Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design

Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
Name	Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design
Established	2006
Location	Copenhagen, Denmark
Type	Independent design school

Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design The Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design is an independent postgraduate design school based in Copenhagen, Denmark, focused on interaction design, service design, and user experience. Founded in 2006, it has engaged with international design communities and partnered with institutions across Europe, Asia, and North America. The institute connects practitioners and scholars from fields linked to human-centered practice and technological innovation.

History

The institute was established amid a period of expansion in European design education linked to initiatives such as Design Research Center (Aalborg), Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Konstfack, Eindhoven University of Technology and Goldsmiths, University of London. Early leadership included figures who had worked with Arup, Philips, IKEA, Nokia, and Sony and collaborated with organizations like European Commission, INTERREG, Nordic Innovation Fund, and British Council. The institute developed programs in parallel with developments at IDEO, Frog Design, Continuum, and Smart Design, and engaged with networks that included Danish Design Centre, Design Museum Denmark, Aalto University, and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. Over time, the school expanded ties to cities such as London, Barcelona, Bangalore, New York City, and Singapore through workshops, summer schools, and exchange programs.

Programs and Curriculum

The curriculum emphasizes studio-based practice and project-led modules influenced by methods from IDEO, Stanford University's d.school, MIT Media Lab, Royal College of Art, and Bauhaus. Core modules incorporate prototyping approaches used at Laboratory for Automation and Robotics (LAAS), ethnographic techniques associated with London School of Economics researchers, and service design frameworks from T-Systems and Accenture Interactive. Course content references case studies involving Apple Inc., Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and Samsung Electronics, while teaching methods include co-design processes familiar from Nesta, The Young Foundation, and Nesta Challenge Prize Centre. Assessment often involves external juries featuring representatives from Danish Crown, Maersk, Carlsberg Group, LEGO Group, and international design consultancies like Pentagram.

Campus and Facilities

Located in Copenhagen, the institute's facilities reflect proximity to institutions such as Copenhagen Business School, University of Copenhagen, IT University of Copenhagen, DGI-byen, and cultural sites like Nyhavn and Tivoli Gardens. Studios are equipped with fabrication tools similar to those found at Fab Lab, MakerBot spaces, and university makerspaces at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The campus housing prototypes and workshops maintains equipment for digital fabrication influenced by CERN collaborations and electronics labs comparable to Fab@Home setups and microcontroller resources like Arduino and Raspberry Pi. The institute has hosted exhibitions in venues associated with Design Museum Denmark, DOKK1, and Musée du Design de la Ville de Paris.

Research and Projects

Research at the institute spans interaction design, urban computing, tangible interfaces, and service innovation, with projects referencing methodologies from MIT Media Lab, University College London, and SRI International. The institute has led applied projects for clients including Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, World Health Organization, UNICEF, and private partners such as Novozymes and Grundfos. Research outputs intersect with initiatives like Smart City Wien, Living Lab, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and collaborations inspired by projects at Senseable City Lab and Mobile Life Centre. Examples of project themes include healthcare interfaces examined alongside researchers from Karolinska Institutet, mobility solutions influenced by DTU research, and sustainability-focused work related to United Nations Environment Programme objectives.

Collaborations and Partnerships

The institute maintains partnerships with universities and organizations across continents, including Aalto University, Imperial College London, National University of Singapore, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley, and Savannah College of Art and Design. Industry collaborations have involved LEGO Group, B&O (Bang & Olufsen), Maersk Group, Siemens, Cisco Systems, and consultancy networks such as IDEO, Frog Design, and McKinsey & Company's design arms. Funding and project support have included grants and partnerships with Nordic Council of Ministers, European Commission Horizon 2020, Innovation Fund Denmark, and cultural partners like Danish Arts Foundation.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Faculty and visiting tutors have included practitioners and academics who have worked with institutions and companies such as Stanford University, Royal College of Art, MIT Media Lab, IDEO, Frog Design, Arup, Philips Design, IKEA, and Nokia Research Center. Alumni have gone on to roles at organizations including Google, Facebook, Microsoft Research, Amazon, LEGO Group, Bang & Olufsen, Maersk, IDEO, Frog Design, Pentagram, and startups featured at TechCrunch Disrupt, SXSW Interactive, and Web Summit. Several alumni and faculty have been recognized by awards and events such as Red Dot Design Award, iF Design Award, Core77 Design Awards, Design of the Year (Design Museum) and participation in exhibitions at MOMA, Victoria and Albert Museum, and Centre Pompidou.

Category:Design schools in Denmark