Course summary

Push your interior design practice and spatial thinking beyond existing boundaries, towards speculative, analytical, and entrepreneurial approaches that extend from the room to the city. Make a positive contribution to society, health, and planet through ethical and systemic innovation in the built environment. In a world that will soon be 70% urbanised, and where humans spend 90% of their time indoors, future interior design professionals have never played such a central role in improving the quality of life through innovative and thoughtful spaces, services, and experiences that are connected, shared, and intelligent. By studying MA Interior Design Innovation at ARU, you will develop the theoretical, practical, and leadership skills, and understanding and knowledge critical to creating dynamic and future forms of living, working, learning, and relaxing. You’ll gain a broad understanding of future and smart cities from the perspective of interior design, and tackle mental, physical, emotional, and social health and wellbeing issues in a global context by rethinking existing spaces, environments, and experiences. These spaces could include retail; exhibitions; entertainment; leisure; housing; hospitality; urban and human interactions; transport and mobility. You’ll work closely with students from across Cambridge School of Art, including postgraduate students from MA Human-Centred Design, and MA Art, Health and Wellbeing, on an industry-led collaborative project, delivering public-facing events. As an Interior Design Innovation student in Cambridge, you’ll be able to work in a start-up environment and relaxed culture in which creativity and creative problem solving are valued, building strong relationships and freely exchanging thoughts and ideas. Most importantly, you’ll receive support and guidance from our experienced staff who, as well as running their own studio practice, have worked with companies such as OMA, Fitch, Ford, Ramboll, Transport Research London, and Samsung. The creative freedom you experience on the course will give you a variety of degree outputs based on design futuring (ideas and methods for design as an expanded ethical and professional practice), from the future of retail and leisure to the future of hospitality, housing, transport and mobility. Talks from visiting lecturers and live briefs from industry are built into our course. These will focus on areas including smart cities; intelligent mobility; architecture; interactive digital technologies; future materials; retail design and branding; hospitality; and inclusive environments. We'll encourage you to build your profile by entering national and international competitions, as well as taking part in our own competitions such as the Sustainability Art Prize. You'll have the chance to develop a business plan and pitch for start-up funding through our annual competition, The Big Pitch, and you can get involved in our research conferences and creative events. Careers Our Interior Design Innovation will help you achieve a career within the public, private, and third sector in roles such as: Spatial and architectural designer; Healthcare and wellbeing designer; Branded environments and retail future designer; Social regeneration designer; Hospitality designer; Virtual and physical experience designer; Urban interventionist; Design management; Materials designer; Circularity and systems strategist; Immersive environments designer; Product and furniture designer; Sustainability strategist; Space planner and strategist. All of our modules integrate professional practice, and you’ll be introduced to different aspects of the design industry by the teaching team and external guests. This will help you develop an appreciation and awareness of the changing role of designers, and the increasing responsibilities within possible career paths.