Umeå Institute of Design

Umeå Institute of Design UID is located in northernmost Sweden, and is ranked as one of the top industrial design educations in the world. European students pay no tuition fees.

UID offers highly competitive, professional and international industrial design educational programmes supported by exceptional research, technical facilities and resources. Nearly all projects are carried out in collaboration with external partners and the school successfully cooperates with both the local community and international companies such as Volvo, Toyota and Sony Ericsson. Students come from over 30 different countries, and education is run in English on most of our educations.

How might we make chocolate tempering easier to understand and master? 🍫✨In collaboration with Nordic Chocolate, our sec...
08/09/2026

How might we make chocolate tempering easier to understand and master? 🍫✨

In collaboration with Nordic Chocolate, our second-year BFA Industrial Design students explored how chocolate tempering could become more accessible for home users and small-scale producers.

Through research, concept development and prototyping, they designed products and digital experiences that help users test, understand and refine the tempering process. The projects explore how design can make a complex craft more approachable, intuitive and rewarding.

Which concept would you most like to try? 👇

Image 1 | Nora
An automated tempering tester that combines guided feedback, temperature visualisation and bio-based cooling technology to support consistent chocolate making.
Designed by Alva Ströhm.

Image 2 | Temperera
A tempering tool and decorative light that simplifies cooling analysis while bringing chocolate making into everyday home life.
Designed by Fredrik Engblom.

Image 3 | Vaka
A concept that combines controlled cooling and clear temperature feedback to help users understand and perfect the tempering process.
Designed by Oliver Lidstrand.

Image 4 | Pralin
A tempering tester with integrated guidance, temperature monitoring and learning tools designed for contemporary kitchen environments.
Designed by Einar Eriksson.

Image 5 | TemperTrace
A temper meter and mobile app that provide clear feedback on tempering quality, making professional methods more accessible.
Designed by Sofia Nyman.

Image 6 | Tempera
A tempering product and companion app focused on usability, sustainability and achieving consistently tempered chocolate.
Designed by Wilma Remmelg.

What is design for?As part of Intro Week, students took part in Talking Design with Heather Wiltse, Leena Naqvi and Xavi...
03/09/2026

What is design for?

As part of Intro Week, students took part in Talking Design with Heather Wiltse, Leena Naqvi and Xaviera Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada. Through conversations across programmes and backgrounds, students were invited to reflect on their values, challenge assumptions, and explore different perspectives on the role of design in society.

02/09/2026

Not a bad commute. ✨

Morning light, fresh air, and a ride to the studio.

31/08/2026

🌍 From across Sweden and around the world, our students have arrived.

With roll call complete, a new year is underway at Umeå Institute of Design. Studios, workshops, and shared spaces are coming back to life as returning students and new arrivals begin another chapter together.

Here’s to learning, making, exploring, and growing through design.

How might train travel become a richer journey, not just a way to reach a destination? 🚆✨In collaboration with Norrtåg, ...
27/08/2026

How might train travel become a richer journey, not just a way to reach a destination? 🚆✨

In collaboration with Norrtåg, our first-year MFA Interaction Design students explored how rail travel across northern Sweden could create deeper connections with places, people and local culture.

Through field research, stakeholder engagement and iterative prototyping, they developed service concepts that extend the travel experience before, during and after the journey. The projects explore themes of discovery, belonging, collective storytelling and passenger agency, demonstrating how service design can create more meaningful and engaging mobility experiences.

Which concept would you most like to experience on your next train journey? 👇

Image 1 | Extended Norrtågland
A service ecosystem that transforms Norrtåg into a gateway to discovery, helping travellers build anticipation, uncover local experiences and reflect on their journeys long after they return home.
Designed by Pius Burkhart, William van der Bijl, Yadu Sharon & Leon Burg.

Image 2 | Echo Tracks
A digital and onboard platform that enables passengers to share stories, knowledge and experiences, building a collective map of northern Sweden through train travel.
Designed by Isak Steinnes Christoffersen, Yijing Zhang & Helen Frank.

Image 3 | Everyone's On Board
A service concept that fosters inclusion, participation and shared responsibility, creating a more supportive and socially connected travel experience for passengers.
Designed by Ougezihan Xieraili, Alma Bengtsson, Mark Vedberg & Aditi Singh.

Image 4 | Creating a Sense of Agency
A collection of analogue and digital interventions that empower passengers to shape their own journey experience, supporting both practical needs and moments of play, creativity and connection.
Designed by Tishya Maini, Kacper Skup Prochownik & Pola Kolodziej.

How might travel products earn a place in the lives of a new generation of explorers? 🌍🎒In collaboration with Thule, our...
25/08/2026

How might travel products earn a place in the lives of a new generation of explorers? 🌍🎒

In collaboration with Thule, our APD1 students explored how changing travel habits among Gen Z and young adults are creating new opportunities for carry solutions.
From daily commutes and bikepacking adventures to beach days, micro-touring and spontaneous escapes into nature, the resulting concepts imagine new ways to support life on the move.

Which concept would you take on your next adventure? 👇

Image 1 | Allset
A crossbody bag with built-in reminders for daily essentials.
Designed by Brandon Escalona & Emily Klein.

Image 2 | Pace
A camera bag that shifts from bike to body in seconds.
Designed by Benedikt Herzau & Pascal Simon Stappen.

Image 3 | Outscape
An e-bike trailer that transforms into an elevated tent.
Designed by Marija Kucurski & Mohammed Suhail Shameer.

Image 4 | Ridge
A secure bike bag built for trail adventures.
Designed by Rohith Rajesh Kumar.

Image 5 | Oasis
An elegant sunshade for effortless days at the beach.
Designed by Murat Can Habire.

Image 6 | Morph
An expandable sling bag for spontaneous urban life.
Designed by Yajurvi Haritwal.

Image 7 | Hammock
A portable platform for relaxation and social connection.
Designed by Johanna Huse.

Image 8 | AllTrail XT
A carrying system designed for greater comfort on the move.
Designed by Aryaman Kashyup.

Image 9 | CNVS
A modular carry platform that adapts throughout the day.
Designed by Clara Häggström Germann.

Image 10 | Shift
A bag that turns movement into instant access.
Designed by Zhiyuan Jiang.

Image 11 | Encourage
A versatile companion for micro-touring and group adventures.
Designed by Xue Zipei.

In the first hours after an earthquake, access can save lives.For Mission: Coordinated Mobility, MFA Transportation Desi...
21/08/2026

In the first hours after an earthquake, access can save lives.

For Mission: Coordinated Mobility, MFA Transportation Design students explored how Volvo Construction Equipment could contribute to future disaster-response and crisis-logistics systems in 2036.

Team Earthquakes, with Christopher Nõmmann and Kaloyan Petrov, focused on one urgent challenge: helping rescue teams reach affected areas faster when roads are blocked, infrastructure is damaged and conditions are unpredictable.

Their proposal, VOLVO TERRA, imagines a dedicated humanitarian and disaster-relief direction within Volvo. The system includes two complementary concepts:

Image 1: Terra Wayfinder by Christopher Nõmmann
Image 2: Terra Mover by Kaloyan Petrov

Together, the concepts explore how mobility, logistics and coordination can support emergency response when time matters most.

Developed in collaboration with Volvo Construction Equipment.

Wildfires do not begin and end with the flames.For Mission: Coordinated Mobility, MFA Transportation Design students exp...
19/08/2026

Wildfires do not begin and end with the flames.

For Mission: Coordinated Mobility, MFA Transportation Design students explored how future vehicle concepts could support crisis logistics in a changing world.

Team Wildfires, with Milena Kuhlmann, Joona Pussinen and Alexander Borisch, looked at wildfires as an ongoing system, where preparation, response, evacuation and recovery overlap. Rather than designing to fight fires directly, the team focused on the spaces around the fire: coordination, safety, decision-making and long-term restoration.

Their three concepts explore different moments in the wildfire cycle:

Image 1: Volvo Lookout by Milena Kuhlmann
Image 2: Volvo Base by Joona Pussinen
Image 3: Volvo Treader by Alexander Borisch

Developed in collaboration with Volvo Construction Equipment.

How can mobility support communities before, during and after a storm?In Mission: Coordinated Mobility, MFA Transportati...
17/08/2026

How can mobility support communities before, during and after a storm?

In Mission: Coordinated Mobility, MFA Transportation Design students explored how Volvo Construction Equipment could contribute to future crisis-logistics systems in 2036.

For Team Storms, Patipol Khempimook and Ronggang Bao focused on typhoon-driven disasters in Southeast Asia, with the Philippines as a key context. Their proposal, VOLVO AGIS, connects everyday operations with emergency response through two vehicle concepts designed for disrupted urban environments, evacuation support, logistics, mapping and communication.

Image 1: AGIS_01 by Patipol Khempimook
Image 2: AGIS_02 by Ronggang Bao

Developed in collaboration with Volvo Construction Equipment.

For his grad project, Hugo Nordberg (BFA Industrial Design) created tim. (Tools in Motion), a purpose-built electric c...
13/08/2026

For his grad project, Hugo Nordberg (BFA Industrial Design) created tim. (Tools in Motion), a purpose-built electric cargo bike designed to support the everyday needs of urban tradespeople.

“I’m exploring whether a cargo bike can fully meet the demands of the trade, not just functionally, but also in how it’s perceived. tim. is designed to feel like a professional tool that tradespeople can trust and identify with,” says Hugo Nordberg.

Developed in collaboration with Cyklande Rörmokaren, the project addresses the practical and cultural barriers of moving away from vans in city environments. Through dedicated storage solutions, adaptable load handling and a familiar visual language, tim. proposes a more efficient and sustainable way of working. It reduces emissions and congestion while supporting the realities of professional trade in urban contexts.

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Umeå
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