Help choosing an exchange school (Design-focused) in Europe
Hi everyone! I’m an Environmental Design student from China. I recently did a UX internship at a major gaming/tech company, and I'm currently exploring a career pivot into gaming, branding, or digital UX. I’m planning a 4-5 month Spring exchange to explore these multidisciplinary fields (away from pure spatial design). For me, the city vibe, meeting people, and traveling are just as important as the academics. Right now, I am strongly leaning towards Paris, Barcelona, and Vienna for the lifestyle, but I have a few specific questions before making my final list: My Top 3 Choices: 1. Strate (Paris): Can I explore interactive media/branding here, or is it strictly corporate UX? Also, how annoying is the commute from central Paris to the Sèvres campus? 2. Elisava (Barcelona): Are professors open to mixing spatial design with digital/game interactions (Phygital), or is it mostly traditional physical models? How's the workload? 3. Angewandte (Vienna): Is it a good fit for game design and speculative tech, or is it too heavily focused on abstract fine arts? Other Options: I'm also considering a few others, but I have some doubts: 4. Sapienza (Rome): Is it too focused on classical architecture and traditional systems, or is there room for modern digital/tech projects? 5 Umeå Institute of Design (Sweden): I know it’s top-tier for digital UX, but how is the city vibe for a short 4-month exchange? Will I feel too isolated in northern Sweden? Any insights on the schools, courses, or city vibes would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!