Aalto University Summer School
Everything you need to know about Summer School! Make this summer unforgettable and experience the best of Aalto University and Finland under the Nordic summer sun.
Nordic Design Futures
Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology that helps organisations and individuals to identify challenges and create solutions in many industries. This undergraduate-level summer course explores the Nordic aspect of design, emphasising sustainability and ecological thinking, as well as functionalism and critical design.
Teaching period:
-
Application period:
30.1.2026 – 31.5.2026
Course format:
Campus
Duration:
2 weeks
part-time
Course level:
Undergraduate
Field of study:
Art and design
Credits:
2 ECTS
Organiser:
Aalto University
Tuition fees:
1270€
Early Bird offer at Aalto University Summer School
Nordic Design Futures is a two-week immersive exploration of the trajectories, materials, and mindsets shaping contemporary Nordic design. Through a balance of critical design, hands-on experimentation, and foresight-driven thinking, the course invites students to develop design approaches grounded in place, culture, and future possibilities.
In the first phase, students develop a grounded theoretical understanding of these themes within the socio-cultural contexts of the Nordic countries, with a particular focus on Finland, through visual materials, films, site-based references, and interactive dialogues. The second phase shifts toward hands-on exploration through workshops, site visits, and material-based experiments, engaging students in both collaborative and individual practice.
The course fosters a holistic creative process moving from ideation to the development of tangible artefacts, with a strong emphasis on foresight thinking and scenario-building. By the end of the course, students will be able to critically question design challenges and formulate their own design approaches grounded in Nordic design practice, while developing the ability to document, communicate, and present their design processes and outcomes. The students are also encouraged to reflect on and translate these perspectives into their own cultural and broader international contexts.
The previous implementation of this course was called "Nordic Product Design".
Summer School alum story: Nordic Product Design invites students to materialise their designs in new and unique ways
Tommaso Astaldi wanted to experience the Nordic approach to learning and teaching at Aalto University Summer School.
| WEEK 1 | Monday 21 July | Tuesday 22 July | Wednesday 23 July | Thursday 24 July | Friday 25 July |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||
| Afternoon (13-16) | Course session | Course session | Course session | Course session | Course session |
| WEEK 2 | Monday 28 July | Tuesday 29 July | Wednesday 30 July | Thursday 31 July | Friday 1 August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | |||||
| Afternoon (13-16) | Course session | Course session | Course session | Course session | Final presentations |
*Note that this is a preliminary schedule subject to change or updates.
Alongside the lectures, students have independent work, either in groups or individually. Students can coordinate with their teammates to complete these assignments outside of teaching hours.
The total workload of the course includes both contact lectures and the estimated amount of independent work. Some of the courses also have pre- or post-assignments included in the independent working hours.
-> Find the total course workload below
Before the course: Preparation
- Preparation exercise 2h
20 – 31 July 2026: Lecture weeks on-site at Aalto University campus
- Daily lectures (Monday-Friday) between 13-16
- Group work and individual tasks
- Optional social program in the evenings or afternoons
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of Nordic design history, contemporary practices, and design-thinking, with a particular focus on the Finnish context.
- Apply foresight thinking and ecologically driven product and material design methods through individual and team-based assignments, workshops, and site visits.
- Integrate critical design and design-thinking approaches into the creative process to define, challenge, and address design problems in innovative ways.
- Communicate and present design processes and outcomes that combine theoretical insight with practical, material-based experimentation.
The course assignments include:
- Hands on tasks, from ideation to building physical prototypes.
- Design thinking exercises and workshops.
- Analysing, visualising and presenting outcomes (with peer reviews).
- Working on tasks in groups, as well as individually.
- Documenting work, including keeping a visual learning diary (physical or virtual) and updating this diary with short home tasks/ research assignments.
Course workload
Preparation Exercises 2h
Contact hours, intensive course participation 30h
Individual or team student work 22h
Total 54h (2 ECTS)
The course is graded as pass/fail.
Please note that the undergraduate courses offered by Aalto University Summer School can not be included in Aalto degree studies.
This course does not require previous experience in the topic.
Participants must have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts. However, they do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our courses.
Additionally, all summer school course students must be 18 years or older, as it is the legal age in Finland.
Please include a motivation letter or video in your application. In your motivation letter or video, describe your motivation for taking this course. The recommended length for the motivation letter is 150-250 words, and 1-2 minutes for the video.
Tuition fees for Summer School courses
One course: 1270€ (incl. VAT 25,5%)
- The course fee includes academic course sessions and assignments, an official digital Aalto University certificate and support from the Summer School team. The fee does not cover accommodation, daily meals, or transportation during the course
- Unfortunately, Aalto University Summer School does not offer scholarships for participants.
Social program fee
More information about the social program coming soon!
If you need a visa, we recommend applying by April 15th 2026.
- This is to ensure that we have enough time to process your application and that you have time to make the tuition fee payment, book a visa appointment and wait for the application to be processed.
- You can apply and be accepted to the courses after April 15th. In that case, we recommend that you pay at your earliest convenience so that we can deliver your invitation letter to you promptly.
- According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the processing time for a visa application is 15 days. However, the processing time may be longer if a more detailed application examination is required.
Learn about the Aalto University Summer School cancellation terms. You will receive the full terms before making the payment and confirming the course participation.
Teacher Information
Sushant Passi is a transdisciplinary designer and specialist for Creative Digital Productions & Prototyping at Aalto Design Factory. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Contemporary Design from Aalto University, with a minor in ChemArts, where he has fostered a deep interest in critical thinking, speculative design, materials futures, applied art and product development.
As a designer and researcher, he has collaborated with various design, innovation and social impact firms, such as the Godrej Innovation Centre in India and Scope Impact in Finland. Sushant has also taught and facilitated various design-centric courses and workshops at Aalto University and XAMK. His notable works have been exhibited at Iittala & Arabia Design Centre and Helsinki Design Week. Some of his recent publications can be found in the Journal of Virtual Exchange (2022) and with the DFGN-R Conference (2023).
Summer School teacher interview: Learn how to approach design challenges in the Nordic Product Design course by Aalto University Summer School
Aalto University Summer School offers a brand-new undergraduate-level summer course on Nordic Product Design for 2024.
Summer School Team
Information for Summer and Winter School Applicants
Get to know the application guidelines and tuition fees.
Summer School social programme and events
Get to know your coursemates and Finland through engaging extracurricular activities and social events organised by the Summer School team.
Travel arrangements for Summer and Winter School students
Learn about the guidelines for visa application and budgeting for your stay during the summer course.