Le Studio Montréal
Studio Montréal: design, innovation & entrepreneurship
Designated a "UNESCO City of Design" in 2006 - the first in North America - Montreal is now a stronghold of cultural, creative and digital industries. It skillfully blends arts, culture and technology. The city, home of the famous Cirque du Soleil, is also a thriving hub for festivals of all kinds (circus, comedy, music, etc.)
Montreal: a dynamic and cosmopolitan international hub
The island and port city of Montreal is home to over 4 million people, making it the second most populated in Canada. As the main city of the province of Quebec, in the east of the country, it is an ideal gateway to the North American continent and its culture for many international companies. Open to the world, Montreal is a city of immigration, welcoming many communities (Italian, Chinese, Portuguese, Haitian, etc.). The Quebec metropolis has thus become a cultural crossroads that provides a truly international experience. The city is very attractive, renowned for its quality of life, its openness to diversity and its dynamic ecosystem of startups.
The degree: Master's in International Design Strategy/Studio Montreal
A unique two-year master's program specialized in International Design Strategy
This program leads to a Master's degree in design, approved by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Its objective is to immerse students in the world of technological entrepreneurship in order to understand how it works and its specific characteristics.
The Master's program, taught in French, is organized over two years of alternating courses at Studio Montreal and internships in companies, during which students are integrated into startups. With this international professional experience, students will then have the opportunity to complete their end of studies internship in Canada or anywhere else in the world.
A program conducted in partnership with Centech and Zú, two world-class incubators
The students are hosted in two North American incubators and work and study in an international context:
- Le Centech, the 8th best incubator in the world, dedicated to deeptech companies with high growth potential, stands out in particular in the fields of medical technologies, microelectronics and other intelligent objects;
- Zú, an accelerator that supports and propels creative entrepreneurs using technology to develop innovative products and content in the cultural and entertainment industries.
5 good reasons to study design at Studio Montreal
Our International Design Strategy master's program in Montreal is a long immersion program and is designed for students who have completed three years of space design, product design, graphic design or digital design at L'École de design Nantes Atlantique or elsewhere. Here are 5 good reasons to continue your studies at Studio Montreal:
Montreal's easy-going lifestyle
Montreal offers a peaceful, safe and caring environment. The population is welcoming and does not hesitate to help newcomers settle in. The city, with its architecture at the crossroads of European and American influences, is pleasant and particularly dynamic. In Montreal, winter is the time to enjoy the snow and winter sports (open-air skating rinks in the parks, the first ski slopes just half an hour away) or the 32 kilometers of tunnels that make up the underground city (the RÉSO) with its shopping centers, restaurants, cinemas, etc.
In the professional world, access to responsibilities is not a question of age or experience, and it is not uncommon to see people of 25 or 30 years old occupying management positions
The importance of cultural, creative and digital industries
Designers of all backgrounds and specialties have the opportunity to fully develop their talents in Montreal. Its many festivals and international events (music, comedy, circus...) are great opportunities to showcase the talents of set designers.
The "city of a hundred steeples" is also home to many companies specialized in digital technology, such as Ubisoft Montreal, the largest video game development studio in the world, which offers great opportunities for game designers.
A strategic vision of design to defend
By doing internships in local companies, Studio Montreal students also have the mission of helping people understand what design is and what it can contribute to new challenges. At the Centech incubator, for example, students confront their strategic vision of design with the logic of engineers, who are primarily focused on the technological solutions to be deployed to address a problem.
An important professional and entrepreneurial experience
Studio Montreal's Master's program puts the emphasis on field experience:
- Internships, alternating with classes, are carried out every other week throughout the program,
- At the end of the second year of the program, a 16-week to 6-month internship in a company is completed,
- Studio Montréal students are also offered the opportunity to join a free Centech coaching program: "Acceleration". For three months, this program allows entrepreneurs and students to specify and test the product or service to be marketed, to establish the best model according to the target, to set up a team and an organization, and to find their first clients,
- Many seminars and workshops are organized in partnership with local companies, in order to work on concrete issues,
- The "Mini Startup" seminar allows students to create a fictitious startup in three months and to reveal their entrepreneurial potential.
It is no coincidence that the majority of Studio students stay and work in Montreal after graduating.
A respected French degree, prepared in a highly international context
The Master's program at Studio Montreal leads to a 5-year degree in design recognized by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. One of the strengths of the program lies in the unique context of Montreal: a cosmopolitan metropolis that is home to numerous communities from every continent.
Throughout the program, adaptation to a cultural and social environment that is different from France is required, both in everyday life and in the way we think about design and confront it with other visions.
Learn more about Studio Montreal
Contact:
Julie Le Ster - Course leader
j.lester@lecolededesign.com
Follow Studio Montreal Instagram account
The Studio Montreal environment and facilities
Studio Montreal is unique in that it is backed by two world-class Montreal incubators, Centech and Zú. The students of Studio Montreal's International Design Strategy master's program are thus divided between the following two sites:
Centech
Studio Montreal benefits from facilities and premises within the Centech building, a world-class university incubator attached to the École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS).
- An exceptional building, the former Montreal Planetarium, renovated in 2018,
- From Centech, the central station, subway and city center are easily accessible,
- Access to the ÉTS cafeteria, gym and library (in addition to the Centech cafeteria),
- An internal FabLab (opened in 2021) available to students and entrepreneurs,
- A 60 m² room dedicated to Master's students.
Zú
Studio Montreal is also located in Zú, an incubator for startups with projects focused on entertainment activities.
- Zú is located in downtown Montreal, a 15-minute walk from Centech and 5 minutes from the nearest subway station,
- A historic building emblematic of Montreal's heritage: the Maison Alcan,
- A few steps from the lively rue Sainte-Catherine,
- A restaurant space accessible to students,
- A 60 m² room dedicated to Master's students,
- Access to creative spaces,
An augmented and virtual reality (mixed reality) workshop accessible to the entire Zú ecosystem.
The teaching staff
Studio Montreal's teaching team is made up of French-speaking professionals, both French and Quebecois, working in the Montreal area. Business leaders, freelancers, art directors in agencies or consultants... the profiles of the professionals who supervise the projects and courses are varied. This multidisciplinary approach is an integral part of the professionalization of Studio Montreal's International Design Strategy master's program.
Students are encouraged to interact with and learn from experts in multiple fields (service, innovation, research...) to allow them to develop their methodological, technical and designproject management skills.
- Course leader: Julie Le Ster (product designer)
- Teaching coordinator: Jason Chapron (strategic designer)
- End of studies project: Laurent Carrier (Industrial Designer and co-founder of Toboggan Design), François Longpré (UX/UI designer, lecturer at INIS), Emmanuel Cesario (multi-platform marketing strategist and founder of Mood your brand), Pierre Léonard (Senior associate at BrandBourg Marketing & Design), Frederic Blache (UX strategist and founder of Yong, Blach & Co), Adrien Sorin (designer and conceptual architect atFabrik8), Yasmine Acher (marketing and graphic designer at KPMG), Rémi Vincent (Motion Designer)
- Dissertation preparation: Julien Stout (French language and literature)
- Prospective Design Project: hiring
- Mini startup seminar: Kurt Hibchen (industrial designer and co-founder of Toboggan Design) and Nancy Bergeron (industrial designer and founder of Machin Machine)
- Methodology Seminar: Jason Chapron and Tomy Mestas (designer and mobility advisor at the Agence de Mobilité Durable)
- Innovation and Research Seminar: Julie Royer (graphic designer and lecturer at L’Université Laval and co-chair of SDGQ)
- Introduction to Entrepreneurship: Daleyne Guay (entrepreneur and entrepreneurial coach)
- Intellectual Property and law: Virginie Brien-Gagnon (lawyer at Robic)
- Management: Daleyne Guay (entrepreneur and entrepreneurial coach)
- Internship mentoring: Yannis Hardy (graphic designer), Rémi Vincent (Motion designer), Jérome Charignon (Architect), Marion Esquian (Game designer at DONTNOD), Benoit Orban (industrial designer at Alto), Thomas Poblete (Product design director at Nectar)
The Studio's partners
The historical partner of Studio Montreal is Centech. This incubator offers the opportunity to design students to work with the startups that it supports, but also with the whole eco-system (Thales, the Port of Montreal, CAE...). Moreover, they also have the chance to work with local companies such as the Agence de Mobilité Durable (Sustainable Mobility Agency) or Videotron.
Here are a few more examples of startups specializing in aerospace, agricultural technology, construction technology, industry 4.0, and medical technology, where Studio Montreal students are involved in internship missions:
- Puzzle Medical Devices
- TimeChain
- Eyful
- Axya
- Tengiva
- Ora Medical
- Kat innovation
- LivingSafe
- Tokidos
- Azimut Medical
In addition, Quebec is a professional alternative favored by many French people, notably the alumni of L'École de design Nantes Atlantique, who represent a Montreal community of about 40 people to date.
