The efforts at qualification in the teaching of design do not aim simply at the acquisition of specialist knowledge, but also at the promotion of personal and social competences. Thus early on the students are acquainted with the demands of a continually changing professional and social environment through projects in network-like working practices. In their work designers inevitably enter into communication with society. They thereby have a decisive influence on the images in our heads and the evaluation of products and companies. They are responsible for combining commercial targets with ethical and moral values and implementing these both formally and conceptually. The designers trained at the BTK do not only have excellent technical skills, they are also aware of this responsibility. For the tasks to be dealt with on the course students attempt to develop new visual strategies for communicating challenging issues. The creative ideas make a contribution to influencing viewing habits, but also consumer behaviour in society. They should be able to intervene in issues and develop a position with regard to the social task. Design serves the purpose of finding an adequate expression for what is essential in a message. Strategic design is concentrated in the focus of the core statements, one in line with a value-based objective. Anything unnecessary or irritating should be discarded.

Volker Pook teaches since 2004 at the BTK University of Applied Sciences where he became a professor in 2008.

• Student projects