Medisign explores how to design products, services and systems to solve complex health challenges
As we face increasingly complex health challenges, there is an urgent need to rethink the fundamentals of our healthcare ecosystems. The Medisign Master’s Specialisation at TU Delft IDE will equip you with the tools and knowledge necessary to design innovative products, interactions, services and strategies that can realise a healthier future for individuals and societies.
Since 1998, the Medisign specialisation at TU Delft has continuously evolved to reflect the multifaceted nature of healthcare. Initially focused on healthcare product design, it now encompasses interaction, service and system design.
In this hands-on programme, students explore methodologies such as patient journey mapping and systems thinking through real-world projects. They work with healthcare providers, patients, industry experts and researchers who are pioneering new design approaches. Over two years, students build a portfolio of health-related design projects and gain insight into the complexities of the healthcare ecosystem. Graduates emerge with a unique blend of design and healthcare expertise, ready to improve lives through innovative, sustainable solutions.
Frequently asked questions
You must ensure that you meet the following requirements to qualify for the Medisign specialisation
- You must be enrolled in one of the Master’s programmes at the Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering at Delft University of Technology. Either Strategic Product Design (SPD), Design for Interaction (DfI) or Integrated Product Design (IPD).
- You must complete at least one Master-specific design studio with a health or healthcare focus of at least 10 ECTS.
- Complete a minimum of 2 Medisign electives (2x 5ECTS), with at least 1 elective from IDE.
- You must complete a health-related graduation project.
You can find out more about the requirements and curriculum here.
If you meet the above requirements, you can fill in the form here to apply for Medisign.
The Medisign MSc Specialisation is an accreditation you will receive on your MSc diploma. We urge you to complete the form here as soon as you know you want to become part of the Medisign community. You will be added to the Brightspace Medisign environment and invited to all Medisign events.
You can choose to do a health-related case in one of thedesign studios in any one of the Master programs, either in semester 1 or semester 2. Ask the coordinator of the design studio about opportunities for a health-related case at the start of the course.
Yes, some electives from outside the IDE faculty can be considered. If you would like to do an elective from another faculty or another university in the Netherlands that has a healthcare focus, please contact us (medisign-IDE@tudelft.nl) to discuss the possibilities.
Yes, a health-focused internship or research internship can also count as a Medisign elective. However, you need to make sure it is registered within the faculty as an official internship elective and contact the Medisign coordinator to make sure the internship brief qualifies as a Medisign focused internship.
Yes, however it is important to make sure that you have completed the credit requirements for the specialisation including the 10 ECTS for the Master-specific healthcare focused project in a design studio. Even if you are in your second year, you can fill in the form here to apply for the Medisign specialisation and you will be added to the Brightspace environment.
The Medisign specialisation offers a direction within your design career. You will be able to build a portfolio of healthcare-related design projects that showcase your experience in the real-life healthcare ecosystem. You will learn to speak the language of the healthcare sector in order to communicate effectively with them. You will expand your network through the various real-world projects.
A course or project is marked as ‘Medisign’ if it deals with topics such as care, cure and/or prevention in the field of health and health care. This theme should be described at the beginning of the course or project – in the project brief or course description – and not added at a later stage. If you are in doubt as to whether a course, project brief or topic fits the Medisign Specialisation, please contact the course coordinator and the Medisign coordinator.
Designing a Healthier Future Together: Become a partner
Transforming healthcare requires collaboration. Partner with Medisign to redefine the future of healthcare through design. Combining your expertise with our design approach, we’ll tackle society’s most pressing health challenges together – whether you’re a hospital, medical device company, corporation, design agency, NGO or government agency.
