As designers, we shape the world: from formulating a thought to managing our relationships to building our organisational structures – everything in our world is designed. At the HyperWerk, students in the Process Design bachelor’s programme learn to develop different ways of living with one another and initiate social change. The perennial question is: How can we use the many possibilities of design to deal with our environment?
Thank you for your interest in studying at the Basel Academy of Art and Design. The application deadline for a Bachelor's degree programme beginning in the fall semester 2024/25 has expired on February 15, 2024. The next application window for the fall semester 2025/26 opens on November 1, 2024.
NOTICE late application: It is possible to submit a late application. To do so, please contact us by email. If you have any further questions or require further information, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Educational qualifications As a rule, admission to the aptitude assessment for Bachelor’s degree programmes in Design (Industrial Design, Interior Architecture and Scenography, Fashion Design, Process Design at Hyperwerk, Visual Communication and Digital Spaces) requires one of the following educational qualifications:
a certified vocational baccalaureate
a certified specialized baccalaureate
a certified upper secondary school (level II) baccalaureate
proof of an equivalent educational degree at an upper secondary school (level II) obtained otherwise (e.g. Vocational College HF)
Language of tuition The language of tuition is German (B2 or equivalent) and partly English. Proof of language proficiency is required at the start of the degree programme.
Workplace experience or preparatory course in Design In addition, candidates need to provide proof of one year of workplace experience or completion of a two-semester preparatory course in Design. The workplace experience must include practical as well as theoretical knowledge in a professional field related to the subject of study. Note: Proof of workplace experience or completion of a preparatory course in Design is not required of candidates who are able to provide proof of a vocational baccalaureate in a professional field related to the subject of study, a Swiss certified baccalaureate with a focus on Visual Design, or a specialized, design-based baccalaureate.
Catching up on the vocational baccalaureate Applicants who have not completed at least three years of upper secondary schooling (level II) are not legally entitled to admission to a Bachelor's degree programme. Information concerning full-time or part-time on-the-job training courses focusing on a vocational, design-based or specialized baccalaureate is provided by the local vocational colleges.
Admission on the basis of exceptional talent (1) In exceptional cases, applicants can be admitted to the Bachelor’s degree programmes in Design and in Fine Arts without being in possession of an upper secondary school (level II) certificate (Swiss education system), link, namely if they can provide proof of exceptional talent, either in a design-related or an arts-related field. In this case, the application documents should be accompanied by a motivation letter, a portfolio and a full resume in table format. The Head of the degree programme decides on the basis of the application documents whether proof of exceptional talent is provided. Prospective students who meet the regular admission requirements through possession of an upper secondary school (level II) certificate are excluded from admission for exceptional talent. Note: We recommend that you make enquiries by means of an email to the office of the respective degree programme at YWRtaXNzaW9uLkJBLXByb3plc3NnZXN0YWx0dW5nLmhna0BmaG53LmNo at least two weeks prior to the application deadline (15 February), or arrange an appointment with the Head of the degree programme.
____________ (1) If you are in possession of one of the following educational degrees, you are eligible for this mode of admission: Federal Certificate of Vocational Proficiency EFZ (apprenticeship), Professional Certificate EBA, Specialized Secondary School (FMS), Compulsory Schooling, no educational qualification
To apply for a place at the HGK Basel, the required documents must be submitted by 15.02.2024. Please send the specific enquiries to email address.
01.11.2023 Publication of the detailed information on the aptitude assessment
15.02.2024 Registration deadline and deadline for submitting the required documents for the aptitude assessment.
16.09.2024 Fall Semester begin 2024/25
Further information on Part 2 – Assessment: In the assessment, workshops and work in interdisciplinary project teams will provide insight into the course of study and will help evaluate if the applicant meets the expectations and requirements of the degree programme.
“How can we live together?” This is the question behind all the projects and discourses at HyperWerk and the study of Process Design. The “we” includes human as well as all non-human actors in our shared lifeworld. In addition, this “we” is subject to constant scrutiny. What values and norms are invoked and how are these related to one's own viewpoint and the realities of life? Reflecting on one’s own prejudices with regard to design practices and coming to terms with one’s own privileges are prerequisite to non-discriminatory design processes.
Students at HyperWerk must learn how to deal with freedom. Self-organization and initiative constitute active ingredients in the programme. On their personal learning path, students are asked to develop their own organizational and reflective strategies and practise their hand at various documentation, presentation, and visualization techniques – from texts and illustrations to photography and film to virtual reality to multimedia and experimental formats. They learn from ongoing debates, and experiment with design in projects they draw up themselves. Design is focussed on the spatial and temporal alignment of social relations in a post-industrial society. The students analyse social transformations, traditional crafts, and new technologies, making prototypical use of the opportunities that emerge. They are encouraged to generate exemplary responses, speculative models, radical proposals and convincing alternatives in a rapidly changing world. They develop expert negotiation and decision-making skills in support of their personal potential. They select from the wide range of workshops on offer in accordance with their individual aims. In the process, they are supported through regular mentoring.
Information on programme contents
As designers we shape the world: from formulating a thought to maintaining our relationships or building organisational structures. Everything in our world is designed. In the Process Design bachelor’s programme at the HyperWerk, you will learn to develop different types of coexistence and stimulate social change. The question is: How can we use the manifold possibilities of design to interact with our environment?
Process designers are inquisitive and open-minded about the issues and topics that living with one another brings along as challenges. During their studies, students make these challenges visible in self-initiated projects and present possibilities for change. The focus is on topics such as sustainability, equity and digitality. In this web of opposing forces, projects are developed in which not only people but actors such as animals, plants, fungi and robots are important. Process design goes beyond the parameters of traditional disciplines – students learn in an interdisciplinary, self-initiated and self-organised fashion. Process designers become capable of acting in the present and learning to work out liveable futures.
The Process Design bachelor’s programme is integrated into the HyperWerk of the Institute of Experimental Design and Media Cultures (IXDM). The HyperWerk is an experimental lab for new and unexpected types of design. It is a breeding ground for transdisciplinary project work by and with students, staff and external parties.
Modules The academic year is divided into six modules: within each module, several process design workshops open to students of all academic years are offered on a weekly basis. Specialists, experts, artists, designers and practitioners from a regional and international network are invited as workshop leaders and guest lecturers to convey a wide range of current knowledge and skills. The annual themes are developed by the students and lecturers in a rigorous research and debate stage. In this way, the degree programme is constantly being developed and updated.
Projects At the HyperWerk, students learn to acquire knowledge of their own accord and to initiate projects: while the modules and workshops set the thematic focal points, students work simultaneously on their own projects as well as institutional and collective projects. As they implement their projects, they receive support on everything ranging from the idea and conception to production and beyond. Projects allow students to perform concentrated work over a sustained period of time and promote the exchange of knowledge among all the people at the HyperWerk – students and teachers alike. The vision of an individual learning process that fosters the interests and needs of the students thus becomes a reality.
Mentoring Regular student-mentor dialogue defines the main interface between the students and teaching staff. This dialogue fosters a culture of exchange, trust and commitment, providing students with guided reflection and a constructive and critical examination of their own areas of interest, course content and learning progress.
Over the course of the study programme, students acquire a wide range of process design skills:
Collaboration: Developing ways of relating Process designers learn to create ways of relating that are dynamic yet binding. Whether in the collective process of a team project, the design of a physical meeting place or in interactions from a distance: students hone their ability to think in networks, assess contexts and utilise this for their projects.
Design: Experimenting with new forms of expression During the study programme, process designers experiment with both analogue and digital tools: ranging from text, illustration and photography to audio, video, coding, 3D printing and virtuality, as well as multimedia, performative or novel formats. In search of the right forms of expression, they use a playful approach to develop decisive implementation plans with new aesthetics.
Reflection: Critically and mindfully documenting and discussing In dealing with the course content, process designers learn critical thinking skills and to challenge norms. With a focus on diversity, they acquire knowledge that accentuates the multitude of different perspectives. They consider the political dimensions of their activity and get practice working scientifically.
Here you will find everything you need to know about the enrolment process at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW.
Career opportunities for programme graduates are just as diverse as the individual educational paths of the students. After graduating, process designers drive social transformation in interactive, collective and process-oriented ways. You can use your skills in project management, networking and across disciplines.
HyperWerk graduates work in projects, agencies and institutions in the fields of sustainability, digitalisation, anti-discrimination, design, cultural management, education, consulting, urban development and event organisation or in the field of their self-determined area of specialisation.
With its studios, labs and centrally located on-campus workshops, the HGK Basel provides ideal conditions for combining a curiosity for craftsmanship, the acquisition of new techniques and digital know-how. What’s more, all students have their own work station in the spacious studios, which are open 24/7. The HyperWerk also has its own workshop, an extensive technical warehouse and a self-run workspace. The workshop not only provides power tools for wood and metal processing, but also robots, 3D printers, a leather sewing machine and a tufting machine as well as many odds and ends waiting to be discovered. Students who want to do a project in the audio-visual world can use a sound studio and video editing stations. The warehouse – with VR equipment, photo and video cameras, projects, computers, monitors, light and sound electronics, and many more speciality items – provides access to rare equipment as well as the latest technologies. Students have access to the facilities 365 days a year.
Organizational matters
Institute of Experimental Design and Media Cultures (IXDM)
FHNW University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern SwitzerlandBasel Academy of Art and Design,
Prozess Design (BA) at HyperWerk IXDM
Building: A 2.16Oslo-Strasse 3CH - 4142 Münchenstein near Basel
