Design
Thesis

A design thesis addresses your research question or hypothesis through an iterative process of exploration, experimentation, and testing.

A master’s design thesis may target an urgent problem or explore the potential of specific materials, artifacts, practices, and systems. The thesis should result in concrete, prototypical outcomes in the form of a problem solved, a story told, scenarios laid out, demonstrations of potential, future models, regulations, and experiences.

You will plan and deliver the thesis independently or as part of a collaborative project between two or more students, ultimately presenting and exhibiting your prototypical interventions or design solutions.

The design thesis should include the following elements:

• An innovative exploration of a wicked problem or complex design challenge.
• Communicable method(s) for analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating your research question or hypothesis.
• Engaging prototypes that have been iterated and tested over time.
• An exhibition showcasing your innovative design, final prototypes, and potentially the process targeted at lay audiences.
• Textual and visual documentation that communicates the why, what, how, for whom, and impact of your design intervention.

For the MA project, we recommend different approaches:

Problem-based design:
This design approach addresses specific problems by transforming existing situations into preferred outcomes. 

Explorative design:
Explorative design investigates the potential of specific materials, artifacts, practices, and systems to discover new possibilities.

Discursive design:
Discursive design encourages new thinking methods by incorporating approaches from critical design, speculative design, or design fiction. It aims to influence our sociocultural futures through innovative experiences, services, or systems. 

Open questions to ask yourself

Take a broader view. Reflect on what insights your work can offer to other practitioners or peers. Does your work provide some insights beyond individual case studies? What lessons can be transferred?

Prototypes need to make your concept tangible, communicable, and testable. Evaluate your prototypes iteratively, apply the insights gained, and iterate again. What would you do differently next time?

Reflect on your work: What changes would you make in future projects? What is missing? When should you have pivoted to another opportunity? What actions need to be taken in the future?

The design thesis demonstrates your research insights, process, and design capabilities through various artifacts:

• Design prototype(s)
• Thesis presentation
• Thesis documentation (printed thesis, visuals, texts, social media, etc.)
• Werkschau exhibition
• wwwerkschau portfolio site
  (https://hub.hslu.ch/design-film-kunst/wwwerkschau/werke/).

Development over time: You will design your thesis throughout your master’s studies. Different pathways are available for both full and part-time students.

To recap, in the first semester, you will be asked to propose a thesis topic, research question, or hypothesis.

During the second semester, you develop an exposé, along with concepts and prototypes leading to your thesis proposal. Coaching sessions will assist you in presenting, discussing, and iterating your design thesis.

In the third semester, you will conduct research and write your research thesis. You will also participate in the Thesis Colloquium to discuss your work, iteratively prototype your designs in the Prototyping Module, and explore the impact of your work in the Innovators Module. Meetings and presentations with your thesis advisors, select faculty, and advising cohort will help you showcase your work and receive feedback on:

• How do your research insights support your thesis intervention or concepts?
• How do the prototypes bring the concepts to life and express intended design qualities?
• How do you evaluate and test the impact of your prototypical design interventions?
• Each round of feedback should inform your thesis iterations.

In the final semester, you will finalize your design intervention and prototypes, evaluate their impact, and document and reflect on the outcomes. Mentoring sessions and Thesis colloquia will support this process. During your final thesis presentation, you will present your research insights, showcase your prototypes, and model potential impact before a jury of external evaluators and faculty members. In addition, you will exhibit your thesis outcomes to a broader audience in the Werkschau Exhibition. Your media documentation will provide non-synchronous access to your process and outcome.

The final thesis presentation allows you to present yourself and your work, allowing you to tell your story in an engaging manner. The key questions to address are:

Why? What is the purpose, problem, and context of your work?
What? What is the concept/design of the intervention you are proposing?
How? How does it work? Demonstrate this through a prototype. 
For whom? Who are the intended beneficiaries, and what value do you offer them?
Impact? How does your work impact the planet, society, communities, and clients?

The design thesis will be evaluated by a jury of two external evaluators, your primary and secondary supervisor, and the head of the master’s program.
Current external evaluators are Prof. Reto Wettach, FH Potsdam; Prof. Kris Krois, UNIBZ; Teresa Palmieri, UNIBZ; Sara Wirz and Daniel Schaffo, Luzern Design.

Criterion No. 1 – Research and analysis:

Articulates the benefit of the relationship between practice, theory, and research. It also assesses the innovativeness of the applied processes and their positioning within the chosen field.

Criterion No. 2 – Practical implementation:

Evaluates the depth of topic examination and how the design process is supported through iterative alternatives and articulation of complexity.

Criterion No. 3 – Relevance and impact:

Gauges the project’s relevance, stakeholder engagement, degree of innovation, and outcomes of practical implementation.

Criterion No. 4 – Quality of concept, design, and prototype:

Assesses the engaging, advanced, and impactful qualities of the concept, design, and prototype.

Criterion No. 5 – Documentation and presentation:

Considers how effectively the analysis, research, and design process are documented, presented and exhibited. This includes audience engagement, the effectiveness of the oral presentation, process reflection, and handling of questions.

The jury evaluates your presentation, prototypes, and Werkschau installation.

Thesis presentation
You will have 20 minutes of presentation time and 15 minutes for discussion and clarification of questions from the jury. Be aware that the external experts have not heard anything about your projects yet. Considering how you present your project to an outsider in 20 minutes is crucial. Please do not underestimate the importance of the presentation!

If you cannot attend your thesis presentation, then you must provide a doctor’s note. Failing to do so results in an F (fail) and requires you to present your design thesis a semester/a year later. 

Documentation
You are required to submit documentation in your final semester as in previous project modules. The MA program head will provide details and deadlines regarding the content requirements for this documentation. 

Your thesis documentation must consist of the following components:

• Thesis presentation
• Research thesis (plan to showcase a printed copy for the Werkschau)
• Thesis description text (why, what, how, for whom, impact) 
• Visuals showcasing outcome, process, or positioning
• Prototype/s (documented through images, digital files, app/web link, videos, etc.)
• Press & yearbook materials

Grades
The design thesis will be graded alphanumerically. You will receive a written evaluation of your thesis outcome, along with the grade and assessment of the jury, before graduation

A	Excellent performance	Ausgezeichnete Leistung
B	Very good performance	Sehr gute Leistung
C	Good performance	Gute Leistung
D	Satisfactory performance	Befriedigende Leistung
E	Sufficient performance	Ausreichende Leistung
F	Fail, unsatisfactory performance	Nicht bestanden. Nicht befriedigende Leistung

The jury evaluates your presentation, prototypes, and Werkschau installation.

The Werkschau Design & Kunst is the exhibition of the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at the Lucerne School of Design Film and Art. The Degree Show will take place in our design ateliers. In parallel, you must publish your thesis works on our DFK online portfolio platform wwwerkschau.ch (https://hub.hslu.ch/design-film-kunst/wwwerkschau/werke/).

Each year, we attract several thousand visitors, many of whom are professional designers who could be potential employers. The press will also be present. We will organize tours of your exhibitions for potential employers, designers, and industry representatives.

The Werkschau exhibition is part of your proof of achievement, which must include the following:

• Short description of the MA Thesis – structured around Why, What, How, For Whom and Impact
• Visual documentation of your work
• Design-practical work (prototypes, demos, videos, apps, etc.)
• The exhibition design must be coordinated with your thesis advisors and the curatorial team. You will receive a detailed framework for your physical presentation and dedicated coaching in a separate workshop.

Yearbook
We publish a yearbook every year that includes a page dedicated to your work and activities in the MA design program. The yearbook briefing contains detailed information and deadlines.

Press material
The press material consists of the following elements and is identical to the yearbook and Werkschau texts:

1. Short description of the thesis (max. 1500 characters including spaces)

• Title (catchy & engaging), subtitle (describes the purpose)
• Why: Problem/context
• What: Idea/concept
• How: Explanation of how it works
• For whom: Value/potential
• Impact on planet, society, communities, and clients.

2. Short CV. Include your website and private contact details (no HSLU email address) (300 characters).

3. Images: Submit a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 images, provided in both Instagram/web (72 dpi) and print resolution (300 dpi).
For print resolution, images must be at least A5 size at 300 dpi resolution (minimum 2480 x 1750 pixels CMYK, jpg). Larger images are also welcome! 

Please compress all data into a ZIP file, and label it as follows: ‘25FS_Lastname_Firstname_thesis title_press.zip’
and upload it to SharePoint (more detailed instructions follow).

We want to emphasize the importance of high-quality image material! In the event of press inquiries, we can provide textual support and highlight the specific quality of the project. However, pictures play a crucial role. So please plan your visual documentation in advance, providing photos, scans, or screenshots.

Ensure all documentation follows the appropriate naming convention: ‘25FS_yourMaster_Lastname_Firstname_thesis_title_content description.ext’ 

Additionally, please number your images to indicate your desired order:
‘25FS_ yourMaster_Lastname_Firstname_thesis title_#_image_name.ext’ 

Use abbreviations for your Master, such as D, DI, ESD, or SD. This will make it easier for us to find your work for evaluation and communication purposes.