Language

English

Start date

September 2027

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

4 Years

Credits

240 ECTS

Immerse yourself in creative visual communication, learn how to develop advertising campaigns, branding, logos and sales strategies, turn your passion into a professional career.

The Graphic Design, pathway in Art Direction course is for aspiring professional audiovisual designers who want to develop the strategic, creative and artistic aspects of audiovisual communication.

This program goes beyond the traditional boundaries of the discipline to give graphic designers the creative mindset needed in the advertising world. During the program you’ll not only create design projects, you’ll learn how to develop visual communication campaigns using conceptualisation, branding strategy and art direction to add value to the campaign.

What’s more, in this degree program you’ll develop a variety of projects working with actual clients, applying what you’ve learnt to your Final Project based on a real brief.

There are 60 places available for first-year students majoring in Graphic Design. Of these places, there is no specific number assigned by pathway or language.

The Bachelor of Arts in Design is valid throughout the European Higher Education Area, equivalent to an official university degree, and is accredited by the Agency for the Quality of the University System. This programme grants access to official university master’s degrees and, where applicable, to doctoral studies.

Information to decide

In the program you’ll learn to design everything from a brand logo, name or slogan, to a complete communication strategy.

The syllabus sets increasingly demanding goals as the 4-year program progresses, culminating in a Final Project working for a real company. The program methodology is based on learning by doing, encouraging interdisciplinary interaction with students studying other areas of design in collaborative workshops and joint projects.

The BA in Graphic Design, pathway in Advertising is taught in English, a language that opens up a world of professional opportunities for the future. During your learning experience, you’ll acquire knowledge that transcends the traditional boundaries of graphic design, preparing you for a market where designers must incorporate creative communication concepts and strategies in their projects.

The school collaborates with companies and institutions in the visual communication sector, the best way to gain first-hand experience working in graphic design. All the lecturers are professional designers working in the industry.

This program is for young people interested in communicating in a creative way. If you love making an impact and want to design innovative campaigns, logos, brands and strategies in a variety of different formats, the Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, pathway in Art Direction is the program you’ve been looking for.

The course is focused on people interested in learning how to create a brand, communicating brand identity in a creative way, understanding how strategies and branding work, and putting it all into practice.

In fact, during your projects you’ll work with real brands. After completing the program, you’ll have all the skills you need to create and shape your proposals in a professional way to make an effective visual impact.

One of the main reasons for choosing the IED Barcelona Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design, pathway in Advertising program is that, as well as learning all the ins and outs of how communication works, you also acquire all the know-how and skills you need to design everything from a brand logo, name or slogan to a complete communication strategy.

Another advantage is that you’ll be working with real international brands, agencies and firms as part of versatile teams in a creative, multidisciplinary international setting. Last but not least, there’s our teaching staff, lecturers with extensive professional experience in the design sector to guide you on your way in the advertising world.

Syllabus

What will you learn?

In the first year you’ll acquire the basic concepts of design, design culture and project methodology. Lecturers actively encourage you to break the mould, to create and communicate.



First Semester

Foundation Project I
Representation Techniques I
Project Communication I
An introduction to Marketing
Science Applied to Design
Colour and Form



Second Semester

Foundation Project II
Representation Techniques II
Project Communication II
Technical Drawing I
Sociology
Volume



Year Subject

The History of Art and Design

What will you learn?

In the second year you’ll study the technological and design tools required to communicate a simple and effective visual message, developing your own creative style and interdisciplinary methodological processes. You’ll also learn about software tools like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe After Effects and more, and how to use your creativity to take effective action in corporate communication initiatives.



First Semester

Informatics Graphic Design I
Animation Techniques
Graphic Design Workshop I
The History of Graphic Design
Semiotics
Graphic Techniques in Graphic Design
Graphic Design Photography
Typography I



Second Semester

Audiovisual Graphic Design
Digital Communication I
Informatics Graphic Design II
Typography II
Copywriting
Interdisciplinary Project

What will you learn?

In the third year you’ll be ready to create and apply the knowledge you’ve acquired in projects for actual clients, consolidating your creativity and art direction, understanding all the intricacies of the professional environment. What’s more, you can create a solid portfolio to showcase your work in a professional context.



First Semester

Graphic Design Strategy and Management
Workshop II
Corporate Identity Project
Photography Creation
Project Communication III
Project I



Second semester

Creativity Workshop
Media Planning
Editorial Project and Interactive Communication
Contemporary Communication
Packaging Project
Multidisciplinary Workshop

What will you learn?

In the fourth year, apart from the obligatory steps, you’ll be developing projects in which all the know-how you’ve acquired in previous years comes together to prepare your Final Project with a real client company.



First Semester

Intellectual Property
Workshop III
New Media
Project II
Art Direction
Professional Internship
Multidisciplinary Workshop II
 



Second Semester

Final Project

Faculty

Director

Mery Glez

Video Designer and Creative Technologist

Teacher

Albert Ruiz Villar

Art Director

Teacher

Luisa Severo

Head of Brand and Communication Joko

Teacher

Ferran Milan

Typeface Designer Letterjuice

Projects

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Barcelona

Final projects / thesis projects
Querencia

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Barcelona

Pont al Palau. Clásicamente contemporáneo

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Barcelona

Travel wonders written for you

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Barcelona

Happy Hour

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Barcelona

Final projects / thesis projects
Bonet

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Barcelona

Llantiol Teatre

News

06 October 2026

Public Program IED.60, October 2026

This month, IED’s Public Program continues to take design beyond the classroom, creating opportunities for dialogue with audiences, cultural institutions, businesses and professional communities.

05 October 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao opens the 2026/27 Master and Postgraduate academic year with Toni Segarra

The day combined an institutional welcome for new students with an open, intergenerational conversation on creativity, talent, teamwork and the transformation of the profession.

02 October 2026

AQU Catalunya grants favourable accreditation to IED Barcelona’s Bachelor of Arts in Design

Once again, IED Barcelona has received a favourable report from the Catalan University Quality Assurance Agency (AQU Catalunya), certifying the quality of the Bachelor of Arts in Design (Título de Grado en Enseñanzas Artísticas Superiores de Diseño) delivered by the centre.

Two girls holding a paper program in front of a design festival poster

02 October 2026

Brut! 2026 brings two new creative voices from IED Barcelona to the stage

Visual Arts graduates Irina Kavtaradze and Kyla Henry took part in the event where leading design schools showcase their outstanding final degree projects, held on 1 and 2 October at Disseny Hub Barcelona.

Runners starting a mountain race

01 October 2026

A graphic design by IED Barcelona features on the 2026 Travessa Matagalls-Montserrat T-shirt

The design by Visual Arts student Hannah Bokelman was chosen for the T-shirt worn by the 3,000 participants in the event, a non-competitive endurance walk held on 19 and 20 September.

29 September 2026

Six emerging IED designers reach the final stage of the Arts Thread Global Creative Graduate Showcase 2026

Alumni Mariona Panés, Sara Vainer, Miranda Sanz, Malak Yahia and Victoria Escobar (IED Barcelona), together with Zuriñe Berrueta (IED Kunsthal Bilbao), are finalists in the competition, which last year attracted more than 5,000 creatives from 117 countries. Discover their projects and vote!

18 September 2026

Inclusion, equity and diversity: the journey continues

One year after achieving the UNI/PdR 125:2022 certification, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering an increasingly inclusive, equitable workplace culture that values diversity.

Crowded stalls of an auditorium

15 September 2026

More than 200 students from 52 nationalities open the 2026-2027 academic year of the IED Barcelona

On 14 September, the Welcome Event welcomed a new generation of creatives and designers joining the undergraduate programmes.

14 September 2026

IED Brazil Coordinator Joins CDSA International Jury and Represents the Institution at Event in China

Eliane Weizmann took part in the official program of City Digital Skin Art (CDSA) 2026, a global initiative that connects art, technology, and urban space, bringing together experts from different countries.

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

10 October 2026 - 11 October 2026

Mexico City

Edicola IED Travels to Mexico Design Week

Notes on Plural Intelligences will be showcased at Latin America's leading design event as part of Diseño Contenido on 10 and 11 October.

Workshop

15 October 2026 - 15 October 2026

Multiple

IED Creative Workshop

Come and discover IED’s Creative Workshops — a unique experience that will let you immerse yourself in the world of design in a fun and creative way!

Illustration of a person holding various drawing tools, set against a yellow background.
Exhibitions and Festival

17 October 2026 - 17 October 2026

Barcelona

Barcelona Dibuixa 2026: “The Power of Hand Drawing”

IED Barcelona is offering this workshop, where participants will discover, guided by architect and lecturer Gianfranco La Cognata – Laco 2, how design takes shape through illustration.

Exhibitions and Festival

06 November 2026 - 07 November 2026

Barcelona

Mira Digital Arts Festival 2026

IED Barcelona returns as an artistic partner and will take part in the digital arts and contemporary music festival with “Ananke: A Liturgy”, an interactive installation by Motion Graphics and Video alumna Malak Yahia.