Introducing Two New MA Design Courses at Iceland University of the Arts

Reykjavík - 16 August 2025:

Designer, author, and educator, R. Michael Hendrix, is introducing two new courses in the MA Design program at the Iceland University of the Arts (Listaháskóli Íslands) this fall: Team-based Design and Contextual Research. Drawing on 15 years of hands-on design leadership at IDEO (2008–2023), Hendrix’s curriculum advances skills essential for today’s graduate design education.

"Design education needs to prepare students for the realities of collaborative, multidisciplinary work and equip them with deep research skills to uncover human-centered insights," said Hendrix. "These courses are designed to deliver exactly that—practical methods students can apply immediately in their practice."

Team-based Design


A nine-week course focused on design collaboration in both multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary contexts. Students will learn to define and adapt team roles, build trust, manage group dynamics, and establish effective team rituals. The course also covers co-design with external stakeholders, creating productive shared workspaces, and managing collective authorship—key competencies for collaborative design projects in professional environments.

Contextual Research


A five-week intensive introducing students to contextual research methods in design. Through ethnographic fieldwork, observation, interviews, and analogous research, students will uncover cultural, social, and environmental factors influencing behavior. The course emphasizes identifying “latent needs” and synthesizing findings into actionable design opportunities—critical skills for developing products, services, and systems that respond to real-world contexts.

Hendrix, co-author of Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation and founder of Reykjavík-based design practice Huldunótur, has worked with clients including the White House, Nasdaq, and the GRAMMYs. His teaching experience spans Berklee College of Music, University of Tennessee, and Bifröst University.

The courses are open to MA Design students starting Fall 2025 and are part of the program’s ongoing commitment to advancing contemporary design education.



  • hendrix@invisiblenotes.com