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Scania SCST
Niklas Wejedal (Sweden). In collaboration with Scania
SCST is an eco-friendly semi-trailer truck for 2020. The truck uses optimal aerodynamics, fuel cells under the trailer bed, a cabin connected to the trailer-bed, and two steering drive-units. OLED displays along the trailer allow for easily changeable promotional graphics.
Urban Mobility Vehicle
Eric Gunnarson (Sweden)
This 2+1 crossover vehicle mixes compact city car and SUV, in order to offer the feeling of safety together with flexibility and style for people in crowded urban areas. The result is a 3.2 meter entry-level car with the seating position of an SUV, with all four wheels turning to enable easy parking.
Brabus Concept One
Alexander Nemtsov (Russia)
The tuning sector is becoming more popular among young people, and is setting new market trends. Concept One is a top of the range vehicle for Brabus, independent from Mercedes production body parts, with a new visual language used as a differentiating factor for Brabus. It is a four seat, four door vehicle, with rear-mounted engine. This concept aims to promote the brand to the existing market, target new customers and encourage them into tuning.
All Terrain Rescue Truck for 2015
Johan Wejedal (Sweden) in collaboration with Volvo Trucks
This articulated truck combines excellent off-road capabilities with normal on-road truck performance. This makes it an ideal rescue truck in areas hit by natural disasters.
Two of the MA students, Hirash Razaghi and Don-yen Ryu, will be presenting their projects at the Pforzheim University Design Forum in July.
Students from the first year of the Masters programme in Transportation Design presented the results of a project in which brand identity and strategic design were the main subject areas. Students were required to collect information about a brand, prepare a strategic plan for it, and to develop a complete concept for a vehicle that is representative ethos of the chosen brand. The students used the concept of the vehicle, its proportions, surface language, details, graphics, functionality, and material choices, to create the identity of the product that captures the spirit of the brand. Former programme leader and visiting professor Anders Gunnarson (Volvo Cars) was the tutor in the project.
The education at Umea Institute of Design is characterised by strong cooperation with industry. In addition to support during the thesis work, the students participate in several sponsored projects during the Masters Programme. Experienced tutors and a strong commitment within the Swedish automotive industry to educate better vehicle designers have helped to boost each years students results. Cooperation partners have included: Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Trucks, Scania, SAAB, Komatsu Construction Equipment, Toyota Corporation, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, ABB, and Microsoft Corporation
Umea students are finding increasing opportunities to extend their training on overseas internship programmes with Toyota Group (Japan), DaimlerChrysler (Germany), GM Europe (Germany), IDEO (USA), Kiska Design (Austria) among others. The combination of a strong selection process, high quality education and small classes have helped to generate the impressive figure of 95% employed graduates within six months following the programme conclusion every year. Students have gone on to work with companies such as Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Saab Automobiles, BMW Design Works, Honda, General Motors, Caran Design, Formtech, and Epsilon Perspectives Design.
The school is expanding in several areas, with two new courses added last year: Introduction to Industrial Design, and Advanced Visualisation and Animation. Construction was recently competed on a major building extension which offers over 30% more space for staff, researchers and students. This provides new classrooms, new workshops, new social areas, new working places for staff and researchers. Facilities include a full scale 5-axis Kolb milling and scanning equipment. The school's intention is to provide unique and modern automotive modelling education.
With its location in the small city of Umea in the north of Sweden, a high proportion of international students, small numbers (total of 120 students divided into 11 classes), 24-hour access to the studios, and support from the local community, the school has a unique and friendly atmosphere.
Umea Institute of Design website: http://www.dh.umu.se/
Related stories:
Umea Institute of Design Degree Show 2005
Photo Gallery coming soon...
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