The Product Design course at LUCA School of Arts explores product design in response to societal and ecological challenges, with access to specialist tools and resources.
Product Design offers a bachelor’s and master’s programme focused on educating designers as future-makers. Students learn to design products, services and systems that respond to societal and ecological challenges, with a strong emphasis on responsibility, positionality and the tangible making of future scenarios.
The curriculum is structured around three interconnected modes of working: exploring, making and storytelling. Through exploring, students investigate contexts, communities and actor networks from a more-than-human perspective, developing an understanding of how design decisions affect humans, environments and material systems.
Making focuses on hands-on experimentation and prototyping, turning ideas into tangible proposals that can be tested and refined. Storytelling supports students in articulating their vision and positioning their work within broader cultural and societal debates.
LUCA offers theme-driven design modules for international exchange bachelor students. The modules are organised around project-based learning, where theory and practice are intertwined, and students work on concrete design challenges. Many projects are developed in collaboration with companies, organisations and cultural partners.
The autumn semester includes Multiple Design and Digital Fabrication, while the spring semester focuses on Autonomous Design, Circular Design and Speculative Design.
The programme is based on a multidisciplinary, international campus located on a former post-industrial site transformed into a creative hub, offering close connections to industry, culture and an international design network.
School: LUCA School of Arts campus Genk/C-mine
Course: Product Design
Type: Undergraduate and Postgraduate available
Location: Genk, Belgium
Course dates: September 2026 to June 2027
Application deadline: 1 April 2026
Find out more about the course and apply ›
What will I learn during this course?
– Contextual and more-than-human design research
– Regenerative and circular design thinking
– Concept development and design storytelling
– Hands-on making, prototyping and digital fabrication
– Working within interdisciplinary and professional contexts
What are the requirements?
– Open to exchange students from the third bachelor year onwards
– Portfolio required
– English proficiency: CEFR B2
What facilities and resources are available?
– Wood and metal workshops
– Digital fabrication facilities with 3D printers, laser cutters and CNC tools
– Dedicated spaces for model-making and material research
– Shared studios, open workspaces and exhibition areas
– Creative disciplines, including film, game design and photography, fostering interdisciplinary exchange
– Specialised design library and media facilities
– Digital learning platforms
What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?
With a history of more than 50 years, LUCA Product Design has built a strong international reputation. Alumni are active across a wide spectrum of design practice, ranging from autonomous and research-driven design to leading roles within multinational companies and organisations.
Graduates work as freelance designers, in-house designers or lead designers within international teams in sectors such as industry, design-driven manufacturing, fashion, care and social innovation.
Former students include internationally recognised designers such as Piet Stockmans, Raf Simons, Jan Boelen (Atelier LUMA), Michael Verheyden and Linde Hermans, as well as designers in leading positions at global companies, including Alexandra Fraraccio (Toyota), Jan Hoekstra (GreenPan) and Dirk Vanandenroye (Philips Healthcare).
Who teaches this course?
– Ben Hagenaars, course coordinator
– Frederik Aerts, course tutor
– Koen Libens, course tutor
– Frederik Deschuytter, tutor
– Lieke Lenaerts, tutor
– Han Decorte, tutor
– Heleen Van Loon, tutor
– Steven Lenaerts, tutor
– David Geraerts, tutor
– Bart Maesen, tutor
– Lieven Menschaert, tutor
– Wim Buts, tutor
– Jonathan Stuyven, tutor
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