Language

English

Start date

October 2026

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

9 Months

Activate your creativity and discover multiple design disciplines through a learning approach that integrates theory, practice, and experimentation.

The Foundation in Global Design is an English-taught programme that allows you to explore design through hands-on experience and an interdisciplinary perspective. You will work on different projects across three key areas: service design (where you will create your own app), product design (where you will design and prototype a lamp), and interior design (where you will develop a pop-up store concept).

These projects are complemented by introductory modules that provide the foundations of design, along with a transversal module that examines its historical, cultural, and social context.

With a curriculum that combines research, analysis, material and tool experimentation, and audiovisual communication, you will build a robust portfolio to support your progression into higher education.

Information to decide

A practical and interdisciplinary programme that introduces you to the design ecosystem and enables you to start developing your portfolio through projects in different fields.

The programme blends hands-on learning, project-based work, and material exploration. Graphic and audiovisual tools are used to support the design process.

The training is organised into two semesters and five modules. It begins with the fundamentals of design and continues with a module on historical, cultural, and social context. You will then progress to three complete projects in service design, product design, and interior design.

This structure enables you to experience different areas of design and build your portfolio step by step.

This programme is aimed both at those seeking an initial introduction to the world of design and at those who wish to explore different creative fields before choosing a specialisation.

It is also an ideal option for international students looking to broaden their academic background in a multidisciplinary and multicultural city like Barcelona.

If you are interested in design and want to explore its main disciplines while developing your creative skills, this programme will help you confidently prepare for your next academic step.

The Foundation in Global Design offers an immersive introduction to design across several key disciplines, through hands-on learning that combines material experimentation, visual techniques, and digital tools.

The experience is enriched by professional lecturers, a transversal approach, and direct engagement with Barcelona’s creative ecosystem, including workshops and activities with local designers and makers. From day one, you will gain a broad understanding of design, develop essential skills, and build a strong portfolio that will open the door to higher-education pathways and future academic and creative opportunities.

Syllabus

What will you learn?

The course introduces you to the fundamentals of design with an interdisciplinary approach, and you’ll also delve into marketing applied to design, as well as the analysis and communication tools you’ll use in a design project. Last but not least, you’ll finish the course by presenting a project to put everything you’ve learnt into practice. 



Subjects

Foundations of Design 

Drawing and Color 

Volume 

Materiality 

External Visits: exploring the world of design 

Design Contexts: History, Culture, and Society 

History of Design 

Sociology 

Applied History 

Applied Sociology 

Service Design: Designing an App   

Project research & development 

Applied representation & communication 

Product Design: Designing and Prototyping a Lamp   

Project research & development 

Applied materiality 

Applied representation & communication 

Interior Design: Designing a Pop-up Store  

Project research & development 

Applied materiality 

Applied representation & communication 

News

27 July 2026

IED community stands out at the 2026 Delta Awards with five accolades and 21 selected projects

Aaron Gonzalo, an alumnus of IED Kunsthal Bilbao, has been awarded a Silver Delta Medal for his project X-plorer, while, in the professional category, four projects developed by faculty members from IED Barcelona have received Delta Awards.

27 July 2026

IED Barcelona Graduation Day – Master's Degrees and Postgraduate Programmes 2026

Held on 23 July, the graduation ceremony marked the successful completion of this stage of academic study at the school for 67 students.

Wooden speaker placed on a table covered with a plaid blanket

22 July 2026

Design at the Intersection of Craftsmanship and Digital Manufacturing

In collaboration with the Government of Catalonia, through the Consorci de Comerç, Artesania i Moda (CCAM) of the Department of Business and Labour, and the Ateneu de Fabricació de Gràcia, third-year Product Design students from IED Barcelona have taken part in a new edition of 'New Crafts. Digital Revolution'.

13 July 2026

IED Torino presents Mise en Place: space as an ingredient of the dining experience

Eleven projects, eleven visions of tomorrow's restaurant: at Gallerie d'Italia – Turin, the Interior Design Bachelor's Programme explored the dialogue between design, food culture and place.

10 July 2026

Degree Show 2026 opens IED Kunsthal Bilbao to talent, design and the city

Once again, the Papelera Building opened its doors to the public, showcasing the work developed by students over four years of study and turning the school into a meeting point for design, culture, industry and institutions.

03 July 2026

“ORA” wins the 3rd IED Alfaro Hofmann Collection Award

The project by IED Barcelona Product Design student Elisaveta Loseva is a tabletop device that reintroduces the sense of smell as a means of creating an emotional connection within the dining experience.

03 July 2026

July: Exhibitions, Installations and New Horizons for IED.60 Public Program

With the arrival of July, IED Graduation Days enter their busiest phase across IED’s Italian campuses, bringing with them a series of public events designed to showcase the ideas, projects and research developed by students.

02 July 2026

The 4th IED Enric Miralles Award honours a library reimagined as a living landscape of the mind

“Mind Garden”, a project by IED Barcelona student Anastassia Westenra, has been recognised for its outstanding ability to transform space organically.

02 July 2026

Product Design IED Madrid alumni Jorge Penadés designs the Museo Reina Sofía's new public space

The designer created Alhacena, an installation conceived to encourage visitors to pause, read and connect within the museum's permanent collection.

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

28 April 2026 - 30 September 2026

Barcelona

“Caliu” in “Matter Matters. Designing with the World”

The project “Caliu”, by IED Barcelona alumnus Judith Aubà, has been selected to form part of this exhibition, which reflects on the major challenges facing design today and in the future at a critical time marked by the scarcity of raw materials.