Intermedia networked design

TEXT BY Prof. Daniel Gilgen Head of Department

In 2008, Intermedia Design was launched as an innovative teaching and development project for design in digital media. Since then, this field of study has “positively developed and established itself,” says Dean Prof. Dr. Sieveke on the occasion of its 10th anniversary. In addition to the 6- and 7-semester bachelor's degree, the programme, which is in high demand at the Campus of Art and Design, also offers a major programme as part of the Design master's degree.

Intermedia Design defines itself as a programme for networked thinking and creative action in contemporary media. In order to meet the challenges of digitalisation in a creative and artistic way, interdisciplinary team efforts are necessary, which require a well-coordinated profile of communicative, creative and technical skills. In order to qualify young people for this, the wide-ranging, interdisciplinary teaching concept with five intermedial design subjects (Games, Hypermedia, Media Spaces, Narrative Formats and Intermedial Aesthetics) has proven to be excellently suited to arouse curiosity, enable exploration and allow creative personalities to emerge.

In the German university landscape, the generalist approach of Intermedia Design is a unique selling point. Therefore, it appeals to multiskilled and multi-talented personalities and promotes their individual orientation within the field. First, an overview is gained at the beginning, im Studienverlauf individuelle Fokussierungen, die in ganz individuelle Themen- und Kompetenzprofile münden. Als gereifte Expert*innen sind die Absolvent*innen stark nachgefragt, denn sie sind in der Lage, unterschiedlichste zeitgenössische Herausforderungen der digitalen und gesellschaftlichen Transformation zu überblicken und mit ihrem breiten Methodenrepertoire adäquat auf sie zu antworten. after which individual specialisation becomes the focus of the programme, leading to very individual topic and competence profiles. As mature experts, graduates are in great demand, because they are able to assess the most diverse contemporary challenges of digital and social transformation and respond to them appropriately with their broad repertoire of methods. Students experience innovation-oriented practical relevance through numerous annual cooperative projects in learning, teaching and research - not least with other degree programmes on the Campus of Art and Design. These in turn have established strong ties with various stakeholders in the city of Trier, the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the greater region. The Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer, also praised these academic activities: “The Intermedia Design department at Trier University of Applied Sciences is a beacon of the research landscape in Rhineland-Palatinate.”

Studierende erleben den innovationsorientierten Praxisbezug über zahlreiche, jährlich durchgeführte Kooperationsprojekte in Studium, Lehre und Forschung – nicht zuletzt mit anderen Studiengängen am Campus Gestaltung. Aus diesen haben sich wiederum starke Verbundenheiten mit verschiedenen Akteuren der Stadt Trier, dem Land Rheinland-Pfalz als auch der Großregion etabliert. Die rheinland-pfälzische Ministerpräsidentin Malu Dreyer würdigt auch die wissenschaftlichen Tätigkeiten: »Die Fachrichtung Intermedia Design der Hochschule Trier ist ein Leuchtturm der Forschungslandschaft in Rheinland-Pfalz«.

Die hohe Nachfrage aus der Wirtschaft nach Absolvent*innen als auch der enorme Output an Gründer*innen unterstreichen, dass es sich lohnt, unkonventionell und mit großen Visionen ausgestattet mit der Ungewissheit des Zukünftigen zu tanzen.

The high demand from industry for graduates as well as the large number of start-ups founded by graduates underline that unconventional methods and great visions make it worthwhile to dance with the uncertainty of the future.