Hyper Island
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Hyper Island (former Hyper Island - School of New Media Design) is a digital media and management school in Stockholm and Karlskrona, Sweden, widely known for its interactive graphic design students and partly funded by the digital media industry.
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[edit] History
Hyper Island started in 1995 when Jonathan Briggs, David Erixon and Lars Lundh met during a project involving a CD-ROM production. They soon realized the increasing need of a different kind of education involving industry-based learning for the growing new media industry. Hyper Island's first two-year program started in 1996 with 30 students.
Since the start in 1996, Hyper Islands pedagogic has been successful; today more than 90 percent of the students receive job offers before they graduate. The unique focus on individual development and understanding of interpersonal relationships has made the school even more successful. Today, Hyper Island runs the two-year programs ”Digital Media” (90 weeks), ”Digital Business Management” (80 weeks), and the one-year programs "Interactive Art Director" (45 weeks), "Rich Media & Motion Graphic" (50 weeks). In total, about 300 students study full time at Hyper Island each year.
In 2008, the school introduced Hyper Island Master Classes, a concept for industry professionals. The concept aims to raise knowledge and competence among its participants, through short-term and intensive courses, when it comes to understanding interactive and digital media and the effective use of it.
Hyper Island staff works with leadership, team and individual development toward industry and the public sector. Hyper Island has also been involved in several external projects, such as setting up a two-year management program in Priština, Kosovo, together with the Olof Palme Institute and IPKO Institute.
Hyper Island is situated in Stockholm and Karlskrona, Sweden.
[edit] Location
Hyper Island is located both in Karlskrona and Stockholm.
Karlskrona: Hyper Island can be found in a former military remand prison, seated less than 50 meters from the Baltic Sea on the small Island Stumholmen 56°9′37.7598″N 15°35′53.4588″E / 56.160488833°N 15.598183°E, which is listed one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. The prison was built in 1910-11. The construction drawings of the military remand prison on the island of Stumholmen was made by F Bothén as late as 1894. A reversed version was made by Sixten C:son Sparre in 1908 but the changes where insignificant. In other words, it was built according to construction drawings which, regarding design and architecture, had not been changed for 70 years. The heating was provided through hot air channels in the walls, a system which at this time must have been as obsolete as the construction drawings of the prison. At first, the building contained 20 cells on the upper floor and 14 on the ground floor. The floors where open in the cell-area to make the supervision easier. Furthermore, there was a barrack room, guardroom, office and a special department with ordinary doors and windows for the gentlemen (officers).
The military remand prison on the island of Stumholmen is one of the most well preserved cell prisons in the country. The close to unchanged interior with individual cells arranged according to the Philadelphia system, open floors and the lantern, gives us a good picture of the conditions inside the remand prison and the disciplinary institutional care. The well-preserved exteriors emphasize the military hierarchy.
Hyper Island moved in to the former prison in 1996.
After six months of renovation, Hyper Island inaugurated new premises on Stumholmen in January 2004. Previously, this unique building has been used as a large steam central. Today, this is Hyper Islands main premises for lecturers, workshops and other student activities.
Stockholm: In August 2007, Hyper Island opened up a new part of the school at Telefonplan in Stockholm. The school is situated on the fourth floor of a former Ericsson headquarter building named Generatorn.
[edit] Long-term Programs
Digital Media (90 weeks): Hyper Island's most well-known program that has been since 1996. The program is available at both Hyper Island Karlskrona and Hyper Island Stockholm. The first 12 classes were called Crews (for example: "Crew 7"), however after the school opened its second location, the classes are named after their year of graduation and which of the two cities the classes are in (for example: "Digital Media 2010 Karlskrona" and "Digital Media 2010 Stockholm"). The program focusing on creativity, strategy and production within digital and interactive media. Students can choose one of three areas of specialization; design, development or management. The program includes a 30-week internship placement.
Digital Business Management (80 weeks): Hyper Island's first Business Management class started in 2006 and is available at Hyper Island Karlskrona. Since 2009, the program has been renamed "Digital Business Management" as the education's shifting from general business management to a specified digital business management. The program aims to give students a true understand the systems of business and the systems of productive teams, as well as deep insight to business- and group dynamics. After a 28-week internship placement, students can look forward to a future as Project Managers, Leaders/Managers or Entrepreneurs in the digital industry.
Interactive Art Director (45 weeks): Hyper Island's Interactive Art Director program started in 2007 and is available at Hyper Island Stockholm. The one-year program is for persons with specialized work experience who want to increase their skills and increase their qualifications as Art Directors in the digital/interactive industry. Students explore in-depth studies in for example interaction design, digital branding, management, design strategy, design for future platforms and motion graphics. The program includes a 13-week industry placement.
Rich Media & Motion Graphic (50 weeks): Hyper Island's new program, starting fall 2009, offers broad general knowledge and experience of motion graphic design. The program deals with strategy and production within the motion graphics field. Students can choose to focus on either strategy and leadership or design and production within the motion graphic industry. The program includes a 16-week industry placement.
Well-known magazines such as Creative Review, Campaign Magazine, New Media Age and Computer Arts have been publishing several articles on student projects and Hyper Islands unique educational environment. Hyper Island has also been a case-study for the British Government to advise on future educational systems in the UK. In the year 2000, Hyper Island was appointed as the best Digital Media institution in Sweden by the industry.
[edit] Intensive Programs
Hyper Island offers Master Classes, a concept for industry professionals. The concept aims to raise knowledge and competence among its participants, through short-term and intensive courses, when it comes to understanding interactive and digital media and the effective use of it.
Half-day intro The half-day introduction consists of an analog team exercise that will show, and let participants experience how they can become better professionals. The workshop is an introduction to the Hyper Island Master Class learning method.
Hyper Island Master Class for Creatives The Master Class for Creatives is for Copywriters, Art Directors, Creative Directors, Designers and other creative professionals, who want to become more creative by increasing their digital skills, attain stronger understanding of the advantages and possibilities of digital solutions and boost their know-how of digital media.
Hyper Island Master Class for Executives Master Class for Executives focuses on developing professional team members in top management. Participants learn to handle digital trends from a leadership perspective, to understand the advantages and possibilities within interactive media, how to become better leaders by getting the tools to teach themselves as well as educate their staff, and more.
Hyper Island Master Class for Project Managers & Strategists Master Class for Project Managers and Strategists is well suited for Business strategists, Project Managers, Production Managers, Planners and others who want more experience in how interactive media should be used within ad campaigns, who want to be able to measure success properly when using interactive media as a tool, and more.
Hyper Island Creative Social Academy Hyper Island Creative Social Academy is a global network for Creative Directors, which keeps a strong focus on what is going on in the world today and in the near future from an overall level down to what is happening on the media, technology and communication scene. Participants will work on tasks focusing strongly on idea-, and concept development for digital and interactive applications/solutions.
Hyper Island Master Class for She Creatives Together with Scandinavian network of professional female creatives, She Creatives of Sweden and U.K. based network She Says, the Hyper Island Learning Team has designed a Master Class course for female creatives only, aimed specifically at industry professionals already working as creatives.
Tailor-made Hyper Island Master Class Hyper Island created tailor-made Master Classes for companies and organizations to suits their particular needs related to digital media and communication. These courses can range from a 2 day-course to a longer period of time. The courses can be held at Hyper Island, on the companys' premises, or at an external location in Sweden or abroad. Courses can be conducted in English or Swedish. A tailor-made Master Class can be combined with a team building or team development approach to have an even more powerful impact.
[edit] Methods
Hyper Island's Digital Media, Digital Business Management, Interactive Art Director and Rich Media & Motion Graphics are all work-oriented programs. The programs are linked to the industry and applies teaching and learning approaches that are directly relevant to working life.
The work-education connection is demonstrated within a number of areas; in the construction of projects/courses, in the choice of teaching approaches, physical environment and educational materials, in the design of examinations and in the educational background and experience required of the teachers and trainers. The working life connection is most expressed during a period of placement. This is when the students get the chance to work in a company as a trainee. Instead of a fixed curriculum, the courses revolves around a set of projects created with industry professionals.
The projects start out with different themes, where each theme is explored from several perspectives: design, project management, leadership, branding, marketing, industry- and market issues, programming etc. This gives the students a general picture of the industry and provides a deeper understanding for production processes and general development systems.
