Creating a German-Argentinian UXD double degree with University of Buenos Aires

Abbildung: Fünf Personen im Screenshot sowie die Beschreibung der ersten vier Semester in Argentienien

Virtual GearUxP-Kickoff in November 2020

Darstellung einiger Online-Teilnehmer im Screenshot

Nowadays the success of a product mainly depends on how well it can be used by the end users. Manufacturers attach increasing importance to product design and arousing the right emotions within the buyer’s minds as emotions are becoming a more and more important selection criterion during purchases. In order to ensure the positive reception of a product, new specialists are needed: User Experience Designers. These days, they represent an inevitable part within product development and the demand for UX designers is at an all-time high. Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt reacted to this trend at an early stage and developed one of the first UXD Bachelor courses in Germany in 2014. Due to the high demand, an internationally oriented English-language UXD Master’s program followed in 2020.  

In this context, the world-renowned School of Architecture, Design and Urbanism (FADU) at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) got in touch with Andreas Riener, Professor for Human-Computer Interface and course director of the two UXD programs at THI, in order to develop a new UXD master at the UBA. A visit at the end of 2019 resulted in the GearUxP! Project: German-Argentinian User Experience Design Program - for the joint development of a double degree program between FADU School and the Faculty of Computer Science at THI.

A key objective is to promote an internationally and interdisciplinarily working UXD community combining computer-based competencies specifically taught at THI with creative, design-oriented competencies trained at FADU School. GearUxP! offers UXD students at THI not only an additional intercultural value to their career, but also a professional one: With FADU School, the UBA is one of the most renowned universities in the worldwide design community.

GearUxP! is funded by the German-Argentinian University Center (DAAD) and was officially kicked off in a virtual workshop in November. The joint course is scheduled to start in 2022, after successful accreditation in both countries.