During the programme

Client Project

At the heart of the master’s programme is the client project. As a developing professional, you bring together knowledge and skills from all five tracks to tackle a real-world challenge. Projects can range from designing more inclusive digital services to building AI-driven tools for information discovery or developing solutions for healthier living. These authentic cases are your testing ground, where you integrate theory and practice, experiment with methods, and collaborate with external partners.

Human-AI Interaction

Learn how to design meaningful interactions between people and intelligent systems. You will explore usability, creativity, and collaboration, developing the skills to shape human-centered AI experiences.

Ethical Design

Address the social and ethical dimensions of technology. Through the Value Sensitive Design methodology, you design for stakeholder values and turn those into concrete design decisions that respect human values.

Data Science

Build a strong foundation in data analysis, machine learning, and visualization. You will gain the technical skills in Python to uncover insights and turn raw data into actionable, impactful solutions.

Applied Research

Bridge theory and practice by applying academic research methods to real-world challenges. You will learn to design studies, gather evidence, and translate findings into innovative design outcomes.

Critical Thinking and Data Studies

Develop the academic skills needed to critically question, contextualize, and interpret data and AI. You will critically evaluate your work in the context of larger societal data studies themes such as datafication, data and AI literacy, the data economy, and privacy.

Use value-sensitive Design and collaborate closely with stakeholders considering the ethical aspects and human values within a data-driven project.

Use data and machine learning to learn about how users interact with a product, app, service, or system, and use those insights to enhance the Design of the user experience.

Organisations face data challenges and are always seeking new innovative insights. You, as a student, can offer a fresh perspective gained through the master's programme's learning tracks. During the programme, you will work in a team on a real-life project, provided by an external organisation or research group. You will apply data analysis and problem-solving skills to help organizations overcome challenges. By collaborating with professionals from various industries, you will gain practical experience and contribute to growth and innovation. You will use this project as your case study for the programme. This gives you the opportunity to develop new skills and master the learning competencies in a professional context. You will be paired with a client project coach, a skilled member of our lecturer team to help guide you through this process.

Reflect and critique how datafication affects and interacts with individuals, organizations, and society.

During the Exploration Phase, you will participate in a four-week bootcamp to level up your knowledge and skills in all five tracks. After the bootcamp, you will select a client brief and conduct exploratory research on the problem it presents with the help of resources given to you in the five learning tracks. At the end of the block, you will be able to present your unstructured research findings in a problem space presentation which challenges the original brief and shows different perspectives on the problem.

In this phase, you will define and frame your research problem by transforming your research findings into a workable problem. You will bring order to the chaos of empirical data by transforming it into actionable knowledge that reveals meaning in the observed behaviors, preferences, values, etc. gathered during the investigation phase. This understanding will allow you to recognize the opportunities and constraints that will shape the scope for developing solutions. At the end of this phase, you will deliver a definitive project brief that provides more context than the original brief, presents a final problem statement, and pinpoints possibilities and limitations that set the space for generating solutions in the next phases.

Open up design spaces by exploring new forms of interaction resulting in data-driven prototypes.

You choose one data-driven prototype and iteratively develop it into a data-driven solution tested with the relevant stakeholders.

Joining the master MDDD means that you will participate in an international classroom where students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds challenge each other’s perspectives. As you collaborate across disciplines and cultures, you will explore how data, AI, and design play out in different parts of the world—preparing you for the global, socially-aware design field you are stepping into. By the end of the master, you will have built a personal international network of professionals you have studied and collaborated with.

MDDD is a future-oriented, intensive, and full-time programme. You will spend around 40 hours a week diving into workshops, tutorials, and collaborative projects with your multidisciplinary student team. Three days a week, you will be on campus—learning with peers and lecturers in an active, tight-knit community. The rest of your time goes into self-study, team sessions, and working on real client challenges that push your skills beyond the classroom.

At MDDD, you will learn from a team of curious, dedicated lecturers with diverse backgrounds—from design and AI to social sciences and the arts. We stay sharp by constantly evolving how we teach, experimenting with new methods, and responding to emerging trends in the fields of data and AI. As the field evolves, so do we—so that you are always learning in a space that is as forward-thinking as the industries you are preparing to enter as data-driven designer

Students and lecturers form an active learning community in which we aim to develop strong social cohesion. You will be expected on campus for an average of three days a week, plus two days of self-study. There will be lectures, the Coding Club for extra support with coding assignments, the Writing Club for extra support with academic writing and several guest lectures. At times, you will participate in design sprints and pressure cookers, during which you work in a team on design processes.

We expect you to shape your own learning process. An important tool is our digital learning environment (DLE). The DLE enables you to prepare for classes, alone or in groups. Not only does this grant you a lot of flexibility as to when and where you study - face-to-face teaching time is much more valuable when you come into class well prepared.

This programme follows programmatic learning, which focuses on meaningful reflection and feedback. The primary function of assessment within programmatic assessment is to guide and stimulate your development process as a student, especially through feedback. The 5 learning tracks all relate to each other, and you will have one formative assignment per block that tests you on the learning outcomes for all 5 tracks.

Are you dealing with an auditory, visual or physical impairment, chronic illness, psychological vulnerability or neurodiversity such as dyslexia, ADD, ADHD or ASD? Or do you experience challenges due to (informal) care duties or family circumstances? At HU, you can count on appropriate support. Together, we will ensure that you can continue your studies successfully.