This paper introduces an innovative pedagogical model designed to equip design students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills, essential for addressing the complex challenges of their future careers. Central to the course is the question: How can media theory be effectively integrated into design education to foster critical reflection and prepare students for real-world applications?

To address this, the course explores key concepts in media theory—semiotics, constructivism, and Jean Baudrillard's hyperreality—through a creative approach that combines theoretical frameworks with practical exercises. Traditional methods of teaching media theory often struggle to engage design students, whose education is predominantly practice-based. By integrating hands-on projects with reflective learning, the course fosters a deeper understanding and appreciation of media and communication theories while ensuring their relevance to the design discipline.

Research and design are not mutually exclusive areas; numerous studies, including a recent Austrian research project, have highlighted the significant importance of integrating research into design education. Introducing Bachelor students to theory and science is a major challenge. The course structure includes theoretical input followed by small exercises that allow students to apply their newly acquired knowledge in practical contexts. At the end of the course, students develop a textual, visual or graphic work.

This methodology makes media theories accessible and demonstrates their relevance while enhancing students' critical thinking and creativity. Problem-based learning forms the core approach, encouraging students to tackle real-world projects, such as analysing the opera house in Graz and a public sculpture. These projects enable students to explore themes of environmental awareness, mindfulness, and the reinterpretation of public art across different audience demographics. Additionally, the course examines “spectacle culture” and the amplification of popular symbols in media, with a particular focus on the role of social media in shaping contemporary narratives. In an era shaped by artificial intelligence, theoretical knowledge is indispensable for understanding, overseeing, and addressing the broader implications of complex systems, therefore the use of artificial intelligence is also addressed.

The course’s interdisciplinary structure emphasizes connections between media theory and fields such as art, architecture, advertising, and music, highlighting the universality of these concepts. This holistic perspective distinguishes the course and provides a foundation for integrating theoretical insights into diverse professional contexts.

The practical work and its reflections clearly demonstrate that bachelor students’ theoretical understanding and ability improve utterly to integrate media theory concepts into their design practice. This participatory approach not only develops their critical thinking but also enhances their ability to synthesize media theory into design work. This paper outlines the framework and outcomes of this approach and offers a blueprint for the design of media theory education in design programs that ensures under graduates are both skilled practitioners, with broad theoretical background.

Keywords: Media Theory in Design Education, Critical Thinking, Problem-Based Learning and practisism, Semiotics, Constructivism, Hyperrealismus.