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24–28 September 2025
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
in collaboration with
Lund University (Sweden) and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway)
Veneu: Faculty of Art & Design
📍Address : Kompleks Ilham, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Project under: Design Thinking - Digital Workshop
AIMS OF THE COURSE
AIMS OF THE COURSE
The summer school aims to introduce, explore, and critically examine key topics in design research, including theoretical perspectives, methodologies, and topical areas within industrial design and related fields. It also seeks to position central issues in design research and practice — such as theory development, research approaches, rigor, and evaluation — within a broader academic and practical context.
Moreover, the course supports participants in developing a tailored research design for their PhD projects. Through active engagement, participants will connect design theories and methods to their own research activities, learning to interpret, assess, and apply diverse approaches within their specific fields of inquiry.
*The participants who passed the examination will get 5 ECTS for a PhD course from Lund University.
TEACHING STAFF
TEACHING STAFF
OBSERVER
OBSERVER
Programme Overview
Programme Overview
📌 DAY 1
📌 DAY 1
Day 1: Introduction to PhD Research and Student Presentations
Design is a relatively young academic discipline that faces unique challenges in knowledge generation, particularly the close interlinkage between theoretical insights and practice-based research. The first day allows participants to present their projects and situate their work within the broader philosophy of design research traditions.
Schedule:
· Welcome and introduction to the SSDSR'25 - Summer School on Design Sciences Research 2025 (Prof. Shahriman) + brief participant introductions.
· Lecture: Design Research: A Scaffold for Thinking and Making (Prof. Martina).
Presentation Sessions (including lunch and break):
Participants present their research projects in small groups (7–8 presentations per session, 10 minutes each + 5 minutes Q&A with feedback from facilitators).
Facilitators:
Session 1: Prof. Anders + UiTM Research-active Faculty
Session 2: Prof. Martina + Prof. Sangeeta
Session 3: Prof. Andre + UiTM Research-active Faculty
Session 4: Facilitator TBD (NN)
Presentation Requirements:
Motivation for PhD study and argumentation for their chosen research topic
Research problem and research questions
Research methods used/planned and rationale
Initial expected findings
📌Day 2
📌Day 2
Day 2: Empathizing with your Research
Participants will apply Design Thinking approaches to reflect on motivations, objectives, and alignment of methods with those objectives.
Schedule:
· Introduction: Design Thinking in Research (Prof. Andre and Prof. Anders).
· Workshop: Understanding and Defining Your Research Problem. Participants work in groups (4-5 students/group) to reflect and learn from different approaches through exercises and feedforward sessions, facilitated by course leaders.
Assignment:
Introduction to Research Design Canvas (Prof. Anders).
Based on the previous workshop, revise your Research Design Canvas and update research problem statement and objectives of your research. Work in groups.
📌Day 3
📌Day 3
Day 3: Inductive Research — What Does the Data Say?
Participants will explore bottom-up research approaches and reason inductively based on their hypotheses or empirical data.
Schedule:
Introduction to Inductive Methods (Prof. Andre)
Workshop: In groups, consider alternative research approaches and their implications for the RQs and methodology of your PhD project.
Assignment: Complete the revised Research Design Canvas.
📌Day 4
📌Day 4
Day 4: Literature Review and Article Writing
Participants will explore literature review and article writing and prepare for the final course assignment.
Schedule:
Lecture: Conducting a Literature Review (Prof. Martina).
Lecture: Article Writing, Publishing, and Journal Selection (Prof. Martina).
Workshop: Introduction to Article Canvas (Prof. Anders and Prof. Andre) and hands-on analysis exercise
Introduction to final course assignment article draft (to be completed and submitted after the course)
Individual work on Article Design Canvases, followed by discussion in groups.
Closing session:
Reflections and evaluation on the Summer School experience.
📌Day 5
📌Day 5
Day 5: Closing Ceremony and Excursion
Closing Ceremony:
• 2 hours: Certificate of attendance presented by Assistant Vice-Chancellor (International) UiTM Global
Excursion:
• 3 hours: Kuala Lumpur
*This programme is supported by the IMT-GT UNINET under the Design Thinking - Digital Workshop project, Faculty of Art & Design, UiTM, ReNeU (Art & Humanities), UiTM, Institute of Postgraduate Studies (IPSis), UiTM, and UiTM Global. This is a collaborative effort in delivering the programme, with UiTM Global playing a role in internationalisation or partnership aspects.
UiTM (Malaysia) in collaboration with
Lund University (Sweden) and Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Norway)
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