The Masters in Strategic Design Management course at Istituto Europeo di Design equips students with design and entrepreneurship skills through combining creativity and business strategy with mentorship from global experts.

The Masters in Strategic Design Management at IED Barcelona equips a new generation of designers, entrepreneurs, and managers to shape the future of innovation across industries.

The programme bridges creativity and business strategy, teaching students to harness design thinking, co-creation and human-centred approaches to solve complex societal and organisational challenges.

Through hands-on projects with real companies, immersive international study trips and mentorship from global experts, participants develop the skills to envision, prototype and implement products, services and experiences that are both innovative and sustainable.

Graduates leave the programme ready to lead multidisciplinary teams, influence decision-making and create meaningful value in a rapidly changing world.

School: Istituto Europeo di Design
Course: Masters in Strategic Design Management
Type: Postgraduate
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Course dates: Starting January 2027
Application deadline: December 2026

Find out more about the course and apply ›

What will I learn during this course?

– Strategic design management tools for integrating design and business
– Human-centered, creative, and multidisciplinary problem-solving methods
– Design thinking, co-creation, and service design methodologies
– Systemic and sustainable innovation frameworks
– Trend analysis, forecasting, and scenario planning
– Experience design and prototyping for products and services
– Business, financial and brand strategy knowledge for viable solutions
– Leadership, storytelling, and people management skills
– Competence in applying innovation to real-world industry challenges

What are the requirements?

– A bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification
– Minimum two years of professional experience after university
– Motivation letter and CV in English
– Intermediate English proficiency (TOEFL 550/IELTS 6.5)
– Portfolio submission if required
– Motivational interview (in-person or via Skype) for assessment

What facilities and resources are available?

– Two IED Barcelona campuses with fashion, design, visual communication and creative management workshops
– Digital fabrication labs including Makers Lab, XR Lab and MediaLab
– Access to industry professionals and faculty mentoring
– Career Services for CV, portfolio, internships and networking
– Counselling and coaching support
– Partnerships with companies such as Cupra, Volkswagen, HP, SEB Tefal and others for real industry projects and internships
– International study trips to Lisbon, Geneva, CERN and other innovation hubs

What career prospects can I expect upon graduating?

Graduates from the Master's in Strategic Design Management are prepared for leadership roles in design-driven business innovation, both in corporate environments and consultancies.

Career paths include design strategist, design researcher, service designer, UX designer, product manager, innovation project manager or consultant, senior designer, project manager, brand manager, design department manager, design director or innovation director.

Graduates can work in multinational corporations, startups, agencies, government organisations, or independently, leveraging design thinking, business strategy and multidisciplinary collaboration to generate sustainable value.

Who teaches this course?

– Olivier Mache, programme leader

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