Using art and design to innovate care and welfare. This is what master’s students have been learning since September in the new Health by Design specialisation at Avans. The master’s degree is part of the university of applied sciences’ vision to offer more and more of its own master’s programmes with a professional orientation. This is not a new development, however; for more than 20 years, master’s degrees in art and design have been available at St. Joost School of Art & Design. ‘We are given the freedom to experiment with ideas’
Avans’ master’s degrees initially targeted students who wanted to be involved in the cultural sector and felt close to art and design. That has changed in the past five years, however, explain Anne-Marije van den Bersselaar and Esther Blanken. They are involved as programme manager and coordinator in the art and design master’s degrees with different specialisations. They say that the majority of students still have an art or design background, but the focus of the master’s degrees is increasingly on social issues outside the art sector and enrolment is broadening.
“We see many students coming from outside the arts, such as from the technical sector, journalism, anthropology and people with STEM backgrounds. What they have in common is a desire to make a difference in today’s world for the benefit of tomorrow’s world, where people must come together to find solutions to social issues. That is possible by making art, but more often art and design become a way to think differently and introduce innovation,” the pair agree.
Currently, there are two master’s degrees available at Avans: the one-year Master of Animation and the two-year Master of Arts in Fine Arts & Design with four specialisations. Earlier, Punt spoke about master’s programmes with a professional orientation with programme developer Ronald Cloosterman. He talked about Avans’ plans and that, in his opinion, the university of applied sciences was late with this development.
Health by Design
Bram Brouwers isone of the students who wanted to continue developing after his higher professional education at Avans. With his bachelor’s degree in Communication & Multimedia Design (CMD) under his belt, he learned to address social issues from a design perspective. After his bachelor’s degree, he wanted to continue studying because he found his studies wide-ranging and did not yet know exactly which track he wanted to take. He did know, however, that he found healthcare, a topic on which he had already focused during his bachelor’s degree, an interesting subject. Especially when combined with design. When he heard about the master’s degree Health by Design, he knew that he had hit the jackpot. “That was exactly what I was looking for,” the Breda student says enthusiastically.
Applying design skills within healthcare and creating new insights is what Bram is learning within Health by Design. He does this by looking into practice, such as in the subject studio practice. He researched how rehabilitation therapists can better assist children with physical disabilities when they exercise at home.
“The children only spend a short time in the rehabilitation centre itself. The rest of the rehabilitation takes place at home and the therapist has little insight into that. I wanted to design something that involves the therapist more in this context and provides tools,” says Bram, who went to rehabilitation centres and talked to therapists and parents. He eventually developed an advent calendar that includes daily exercises to do at home. “Thinking about applying social design and involving the target group is very important during the master’s degree.”
Other options
The Avans student explored other options, such as the Nursing study programme or a master’s degree in care ethics at another educational institution. “But that required a background in healthcare, which I didn’t have. I could also choose other specialisations from the Master of Arts within Avans, but they seemed too open. In this master’s degree I found the middle ground. With my CMD background, that seemed perfect for me.”
His class includes students from a wide range of backgrounds. He is surrounded by alumni of New Design & Attitudes, People, Science & Technology, ICT and Nursing. That variety works well, says Bram. “Alumni of St. Joost are good at visualising concepts in high quality, nurses have a systematic approach and are good at academic research. This creates wonderful cross-pollinations.”
Improving sectors
Several art-related bachelor’s programmes are available at Avans. According to programme creators and coordinatorsBlanken and Van den Bersselaar, these provide a good foundation of skills to apply in work. “But in the master’s degree, you think about how you can apply your designs in service of certain sectors to improve them. Your research topic is different. It’s not necessarily about being talented at making things,” say the Avans employees. ”You think mostly about the why and how, to ultimately arrive at something that does not yet exist.”
Difference from bachelor’s degree
Bram has definitely noticed that the master’s degree is at a higher level than his bachelor’s degree. He might have tackled the above subject during his bachelor’s degree programme, but in a different way. “Here, more is demanded in terms of doing research. You are pushed to collaborate with relevant sources within your field of research. This was encouraged at the bachelor’s degree level, but it was not a firm requirement. You could also to do it based solely on literature. Here, you really learn how these different ways of doing research combine and reinforce each other.”
Success
The master’s degrees are catching on. Never before have there been so many applications as in the previous academic year. The Animation master’s degree is currently attended by more than 20 students with room for 30, and the Master of Arts in Fine Arts and Design has a total of 55 students with room for a hundred. Blanken and Van den Bersselaar have several explanations for this. “Consider the content of the curriculum. As a student, you have control over what you can do, there is freedom to shape your programme yourself,” says Van den Bersselaar. Blanken points to the team of lecturers. “They come from the field of work. Lecturers ensure the quality of the study programme and have good contact with the students.” Her colleague agrees: “Because of their strong practical background, our students do not have to be in their own bubble when doing their research. They can consult their lecturers, who can give them good support.”
Experimentation
International student Kristina Dwi Suryani is also happy with the team of lecturers. She is taking the two-year master’s degree programme Ecology Futures in Breda. It focuses on bio-art and design and how that “can create an alternative future, addressing contemporary ecological concerns.” She is enthusiastic about the way the master’s degree works. “We are given the freedom to experiment with ideas and the laboratory on campus is always available. The lecturers are also there to guide us during practical assignments.” That was different for her bachelor’s degree in product design, which she took in England. “At that time, I had to stick to the assignment and design for other people. I made a product for the sake of making a product. Here, I am really developing and getting the chance to rediscover myself as an artist.”
Kristina developed an interest in the sustainable aspect of design and considered reducing waste on a local and global scale an important theme. When she read about the master’s degree at Avans, she didn’t have to think twice. “The master’s degree focuses on practice, theory and balancing art and science. That was still a new concept for me and others. As an artist, that immediately appealed to me. Bio-based materials are going to play a major role in the near future and at Avans I got the chance to work with them,” says the student who was looking forward to studying in the Netherlands. “The art and design world here is advanced and there are many relevant events, Such as Dutch Design Week.”
Challenges
The fact that students know about the master’s degree and are satisfied does not mean that there is no room for improvement. Van den Bersselaar and Blanken point to the number of Avans students who take a bachelor’s degree and then move on to a master’s degree at the university of applied sciences. Although there are no figures on that, they think it should be more. “We are not a niche, we can be of interest to multiple people. Nor do you have to be put off by the English language. Our team is bilingual and you will find plenty of connection if that’s daunting to you. We can always assist students if needed.”
They also point to the position that St. Joost occupies within the university of applied sciences. Traditionally, the art academy has had an autonomous position, which Van den Berssselaar and Blanken consider a good thing, but they stress that it would also be good if forces were combined without excluding art. “We emphasise the importance of collaboration within institutions through interdisciplinary and transformational education. Art no longer stands purely on its own in times when innovation is necessary. Avans has an opportunity to incorporate art and design into its vision to support the position of this practice. In times of uncertainty, artists, together with designers, can contribute incredibly to tomorrow’s world. We see Avans as a perfect place to explore that.”
New master’s degree
Student Bram notices that he is taking a programme that has not existed very long. For example, Brightspace is not yet fully populated, the curriculum is being shaped during courses and lecturers regularly solicit feedback from students on how they found certain subjects. Bram thinks the latter can only be a good thing. He is curious, however, about how to market himself to the field of work in the future. “If you say you’re a nurse or firefighter, people know what that means. But if you say you’re a Health Designer, people have no frame of reference. That’s nice, but also difficult. You can do all kinds of things, but I have yet to find what.”
‘Outside the box’
Avans employees are convinced of the potential of the masters’ degree. “With many contemporary topics, you need artists, designers or creative thinkers who sink their teeth into issues and think outside the box. People who are not afraid to try new things, knowing that it doesn’t always work straight away.”
“By developing cross-sector master’s degrees, you can make a valuable contribution to society. No matter how complex it is. And the advantage of a master’s programme with a professional orientation is that you can immediately apply the knowledge you’ve gained,” say the pair. “With a master’s degree, you invest in yourself and in research. The principle of lifelong learning is not an unnecessary luxury. The world is changing rapidly. If you have the opportunity to continue studying after your bachelor’s degree, you should definitely do so.”
Students Bram and Kristina agree. “As students, we have a responsibility to think about social issues. I am immensely grateful to have the opportunity to think about solutions,” says Kristina.
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