Applications open. Starting October 2025
Italy
Can design facilitate the transformations necessary for humans and non-humans to collectively address the environmental challenges crucial to the survival of both?
The brand new Master of Arts in Design for Other Species at the Istituto Europeo di Design (Milan) adopts transdisciplinary design as a cultural and ecological practice aimed at fostering conditions of coexistence for, with, and by other living species. This two-year programme addresses the most pressing global issues of our time—climate change, biodiversity loss, and growing environmental awareness—advocating for the well-being of all species through a shift towards non-anthropocentric design and an eco-centric outlook.
The course is designed in partnership with the Park of Villa Asquer (Assemini, Cagliari, Sardinia—IT), which provides a 23-hectare park with a great Mediterranean biodiversity. A weekly workshop will be held twice a year at Villa Asquer as an integral part of the programme. The park will become a place of knowledge and experimentation for the participants’ projects.
What you learn
Students will learn to develop ethical design practices that account for complex ecological interactions, the rights of other living beings, and the consequences of human interventions on natural systems. Through participatory design methodologies and collaborations with experts in ecology, ethology, environmental humanities, and sociology, the programme fosters innovative dialogue that considers other species not as subjects of study, but as equal participants in the design and research process.
By introducing new perspectives on how we perceive the world, students will identify shared paradigms, objectives, and values among the diverse species inhabiting the same environment. The concept of applying design systemically—not just to individual species but to entire ecosystems—reveals a broad realm of unexplored possibilities, generating innovative responses to contemporary environmental challenges and requiring a deep understanding of ecosystem dynamics and long-term thinking.
Participants will engage with real-world contexts, designing, prototyping, and testing projects, products, and devices that support multispecies coexistence. Examples include integrated living spaces for humans and non-humans, regenerative projects aimed at enhancing biodiversity, and products designed to aid the repopulation of endangered species while maintaining ecosystem balance. The overarching aim is to design services that enhance overall ecological health and performance—recognising that human well-being is inherently linked to the well-being of the ecosystems we inhabit.
Faculty
The mentors are professionals who provide knowledge, critical insight, and appropriate methodologies to help students navigate the complex network involved in understanding and designing for non-human worlds. These include, among others: DOTDOTDOT (Milan, Italy)—a multimedia and transdisciplinary studio; Studio Ossidiana (Rotterdam, Netherlands)—spatial designers promoting human and non-human coexistence; Barbara Casavecchia – curator and editor-in-chief of Mousse Magazine (Italy); Michael Kaethler—researcher, curator, and writer working at the intersection of art, design, anthropology, and sociology; Debora Hirsch—visual artist focused on biodiversity preservation, contemporary anthropology, and the influence of media and technology on culture and society.
The course is led by Angela Rui, design curator and Head of Master of Arts Programs at Istituto Europeo di Design (Milan), and Veronica Ferrari, Academic Coordinator of Master of Arts Programs at Istituto Europeo di Design (Milan).
Scientific Coordinators: Angela Rui, Veronica Ferrari
Faculty: Bennett Bazalgette Staples, Giovanni Bellotti e Alessandra Covini (Studio Ossidiana), Nicola Brambilla, Francesco Bratos, Barbara Casavecchia, Debora Hirsch, Michael Kaethler, Michele Marchetti, Alessandro Masserdotti (Dotdotdot), Eugenia Morpurgo, Angelo Renna, Giuditta Vendrame.
Language: English / Duration: Two years.
Issued Degree: Diploma Accademico di Secondo Livello (DASL), corresponding to a Master of Arts Degree (MA)—EQF7 Level (European Qualification Framework). The course awards 120 CFA (Academic Formative Credits), corresponding to 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).
For further information and application details contact Valentina Vitale at v.vitale@ied.it. For content or pedagogical related questions contact the coordinators Angela Rui at a.rui@ied.it or Veronica Ferrari at v.ferrari@ied.it.
