The Master in Design for Emergent Futures is a journey into designing for complexity, uncertainty and possibility. The futures we want tomorrow are enabled by the actions we take today.

MDEF is a hands-on, full-time program in Barcelona designed to challenge the way things work today. By critically making from a first-person perspective you will become a unique hybrid designer, turning ideas into impactful interdisciplinary projects rooted in your background and interests, materializing alternative presents.

The program is rooted in 7 main principles:
1. Rethink what design can do: We challenge conventions. You’ll learn to shape futures through design research and emerging tech.
2. Learn by doing: A full-time, immersive experience in Barcelona. Choose 9 months (MDEF 01) or go deeper with 18 months (MDEF 01+02).
3. Four phases, one goal: We Explore, build, reflect, apply. Small interventions, big impact.
4. Master the tools of change: We built on the MIT inspired Fab Academy and we go hands-on with AI, digital fabrication and synthetic biology.
5. Come as you are. Grow into something new: No matter your background, you’ll evolve into a future-ready, multidisciplinary designer.
6. Connect local and global communities: Engage with communities of practice rooted in Barcelona, grow within a global community of peers and mentors.
7. Build what matters: Leave with a portfolio of actionable prototypes, strategies, and projects, ready to launch.

The program includes several out-of-class activities.
. An annual Field Trip is designed as a research residency in an unconventional setting. Over a week, we engage in research practices deeply rooted in the local context, collaborating with the people, the landscape, its species and the unique knowledge they offer.
. Situated Design Practices involve engaging students directly in real-world environments to explore and apply design concepts. These visits allow students to interact with professionals, observe design processes in action, and understand how design works in context.
. The Design Festival is a platform where students showcase their projects and connect with their communities to propose alternative presents, sparking meaningful conversations and inspiring new perspectives.