Central University Launches Russias First Human Experience Design Program at New Design School

The Central University is launching its School of Design along with Russia’s first program in Human Experience Design (HX-design). The university’s rector, Evgeny Ivashkevich, announced this initiative during an Open House event.

The Human Experience Design program is an innovative curriculum that explores design as a tool for addressing the challenges of the future. It aims to train a new breed of designers—interdisciplinary specialists and strategists. These professionals will not only create interfaces and visual solutions but will also design meanings, scenarios, and the ways humans interact with technology.

At the core of the program is the Human Experience approach, which focuses on understanding human experiences in cultural, social, and behavioral contexts. The program is built to foster meaningful interactions between people and systems.

Spanning two years, the coursework emphasizes interdisciplinarity. Students will learn to navigate the intersections of design, technology, humanities, and management disciplines. This approach enables them to tackle problems from fresh perspectives and develop solutions that take behaviors, values, and various contexts into account.

The curriculum covers:

— Working within cultural, social, and behavioral contexts;
— Critically reassessing the role of design;
— Analyzing the long-term effects of design decisions;
— Adopting a systemic view of design products;
— Designing meanings and interaction scenarios.

Students will have the option to specialize in either product design or communication and graphic design, with opportunities to switch tracks later on through a simplified process.

The faculty consists of industry practitioners, including:

— Alexander Lygin — creative and product designer;
— Boris Shilin — creator of the «Shcholoch» project;
— Denis Mosin — head of design at Yandex;
— Egor Kraft — interdisciplinary artist;
— Polina Shevtsova — art director at Yandex Food Ultima;
— Leonid Feygin — creative director at Direct Design Visual Branding;
— Olga Valitova — founder of the creative agency DAtelier;
— Darya Nasonova — architect and game designer.

Particular emphasis will be placed on soft skills. Courses focused on personal and leadership development will be integral to the program. Theoretical knowledge will be combined with practical experience. In the Design Fiction Lab, students will explore alternative scenarios and critically engage with technology.

The School of Design will organize educational trips both within Russia and abroad. This will be the first program in the country to include such experiential learning activities. The program is aimed at bachelor’s degree graduates and early-career professionals, preparing them for roles as lead designers, art directors, heads of product and brand teams, design strategists, and researchers.

To apply, candidates must complete the registration form on the [website](http://apply.centraluniversity.ru/master/design) and undergo an interview by August 28, 2025. Top candidates will have the opportunity to receive a scholarship covering up to 75% of the tuition fees. The inaugural cohort will commence in September 2025.