Workshops

By Eric Vloemans

Till now, recumbent motorcycles haven’t been a commercial success. Even tough the concept offers advantages on comfort, aerodynamics, weather protection, body protection and more efficient integration of safety features, there’s still public and economic hesitation.

The goal of the workshop would be to present and highlight possible advantages, and to get more people curious about the concept. The approach of the workshop would be to work with a diverse group of people, choosing their own topics, within the “Recumbent Motorcycling” subject, to work on in groups from 2-3 people.

Possible topics, just suggestion and not limited to this list : 

• Create a family of vehicles, design study, based on different target groups and/or use cases 
• Physical Ergonomic study, real set-up in wooden plates, metal tubes,…, to define the adjustment of user interfaces (footpeg position, handlebar position, seat position,… Followed by a design study of adjusting mechanisms and principles, concepts 
• Styling exercises for a certain target group or use case (individual) 
• Create a product family with low,middle, and high end cost/performance 
• Detailed design/form studies of recumbent-specific parts (seat, windshield-lighting, aerodynamic covers….

By Ornella Torres Melkebeek

We’re as humans particularly bad at planning for the long-term future. Let alone imagining it.

Cognitive biases and forecasting errors keep us focused on the short term. Yet, visioning helps us become more future-oriented and act with purpose.¹ It helps us ask concrete questions about the future: What will we look like then? What will we believe? Where will we live? How will we connect socially?

Furthermore, taking a look at the spaces where today’s society makes important long-term decisions, such as conference rooms, boardrooms and digital meetings, we find they are often uninspiring and poorly suited for visionary thinking.

In this regard, the objective of this 5-day workshop will be for students to reimagine what a space for long-term [CLIMATE*] decision making could look and feel like.
To do so, speculative design² and future thinking methodologies will be used, alongside tools like the Futures Cone and the Four Scenario Archetypes (growth / collapse / discipline / transformation).

The end result is becoming a hybrid prototype of a future decision room, with a mix of physical and virtual experiential elements, including key artefacts, visuals and spatial design choices that provoke dialogue and inspire positive change.

Innovative tools might be used for prototyping, including Virtual Reality (VR) and AI-generated visuals. A demo-conference or futures think-tank could be held in the space to test and experience the result. *CLIMATE can be substituted with any other sociopolitical THEME students wish to explore. For example, URBAN, PEACE, FOOD, TECHNOLOGY, etc.

*CLIMATE can be substituted with any other sociopolitical THEME students wish to explore. For example, URBAN, PEACE, FOOD, TECHNOLOGY, etc.

<sup>1. TED (2017). Why we need to imagine different futures | Anab Jain. Youtube video. 
2. Dunne A. and Raby F. (2013) Speculative Everything. Cambridge: MIT Press. Available at: link</sup>

By Ella Adriaens & Thomas Marquenie

The Student Information Point (Stadscampus) is an important place where students can go with questions about sports, culture, komida, guidance, and various forms of support. As a physical point of contact, the reception area plays a key role in the overall student experience, yet it also offers opportunities to become warmer, more intuitive, and more contemporary in its design.

During this intensive design exploration, students will spend one week investigating how the spatial experience of the Student Information Point can be enhanced. The project focuses on spatial design and user experience, with the student as the central perspective. How do visitors move through the space? Where and how do they wait? What role could digital tools play, for instance through a kiosk or other interactive elements?

Based on and guided by the design challenges and opportunities we provide, the students will develop concrete proposals. These may include conceptual designs, mood boards, sketches, and 3D visualisations that make the future potential of the space tangible.

The week will conclude with a mini exhibition of the various interventions, allowing staff members of the Student Information Desk to literally walk through the conceptual redesign. The result will be an inspiring experience that not only sparks ideas but also helps shape a future redesign rooted in the experience and needs of the student.

By Susie Brand & Wouter Eggink

In this workshop we will explore social issues through design. In a world characterized by overconsumption and overproduction, design is less about products and more about how we can improve our society by behaviour change. The first step in almost every behavioural change theory is “awareness”. Therefore, we will use our design repertoire to make often complex social issues explicit and engaging. In other words; to make the invisible clearly visible. 

In the workshop we will work in groups on social issues of your own choice. Whether it is about diversity, inequality, fast fashion or addiction to make-up videos. We will use techniques ranging from philosophy of technology and design histories or sketching and graphic design to theatre design and performance. All in order to address and express the topics with creativity and imagination.

The second part of the workshop will then be dedicated to design, build and perform an expressive exhibition experience that will tell the audience your social message in the most compelling way on Friday afternoon.

By JanWillem Hoftijzer & Annemiek van der Wal

Ontwerpen is een breed gebied, en het wordt steeds breder. Of het nu om de oplossing voor een technisch probleem gaat, of het in kaart brengen van processtappen of van een maatschappelijk probleem; ontwerpen is verhalen aanhoren, ze zien, ze verzinnen en ze vertellen. Schetsen is een ijzersterk ontwerp-medium, een medium voor ontwikkeling, voor communicatie, voor presentatie, schetsen het faciliteert je denkproces en je creativiteit. 

 Deze workshop voorziet in kennis en oefeningen die hierop ingaan, en die hierop aansluiten. Van geavanceerde visualisatietechnieken, tot het communiceren en overtuigen aan de hand van interactieve ‘praatplaten’ en visuele verhalen. Gebruik makend van verschillende media (analoog; tekentablet) komen de verschillende facetten van het visuele ontwerpproces aan bod: Onmisbaar voor de creatieve moderne ontwerper!

By Chiara Percivati & Valerio Lorenzoni

In this workshop, we will explore and create musical instruments using electronics kits like Arduino and Daisy, sensors, 3D-modelling, 3D printing, laser cutting, coding, and sound design. Our goal is to develop a new generation of instruments that augment the capabilities of musicians, pushing the boundaries of musical performance with enhanced technology.

The tutors, who have experience with various aspects of instrument augmentation, will guide and support students through the creative process. This hands-on workshop will be a collaboration with students from the Conservatoire (instrumental, composition, and electronic music classes), fostering a multidisciplinary environment alongside UAntwerp students. The workshop will culminate in a performance on Friday, showcasing the participants' work.

The title, "Future Shock Orchestra",  references Alvin Tofflers influential book on adapting to the information age and alludes to Herbie Hancocks iconic album, blending modern and traditional jazz. We aim to reinterpret these ideas in the context of contemporary musical performance.

For this workshop, we are seeking motivated product development students who:​

• Have completed the course Electronische aspecten van Productontwikkeling” or have otherwise gained experience with Arduino kits. 
• Play an instrument or have an interest in music, and are excited to collaborate with musicians.
  

By Milo Berben

The world of mobility is undergoing a major transition, driven by electrification, mobility as a service, and digitalization. Combined with European initiatives for sustainable cities, such as the Green Deal and the vision of the 15-minute city, this creates a future urban landscape where people move around using multiple modes of transport, and micromobility plays a key role.

In this workshop, students dive into Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs), from e-scooters and cargo e-bikes to microcars, as drivers of livable, inclusive, and zero-emission cities for 2035–2040. They learn to imagine and shape the urban mobility of tomorrow strategically and visually.

The week is structured following the workflow of professional mobility design studios, allowing students to experience the full process from research to design, development, and presentation in f ive days. Each day begins with an introduction to relevant methods and examples that align with the design phase of the day, followed by group work in small teams. We alternatee between group presentations, collective discussions, and individual feedback sessions, giving students feedback on multiple levels.

Teams focus on one insight, problem, or target group identified during the first research day. Based on that, they build and refine a concept using typical mobility design techniques and work toward strong presentation material that demonstrates the full design process.

Do you want to tackle real-world mobility challenges and turn societal trends into bold design ideas? Curious how research and observation fuel the creative process? Want to experience what it’s like to work in a professional mobility design studio, collaborate with others, and refine your ideas through feedback? Ready to communicate your vision clearly, both visually and verbally, and shape the future of tomorrow’s mobility?  

By Ann Bonneux

Is a plate just a carrier for food—or can it shape the entire dining experience? 

What happens when we let go of traditional table manners and rethink the role of tableware?

In this workshop, imagination meets design thinking and hands-on creativity. We challenge conventions and explore how objects can become part of a story—not just products, but experiences.

You’ll dive into a process of questioning, experimenting, and creating. Starting with bold ideas, we’ll translate them into tangible objects and bring them to life in clay. Along the way, you’ll discover the unique possibilities and limitations of working with ceramics.

Using the design thinking method, we emphasize exploration and inspiration. You’ll receive tools, techniques, and creative challenges to spark your ideas. No prior experience with clay needed. We’ll guide you through some basic modeling techniques so you can shape your vision into reality.

Ready to dive in and experiment?

By Stefan Persaud & Bas Flipsen 

Designing for repairability is essential to achieving a circular economy. Products that are easy to disassemble, comply with sustainability legislation, and consider user behavior are key to reducing waste and extending product lifecycles.

This workshop invites students to explore Circular Product Design through the lens of the computer mouse. By dissecting this everyday object, students uncover barriers and opportunities for repair, refurbishment, and recycling. Key questions include: What parts matter? Which steps hinder repair? How can design strategies make repairability a core principle?Through active participation, students will disassemble and analyze a mouse, and assess its circularity, and apply insights to a more complex consumer product. The students will create redesigns and demonstrators which fit a circular future.

The week focuses on three perspectives: 

• Product Architecture: Disassembly Mapping & Redesign using strategies like clumping, trimming, and surfacing. 
• Legislation: Understanding right-to-repair and Ecodesign and addresses ethical issues when designing solely for legislation. 
• User Behavior: Making repair desirable through design aspects that increase repair likelihood.

Our didactical model encourages exploration before theory, allowing students to struggle safely and gain applicable knowledge after - boosting motivation and retention.

Students will:

• Learn skills in disassembly mapping and repairability assessment. 
• Understand legislative frameworks and compliance strategies. 
• Get insights into user behavior and repair-friendly design. Students will leave this week’s workshops with actionable tools and insights to integrate repairability into their own design practice, transforming them into circular practitioners where sustainability is part of their DNA.

By Gus Van Dender & Kristof Vaes

The product development industry you'll graduate into won't look like the one your professors learned in. AI is fundamentally reshaping how products are conceived, designed, and delivered. 

Over five intensive days, you'll experience what it takes to build an AI-first design agency from the ground up. Think of it as your sandbox for the future, a safe space to experiment, fail fast, and discover what's possible when AI meets entrepreneurial (design) thinking.

Our Five-Day Journey: 

• ​Monday: Shift from student to entrepreneurial mindset / understand AI's role in modern design •
• Tuesday: Create and refine an AI-powered service o ering •
• Wednesday: Build a brand identity and learn strategic positioning 
• Thursday: Master AI-driven marketing and content creation 
• Friday: Design automated workflows and present your complete agency concept 

Take aways:

• ​Hands-On AI: use the tools that are reshaping the industry, from ChatGPT and Midjourney to workflow automation platforms 
• Entrepreneurial Thinking: Even if you join a company after graduation, understanding the business side will set you apart 
• Portfolio Gold: Walk away with an agency concept that demonstrates forward-thinking 
• Practical Templates: Real workflows, prompts, and systems you can use in your studies and beyond 
  
  

Never used AI tools? Perfect. We'll start with the basics. Already experimenting? Great. 

By Eva Van Emelen

In deze workshop duiken studenten in het ondernemerschap achter productontwikkeling. We vertrekken niet vanuit een theoretisch businessplan, maar vanuit hun eigen creatieve ideeën, en bouwen dat stap voor stap op tot een concept dat leeft: met een doelgroep, een verhaal, een merkgevoel, en een eerste zicht op verkoop.

Aan de hand van concrete voorbeelden uit Abel (en andere cases), leren studenten hoe je een idee omzet in een merk dat raakt. Ze ontdekken hoe ondernemen binnen productontwikkeling evenveel te maken heeft met gevoel, positionering en communicatie als met vormgeving en productie. Elke dag staat één schakel in het proces centraal, met korte inspiratiesessies, oefeningen en feedback.

Planning:
Fase 1 – Van idee tot concept

•  Korte introductie Abel en andere voorbeeld cases
•  Brainstorm: wat zou jij als student-ondernemer willen maken of betekenen?
•  Oefening: formuleren van een kernidee + “waarom”
• Presentatie per groep: waar wil je met je idee verschil maken?
  Einde dag: een helder idee per deelnemer/groep
  
  

Fase 2 – Doelgroep, emotie & waarde

• Wie is je doelgroep écht?
• Oefening: persona’s en scenario’s
• Waardepropositie-oefening: welk gevoel verkoop je eigenlijk?
• Voorbeeld: hoe Abel woorden en emoties tastbaar maakt
  Einde dag: een concreet profiel van je doelgroep + jouw merkbelofte
  
  

Fase 3 – Vorm, merk & verpakking

• Branding als verlengstuk van productontwikkeling
• Korte inspiratiesessie: verpakking, tone of voice, kleuren, fotografie
• Oefening: maak een moodboard / merk-DNA
• Opdracht: vertaal je merkgevoel in een prototype van verpakking of presentatie
  Einde dag: een eerste merkconcept en visuele uitwerking
  
  

Fase 4 – Communicatie & lancering

•  Social media als merkbouwer: storytelling, timing, toon
•  Oefening: maak een lancerings campagne
•  Korte sessie over prijszetting & verkoopkanalen
  Einde dag: concreet plan voor hoe, waar, wie en prijs

Fase 5 – Pitch

•  Vormgeven van eindpresentaties
•  Tips voor presenteren met gevoel i.p.v. cijfers
• Toonmoment
  Einde dag: elk team presenteert een zijn merkconcept en uitwerking
  
  

Doel van de workshop
Aan het einde van de week:

• ​heeft elke groep een eigen (mini) onderneming of merkconcept vormgegeven,
•  begrijpen de studenten hoe ondernemerschap deel kan uitmaken van productontwikkeling,
•  hebben de studenten geoefend in positionering, storytelling, en presentatie.
  

By Wim Boudewyns

Slow speed and high fuel consumption are massive disadvantages of water transport. Coastal communities, emergency services and offshore applications could benefit from faster, more efficient ways to move people, cargo or resources. Combining optimal use of space with maximal efficiency is crucial for such vehicles.

During this workshop we will create concept models of a utility catamaran and explore how aerodynamic principles effect this design by breadboarding and testing basic prototypes in basic windtunnel conditions.