Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art Lucerne School of Design, Film and Art
Degree Programmes Degree Programmes
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Arts
Design Management, International Design Management, International
Projects & Internships Projects & Internships

Projects & Internships

Throughout the Bachelor Design Management, International programme, students work on practical projects with real partner organisations — from global companies to social enterprises. In the second year, they take this experience further with an internship in Switzerland or abroad, applying what they have learned in real organisational contexts.

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Projects

Gruppenfoto von 17 Studierenden und Projektbeteiligten, die in zwei Reihen vor einer Präsentationsfolie mit der Aufschrift «Fostering Learning Processes» stehen. Die Gruppe lächelt in die Kamera. Das Bild entstand in einem hellen Unterrichtsraum mit Betonwänden.

Helping Dräger share knowledge

Course: Fostering Learning Processes

First-year students collaborated with the Design Manager team from Dräger, a global leader in medical and safety technology, to explore the organisational processes that shape how information is shared, decisions are made, and knowledge is created across departments.

Through design interviews, workshops and prototyping, students co-created new collaboration routines, shared digital workspaces, new briefing processes, and workshops that help transform customer insights into organisational knowledge.

Zwei Studentinnen präsentieren vor Publikum ein Projekt zum Thema faire Schokoladenproduktion und globale Wertschöpfungsketten. Eine Studentin steht hinter einem Rednerpult mit Laptop, während die andere ein Tablet hält. Im Hintergrund zeigt eine Projektion eine Weltkarte und Informationen zur Produktion in Ghana.

Fairafric, creating value beyond the product

Course: Service Design for Responsible Production

econd-year students collaborated with Fairafric, a social enterprise producing chocolate entirely in Ghana, to explore how service design can contribute to more responsible production systems. Service designers improve how people experience a business by rethinking how people interact and get things done. Students identified opportunities to strengthen fairafric’s existing business by improving how people participate across the chocolate journey, from supporting farmers’ wellbeing and reducing waste to connecting consumers with the people behind the product and encouraging long-term customer relationships.

Drei Studentinnen präsentieren ein Projekt zum Thema Gehirngesundheit vor Publikum. Sie stehen verteilt vor einer Betonwand und halten Tablets beziehungsweise ein Mikrofon in den Händen. Hinter ihnen zeigt eine Präsentation den «Swiss Brain Health Plan 2023–2030» mit Infografiken und fünf Handlungsfeldern.

Project with Swiss Brain Health Plan 2023–2030

Course: Transforming and Humanising Organisations

How can design help families make brain health part of everyday life? Working with the Swiss Brain Health Plan, families of children with epilepsy, and healthcare professionals, students designed conversation games, an information platform, and reflection tools that translate scientific knowledge into proposals for everyday practice.

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Internships

During the second year of the Bachelor Design Management, International programme, you undertake an internship in Switzerland or abroad. Placements take place in the fourth semester, last up to five months, and may be paid or unpaid. You apply your knowledge in real organisations: designing communications, contributing to research, making complexity visible, and shaping processes and strategies.

Internships are ‘career prototypes’: opportunities to explore what matters to you and how you want to develop professionally. You gain experience, build connections and bring new perspectives back to your studies.

Internship Panel Discussion 2025

Sieben Frauen sitzen nebeneinander auf einer Bühne und nehmen an einer Podiumsdiskussion teil. Eine Frau in der Mitte spricht in ein Mikrofon, während die anderen aufmerksam zuhören. Im Vordergrund ist das Publikum zu sehen, im Hintergrund eine Präsentationsfolie.

Eight students gathered for a panel discussion to share their internship experiences — months spent in organisations across Switzerland, Germany, the UK, and beyond. The conversation explored how they found their positions, how they applied design management in different contexts, and how they navigated remote work, fast-paced environments, and language barriers along the way.

In 2025, the internships took our students into a wide range of organisations: Aline Sophie Strecker and Sarah Singh at the chocolate brand Amanase, Juulia Kumpuvaara at the Swiss Association for Tobacco Control (AT), Laura Caggiano at Jester Advisory AG, Lena Heinen at Medtronic, Pina Eppstein at Roche, Rosana del Carmen Baumann at FUTURE BRAND THINKING and Ulza Selimi at Trihow AG.

Internship Panel Discussion 2024

Fünf Personen sitzen bei einer Podiumsdiskussion vor Publikum und sprechen über Design, Transformation und Zusammenarbeit. Im Hintergrund hängen farbenfrohe Plakate mit englischen Begriffen wie «Stakeholder Engagement», «Collaboration & Inclusivity» und «Continuous Improvement».

Students shared their internship experiences across Switzerland and abroad — from energy and public transport to design agencies, healthcare and climate action. They discussed how they organised their work, collaborated with colleagues and brought different perspectives into a team, and how an organisation’s structure shapes its work and culture.

In 2024, the panel brought together students whose internships spanned a wide range of organisations: Lya Noser and Sandro Antonietti at Roche, Sandra Werren at Axpo Group, Leonie Stöcklin at ETH Zürich, Simona Barbarossa at PostBus Ltd, Melanie Guhl at Zingg-Lamprecht AG, Cecilia Reber at Vetica Group, Elena Scheidegger at Mind Studios, Maeva Haemmerle at Mayo Clinic, Malia Staub at MYBLUEPLANET, Nada Stevic at der RAS Group GmbH and Nicole Cuenod at Collabment Agency.

Prototyping a Career: Pina’s Internship at Roche

Eine junge Frau mit langen braunen Haaren und schwarzem Blazer steht lächelnd vor einem Innenfenster. Hinter ihr befinden sich mehrere grüne Zimmerpflanzen in roten Töpfen sowie grosse weisse Buchstaben mit der Aufschrift «DESIGN».

Our student Pina Eppstein completed her internship at Roche’s headquarters in Basel, joining the Site Experience team – a team focused on improving how employees experience their workplace and the services around them.

At Roche’s Kaiseraugst site, Pina led a project to improve the lunch experience for production and logistics employees. She talked to employees about how they use their break spaces, analysed what she learned and developed ideas with employees. She presented proposals for improving break areas and services, making the ideas concrete.

Pina valued having responsibility for her project from the start.

The internship gave her practical experience of navigating organisational processes, building relationships and communicating ideas.

Where Our Students Have Interned

Our students have completed internships with companies, design agencies, research institutions, NGOs, and start-ups in Switzerland and abroad. During their internships, they contribute to projects such as developing new products and services, improving customer experiences, exploring business opportunities, and helping teams work together more effectively.

Eine Übersicht zeigt die Logos verschiedener Unternehmen und Organisationen, mit denen im Bereich Design Management zusammengearbeitet wird. Darunter befinden sich Roche, ETH Zürich, Victorinox, BMW Group, Johnson & Johnson, PostBus, Axpo, Creaholic und weitere Praxispartner.