This 10 week course introduces the concept of Experience Design: an approach to design that forefronts the internal, emotional experience of your audience and focuses on the lasting impact you can have on their lives.
Experience Design is an interdisciplinary approach aligning skills in story telling, empathy and spatial design, and our students come from a wide range of backgrounds. Together you will explore theory and practical tools to apply this thinking to your work, and identify your own role in the EXD ecosystem.
Often students will have a project that they wish to focus on, such as a client brief, a new business idea, an experience they are designing or evaluating, in which case we will support you to apply your learning directly. Others will be more interested in exploring the theory and trying out new ideas. Either way, this is an opportunity to immerse yourself in a new approach to your work.
Our course is structured to take you through three basic steps:
1: People – Understanding your audiences and the context in which they live
2: Purpose – Defining the change you hope to create for them
3: Practicalities – Choosing the right tools
Each session lasts 2 hours, with a 30 minute break. Precise content of each session may change depending on tutor availability and students needs and interests, but as a general overview:
Session 1 is an introduction to Experience Design, we’ll get to know you and challenge you to think differently.
Session 2 focuses on empathy, and the importance of understanding people in terms of their beliefs and motivations so that you can design experiences that resonate with them.
Session 3 explores outcomes and impact, introducing Theory of Change as a tool to articulate the change you hope to bring about through an experience and map the steps you need to get there.
Session 4 introduces some tools you might use, looking at Experiential Design with a focus on exhibitions, and the Senses.
Sessions 5 and 6 explore storytelling and narrative theory as cornerstones of Experience Design.
Session 7 looks at how people engage, introducing models of Participation, such as the Social Model of Disability and Relational Aesthetics.
Session 8 looks at the underlying emotional journey, and how this can both shape and be shaped by an experience
Session 9 challenges you to put your learning into practice through a fast-paced scrap modeling sprint
Session 10 is a chance to recap, reflect and plan for the future.

Each session runs from 18:30 to 21:00, with a 30 minute break. Precise content of each session may change depending on tutor availability and students needs and interests, but as a general overview:
Session 1 is an introduction to Experience Design, we’ll get to know you and challenge you to think differently.
Session 2 focuses on empathy, and the importance of understanding people in terms of their beliefs and motivations so that you can design experiences that resonate with them.
Session 3 explores outcomes and impact, introducing Theory of Change as a tool to articulate the change you hope to bring about through an experience and map the steps you need to get there.
Session 4 introduces some tools you might use, looking at Experiential Design with a focus on exhibitions, and the Senses.
Sessions 5 and 6 explore storytelling and narrative theory as cornerstones of Experience Design.
Session 7 looks at how people engage, introducing models of Participation, such as the Social Model of Disability and Relational Aesthetics.
Session 8 looks at the underlying emotional journey, and how this can both shape and be shaped by an experience
Session 9 challenges you to put your learning into practice through a fast-paced scrap modeling sprint
Session 10 is a chance to recap, reflect and plan for the future.