
Semester E
In semester E, you fill your minor space by choosing a minor at THUAS or elsewhere, doing an internship or going on exchange. Or if you filled the minor space already in year 2, you take an IDE semester now.

Semester F: Graduation project

In your graduation project you will prove that you are capable of carrying out an open innovation project by yourself. You will need to find a graduation project at a client that enables you to develop and show 3 competencies to examiners in your graduation presentation.

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You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

How to book:

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it

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