GradComD Students Find a Wealth of Experiences in Copenhagen

It is common for students of the fine arts to spend time abroad studying the works of great artists, but where can design students go for a similar cultural immersion? Four Pratt GradComD students discovered this past summer the answer is Copenhagen, Denmark. Scandinavian design delivers a renowned modern aesthetic across all design facets and their utilitarian design approach makes the region a great place to take on further design studies.

The Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) and Pratt GradComD offer a nine-credit summer program in either information or textile design. The program immerses students into an academic and cultural experience that exposes them to many facets of design—architecture, furniture and graphic design—not just their chosen focus. As with most experiences, it’s the journey that defines the time, not the destination itself, and this creative journey is no exception.

“The program had a huge effect of my creative process,” says MFA student Daniel Wiggins. “So often in the US, we only concentrate on the final product and neglect the process of getting there. By focusing more on process and idea creation, this program supports a student’s ability to come up with better ideas for the project at hand.”

Daniel chose to study textile design and was inspired by the program’s week-long design tour through Sweden and Finland. Visiting up to three museums a day was at times overwhelming, but Wiggins was happy to be exposed to many new designers. Daniel’s dedication did not go unnoticed by the program’s instructors. At the end of the summer, Daniel was awarded the Textile Design Award for academic excellence.

MFA graduate Nefeli Stavrinidi enrolled in DIS’ Information Design program and realized that she wants to pursue strategic design that solves social challenges. Her capstone project, Velocity, created a brand strategy for the visual identity of Copenhagen’s Share Bike System. This project was perfect because Nefeli enjoyed Copenhagen’s unique bike culture. Nefeli also found time to balance the course load with taking in different cultural experiences, including a traditional jump into a natural sauna in the middle of a Finnish forest.

MS students Xiaoqian Liao and Josh Eriksen also studied textile design. Josh chose to study abroad because he thought the experience would be more beneficial to his design education than a summer of interning. He did well in the program and his final textile design will be featured in DIS’ permanent collection. He also added, “There aren’t many times in your life when you can pack up and spend two months in Europe. This was one of those times, so I had to take advantage of it.”

Qiana was attracted to Scandinavia for the exposure to world-class design. She was particularly drawn to Sweden’s iconic Dala horses, which inspired her final textile design. “Horses are considered lucky in Chinese culture, and since Dala horses are a dominant Swedish icon, I wanted to combine the two cultural elements into my final textile.”

All four students agree that their experiences this past summer changed their approach to design in good and unexpected ways. The new perspectives and skill sets they gained were a direct result of their time in Copenhagen. Said Wiggins, “Stepping outside of my comfort zone and traveling with new people was a valuable learning experience. Even as a graduate student, it's still a good exercise to go somewhere new, get lost and see how that changes you and how you design.” Nefeli concluded, “Copenhagen is a beautiful and peaceful place. The people are super friendly and the quality of life in Denmark is surprisingly high. Go experience all that Copenhagen and Scandinavia have to offer.”