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What is it about?

Artificial intelligence is changing the way products are designed and opening up new possibilities for product designers. AI is much more than a tool for working faster: it enables you to explore more ideas, discover unexpected design directions and make better-informed design decisions.

In this hands-on course, you will learn how to integrate AI purposefully into your own creative design practice, without compromising critical thinking, design quality, or aesthetic judgement. You will learn how to work with Large Language Models (LLMs) and diffusion models, and discover how targeted prompting can help you generate, explore and further develop new ideas and conceptual possibilities.

The focus is on the combination of technology and human expertise. AI does not replace your own design skills – it enhances them. You will learn how to combine AI with familiar techniques such as sketching, prototyping and CAD. This allows you to expand your creative possibilities and explore a wider range of solutions. Your creativity, design skills and judgement remain central, while AI opens up new opportunities for research, ideation, concept development and visual communication.

workshop

Who is it for?

  • Are you a product designer or do you work in product design?
  • Are you mainly active in the exploration and concept development phases of the design process?
  • Do you want to discover how AI can strengthen your creativity and design skills?

Then this course is for you!

Why?

Artificial intelligence is having a major impact on the world of product design and is changing the way products, services and innovations are developed. As a result, organisations are increasingly looking for professionals who can use AI not only efficiently, but also critically and creatively within design and innovation processes.

In this course, you will learn how to integrate AI thoughtfully into your own design practice.

General

During the course, you will work through four consecutive stages of the design process. You will discover how AI can support you at each stage – from defining and refining a problem and generating ideas to developing, visualising and presenting your design.

During the first four modules, you will work on a training case to learn the design process, tools and workflow. You will then apply the same approach to an individual professional project. This means you will complete the course with more than just new AI skills: you will develop a repeatable design framework that expands creative possibilities, strengthens decision-making, and can be immediately applied within professional design practice.

Module 1 – Explore | 1 October 2026
Problem Definition, Research & Inspiration
Explore your design challenge, refine your problem statement and use AI to conduct research and gather inspiration.

Module 2 – Generate | 5 November 2026
Concept Development & Broad Idea Exploration
Use AI to explore different ideas and solution directions and translate them into innovative concepts.

Module 3 – Iterate | 3 December 2026
Select, Refine & Develop
Evaluate your ideas, make focused choices and further develop your concept with the help of AI and your own design expertise.

Module 4 – Deliver | 7 January 2027
Final visualizations, Communication & Presentation
Develop your design and use AI to visualise, communicate and present your concept clearly.

Final presentation | 18 February 2027
Pitch your AI-supported design practice
During the final presentation at the Industrial Design Center (IDC), you will present how you have applied AI within your own professional environment and design practice.

Dates and location

The course takes place during the first semester of the 2026–2027 academic year. It is taught in English and takes place on Thursday afternoons, from early October 2026 to mid-February 2027.

The course consists of 4 half-day sessions, taking place on the first Thursday of each month, complemented by 4 online feedback sessions on the third Thursday of each month.

  • 4 half-day sessions: 1 October, 5 November, 3 December 2026 and 7 January 2027
  • 4 online feedback sessions: 15 October, 19 November, 17 December 2026 and 21 January 2027
  • Final presentation: 18 February 2027

The theory sessions take place at Campus Kortrijk Weide, Industrial Design Center (IDC). The feedback sessions take place online.

Time commitment

The course consists of 4 half-day theory sessions, spread throughout the semester. After each theory session, you will have approximately two weeks to process and apply what you have learned through assignments. Allow half a day to a full day per month for this.

Approximately one week before the next theory session, there is an online feedback and peer-learning session. During this session, you can discuss questions, receive feedback on your assignments and further refine your work.

This cycle is repeated four times. After the final session, you will work towards a final assignment, which you will submit in February 2027.

Course fee

The course fee is €1,499.

Included:

  • Digital lesson slide decks
  • The hardcopy book AI Exploration & Visualization
  • Personal feedback throughout the course
  • Certificate of participation

The course is eligible for the kmo-portefeuille (SME e-wallet) under the theme of innovation.

  • Persoonsgegevens
  • Facturatiegegevens
  • Blijf op de hoogte
  • Completed
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FAQ

Can’t find what you’re looking for, or do you have a specific question about this course? Feel free to get in touch with us.

Thomas Valcke

Thomas Valcke

Contact person

Contact

Completing the online registration implies that you are officially enrolled and commits you to paying the registration fee. After your file is processed, you will receive an email with an invoice for payment of the registration fee.

Most advanced programmes (such as micro degrees and post-graduate programmes) are not eligible for scholarships or reduced fees. That type of financial assistance is reserved for students within the standard programmes (bachelor's). However, there are other possibilities offered by the Flemish government such as Flemish educational allowance, KMO-portefeuille and study vouchers.

Yes, it is possible. Please send your account number and billing details to howestacademy@howest.be. The refund for the originally paid registration fee will only be made after registration of payment with the SME-wallet. You will therefore temporarily have a double payment pending.

If your training is partially or fully funded through financial assistance (SME, Flemish training leave, Flemish educational allowance, Flemish training vouchers), it is important to check the terms of the financial assistance programme concerning compulsory attendance. Students are responsible for having their attendance formally registered by the lecturers.

The coordinator of your course will indicate which platform will be used for short-term courses. For long-term programmes, your course material can be found on leho.howest.be. You can log in with the details you received from the registrar’s office after enrolment.

Send an e-mail to howestacademy@howest.be and you will get a quick reply.

For short-term postgraduate courses, direct registration via the webpage is final and binding. For diploma and credit courses such as bachelor’s, associates and microdegrees, pre-registration is not binding, but it assures you a place in the programme.

  • For associates degree:
    You are officially enrolled once you have completed your pre-registration online and signed it digitally. After processing and approval of your online registration by the registrar’s office, you will receive login details and an invoice for payment of the registration fee.
  • For microdegrees:
    You are officially enrolled after your pre-registration has been processed by the student registrar and after you have signed your programme contract. This can be done manually or digitally via the digital student learning platform: https://leho.howest.be/ (shortcut at the bottom -> ibamaflex -> important information).

Payment of the registration fee must be made no later than 1 October or - if the course starts at another time - within 15 days of registration. For payments made by invoice, the latest payment date mentioned on the invoice applies. Only in exceptional cases will instalment payments be allowed and only if an instalment plan has been submitted and agreed to by Howest's financial officer. Please contact us at howestacademy@howest.be for more information.

If you are enrolled in a bachelor-after-bachelor programme, a postgraduate programme, a micro-credential and/or a further education programme, you are not eligible for financial support towards your study costs.

Do you have any questions about this? Contact the Stuvo Student Services