How can digital tools improve study decisions? And how can medical care for expectant mothers be rethought? Julia Johanna Fleischer and Aysel Ege Coskun from Anhalt University of Applied Sciences addressed these questions in their final theses. The two students were awarded the DessauDesignAward 2025 for their work. The Department of Design at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences awards the prize every year to particularly convincing final theses by its Bachelor's and Master's students. They are recognized for their innovative approach, their target group-oriented concept and their outstanding design quality.
Julia Johanna Fleischer, a Bachelor's graduate from the Integrated Design degree program, addressed a question that many young people ask themselves in her work: Which degree program is right for me? With the StudioApp and StudioPro tools, her project "Comparing design degree programs" is the first to offer a data-supported decision-making aid that makes university offers transparent. Based on real module data, study regulations and user ratings, the application is aimed at both prospective students and universities. Its goal is to enable better decisions, avoid dropouts and promote a more responsible use of educational resources.
Master's graduate Aysel Ege Coskun (International Master of Integrated Design) developed a wearable system for non-invasive monitoring of mother and child during pregnancy. Her product "A Wearable Solution for Prenatal Monitoring and Maternal-Fetal Health Support" combines medical technology, smart textiles, Internet of Things and user-centered design to combine clinical reliability with the convenience and appeal of lifestyle products. The system is primarily aimed at high-risk pregnancies, but is suitable for all expectant mothers from the 20th week of pregnancy. Through remote monitoring and AR-assisted positioning combined with AI-driven data analysis, it supports early detection and timely intervention, which is expected to reduce unnecessary hospital visits, improve prenatal care outcomes and increase patient autonomy.
A total of 30 graduates from the 2024/25 academic year applied for this year's DessauDesignAward. Ten works made it onto the shortlist. The award ceremony took place on July 11, 2025 as part of the DessauDesignSchau at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences.
The works can be seen in an exhibition in the foyer of the "Bill-Haus Building" on Campus Dessau (Seminarplatz 2a, map) until October 2, 2025.
Integrated design studies at Campus Dessau
The unique feature of the integrated design course in Dessau is the freedom to choose and combine the disciplines of communication, product and media design. After the basic training, students can form individual study profiles that promote their personal talents and interests. They are free to focus on individual design disciplines or to study in an interdisciplinary way.
Detailed information on studying design at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences can be found here: www.hs-anhalt.de/design
