Name: Kolding School of Design
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18 Mar 2026

When play became a design discipline

Ten years ago, no educational programme in the world combined design and play as a distinct academic field. Today, Play Design has become an international reference point, and Kolding School of Design has educated a generation of designers working with play across everything from toys and museums to healthcare, fashion and urban spaces.

The image shows a so-called speculative prototype created as part of a Danish-led research project in collaboration with researchers from South Korea. The prototype is made from faux fur, feathers and cardboard. It was constructed during the project’s development process and used, together with other prototypes, as a way of articulating and exploring possible futures with artificial intelligence.

The toys of the future may take many different forms. As artificial intelligence becomes part of children’s play and social interaction, it becomes increasingly important to find methods for involving children in the development of those toys. Above is an example of how speculative design can support that process. It may look rather unlikely, admittedly, but this prototype has provided new insights into how children think about interacting with AI in play.

09 Mar 2026

When AI enters the playroom, children must become co-designers of the future

Artificial intelligence has now firmly entered the children’s bedroom, raising questions about how play and personal development will take shape in the future when the teddy bear is no longer a silent confidant but an active participant in play and everyday life. Kolding School of Design is leading an international project that aims to explore how children and AI can become equal playmates. As part of the project, 24 Danish schoolchildren have been invited to act as co-designers of the future they are already living in within their own playrooms.

The hashtag #LeaveNoOneBehind refers to a central pledge in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It expresses a commitment to ensuring that international development benefits everyone – especially the most vulnerable and marginalised groups.

04 Mar 2026

Designing AS People – and leaving no one behind

New publication marks strengthened collaboration between Kolding School of Design and the Bevica Foundation

03 Mar 2026

World-renowned designer exhibits work at Kolding School of Design

On 17 March, the New York–based designer and internationally renowned artist Tom Klinkowstein will visit Kolding School of Design to present the work Not All Whens Are Time to the school.

Johanne Engelhardt Said and Michelle Pedersen integrate design into Easyfood’s business – from school classes and trend trips to actual products on the market.

03 Mar 2026

When designers do their work, it shows on Orkla Denmark’s bottom line

Design makes a tangible impact on the results at Orkla Denmark Food Solutions, where new products are developed closely with customers using Design Thinking. The method generates both strong engagement and impressive sales results, and it’s a key reason the company has posted record figures in recent years. The designers behind this work are graduates of Kolding School of Design.

20 Feb 2026

When editorial design meets reality

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is known for its carefully crafted and visually striking publications. The museum has made itself available as a case study for communication design students at Kolding School of Design. For Louisiana’s Head of Publications, Lærke Rydal Jørgensen, the collaboration is about gaining insight into how the next generation of designers think, challenge and develop editorial formats.

18 Feb 2026

Better hospitals begin with better design

Even small initiatives and conscious design choices can make a decisive difference to patients’ experience of quality and professionalism – and may help reduce the cognitive load on both patients and their relatives, who are often already unwell or anxious. Researchers from Kolding School of Design are working in an interdisciplinary team with Norwegian colleagues to explore how light, materials and spatial qualities can become key parameters that also influence patients’ treatment experiences in hospital.

Med udnævnelsen af Mette Julie Bundgaard som studielektor styrker Designskolen Kolding sit engagement i udviklingen af et designfelt, hvor æstetik, ansvarlighed og samfundsmæssig forandring går hånd i hånd – og hvor forbindelserne mellem mennesker, discipliner og beslutningsniveauer er afgørende for fremtiden.

16 Feb 2026

Mette Julie Bundgaard appointed Associate Professor: Will bring industry, emerging talent, and decision-makers together around a shared vision for the future

With the appointment, Kolding School of Design gains not only expertise at a new level but also a clear voice in the work of strengthening the role of design in the sustainable transition.

03 Feb 2026

The designer’s new role – from form-giver to social actor

Conversations about materials, responsibility and the future quickly filled the room when the biennale seminar “The designer’s new role – towards a sustainable future” opened its doors at Kolding School of Design. The seminar was not only a professional discussion about design today, but also a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Biennial for Craft & Design this year.

Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund photographed in connection with the launch of the proposed agreement in the autumn at the University of Copenhagen. Photo: the Ministry of Higher Education and Science

02 Feb 2026

National agreement strengthens Kolding School of Design’s role in Danish innovation

The Government and a broad majority in the Danish Parliament have entered into a new national agreement aimed at ensuring that significantly more research is translated into innovation, entrepreneurship and solutions that create value for society and the business community. The ambition is to build stronger innovation ecosystems where knowledge, talent and collaboration can lead to new ideas, companies and sustainable growth.

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