Language

English

Start date

January 2026

Frequency

Evening

Fruition

On campus

Duration

11 Months

Course Coordination

Gorka Meneses Berastegui

Learn to build and manage notable brands in the hospitality industry, combining strategy, design and user experience to stand out in a constantly evolving market

The hospitality industry has evolved, to become more than the traditional service it used to be, into a complete experience where branding plays a key role. In a world where creating an emotional bond with the user is fundamental, brands must convey values, identity and a coherent narrative that consolidates trust and differentiation in today’s highly competitive market.

The Master’s Degree in Brand Design and Hospitality gives you the tools to design and manage authentic, notable brands with a strategic and creative vision in the hospitality sector. You’ll learn to develop solid brand identities, design sensory experiences and apply innovative methodologies to form strong bonds between the brand and its users.

This course takes a practical and multidisciplinary approach, integrating branding, service design and customer experience, to give you the resources you need to turn strategic concepts into tangible experiences. You’ll be working on real projects, using research tools and developing the fundamental skills to lead hospitality brands with a global, sustainable vision.

Information to decide

A master's degree course that gives you the skill set to develop innovative brand strategies and differentiated experiences in the hospitality industry. You’ll learn to combine creativity, strategy and management skills to design solid brand identities and immersive experiences in hotels, restaurants and hospitality spaces.

The Master’s Degree in Brand Design and Hospitality adopts a practice-based method in which you’ll be working on real projects, using a knowledgeable mix of creativity and strategy to build notable brands.

As you progress in this course you’ll gain in-depth knowledge about the foundations of branding in the hospitality sector and discover how visual design and user experience influence brand perception.

The syllabus covers four key areas:

  • Brand Strategy: positioning, storytelling and brand differentiation.
  • Brand Expression: visual identity, communication and sensory branding.
  • Brand Management: brand management, reputation and loyalty strategies.
  • Methods applied: design thinking, trend research and service design.

The course includes workshops, conferences, visits to companies and projects with clients operating in the sector, in an immersive hospitality branding learning experience.

The Master’s Degree in Brand Design and Hospitality is for hospitality branding, design and management professionals who want to specialize in brand building and management in a constantly evolving sector.

This course is ideal for:

  • Designers in any discipline who want to apply branding strategies in the hospitality sector.
  • Marketing and communication professionals who want to develop innovative and experiential brand strategies.
  • Managers and consultants interested in creating differentiated brand experiences for hotels, restaurants and other hospitality spaces.

A master's degree for the professionals of the future with the skill set required to create innovative brand strategies, manage visual identity and design memorable experiences for the hospitality sector.

In this course you will learn to:

  • Design branding strategies in line with global hospitality trends.
  • Create visual and verbal identities that communicate values ​​and emotions.
  • Effectively use service design and customer experience to improve brand-user interaction.
  • Integrate sustainable methods and ethics into brand building.
  • Manage brand reputation and perception on international markets.
  • Lead teams working on branding projects with a strategic and innovative vision.

When you’ve finished your master’s degree, you’ll be ready to play a key role collaborating with branding agencies, design studios, strategy consultants and companies operating in the hospitality sector, working as a:

  • Brand Manager
  • Marketing Manager
  • Creative Director
  • Brand Strategist
  • Service Designer
  • Customer Experience Manager
  • Brand Consultant

What’s more, you’ll be studying in Barcelona, ​​​​in an innovative ecosystem, and one of the most influential cities in the tourism and design industry, rubbing shoulders with experts in the sector.

Syllabus

The course consists of four thematic modules that combine strategy, creativity and management for the professionals of the future specialized in hospitality branding. Throughout the course you’ll apply strategic design methods and develop real projects to acquire an integral vision of hospitality brand building and management.

Module 1: Brand Strategy

In this module, you’ll learn to develop solid and differentiated brand strategies, and understand the importance of positioning and value proposal in the hospitality sector. You’ll discover how brand identity, narrative and user perception influence loyalty and have a real effect on the commercial success of hotels, restaurants and tourist experiences.

Subjects:

  • Brand strategy
  • Branding and business


Module 2: Brand Expression

In this module, you’ll be building the visual, verbal and experiential identity of a brand. You’ll learn to design graphic systems, create a coherent narrative and apply multisensory communication strategies to connect with the user on a variety of different points of contact.

 

Subjects:

 

  • Visual Branding
  • Digital Branding
  • Narratives
  • Storytelling
  • Sensorial Branding
  • Spaces and stylism
  • Service design
  • Communication
  • Marketing


Module 3: Brand Management

In this module you’ll acquire the tools you need to monitor the performance of a brand, manage its value and guarantee coherence in communication. You’ll learn to use strategies that consolidate the perception of the brand on the market, ensuring long-term growth and positioning.

You’ll also develop key crisis management and brand reputation skills, to anticipate risks and create effective plans of action to maintain public confidence in the brand and consistent brand identity.

Subjects:

  • Project Management
  • Brand Management


Module 4: Methodologies

In this module, you’ll learn to use various methods to implement branding strategies, combining strategic and creative approaches. You’ll learn to use tools such as design thinking, agile management in collaborative projects and frameworks to develop innovative brand management solutions.

The practical approach in this module, with experience gained in workshops and real projects, lets you apply the knowledge you’ve acquired to find solutions to the challenges of the sector in an immersive learning experience.

Subjects:

  • Systemic Thinking and Sustainability
  • Design Thinking
  • Anthropology of Tourism
  • Design Research
  • Trends and Forecasting

Faculty

Course Coordinator

Màrius Sala

Art Director, Brand Manager and Entrepreneur

Teacher

Claudio Milano

PhD in social and cultural anthropology

Teacher

Marc García

Specialist in Experience Design and Service Design

Teacher

Ivan Merino

Product Designer and Food Design Specialist

Teacher

Gorka Meneses Berastegui

Creative director and digital strategist

News

14 November 2025

From all over the world to Turin: IED welcomes its new international students

Two days between campus spaces and the city center, where new international students, guided by a treasure hunt, started to find their way, meet each other, and grow as a group

07 November 2025

ADCI Awards 2025: IED on the podium!

Five award-winning projects, including two Golds in the Student category for the projects SPICY:AM by IED Milano and IRREGULAR ITALIC by IED Roma.

06 November 2025

Casa IED opens in New York: a new space for design culture and creative exchange

In Williamsburg, the creative heart of New York, Casa IED has opened as the first of the spaces that IED will dedicate to cultural exchange and collaborative design.

05 November 2025

Call for two 50% scholarships for the Master in Strategic Design Management at IED Barcelona

Application deadline: 20 November 2025, 11:59 p.m. (GMT+1). 

A group of people at the opening of a design exhibition

14 October 2025

IED celebrates creativity and optimistic design at Barcelona Design Week

CREATIVE OPTIMISM, an exhibition filled with positive attitude and enthusiastic pieces originating from international projects within the Istituto Europeo di Design network, was inaugurated on 8 October at IED Barcelona.

13 October 2025

FROM ZERO TO FUTURE

Inauguration of the Academic Year in Visual Arts and Communication with a Three-Day Workshop for New Students

Zenithal plane of the courtyard of an educational center with students

22 September 2025

IED Barcelona kicks off its undergraduate programmes with more than 200 students from 62 nationalities

On 15 September, IED Barcelona inaugurated the 2025-2026 academic year by holding a Welcome Event for the new generation of creatives and designers on its undergraduate programmes.

Poster with a yellow background and the letters WELCOME EVENT 25 in light blue

19 September 2025

IED Barcelona 2025 Postgraduate Welcome Event

The welcome event for students of the October intake of the Master’s, Postgraduate and Specialisation courses will be held on 2 and 3 October.

De España al podio mundial: cuatro diseñadores IED Madrid triunfan en los premios Accor

05 September 2025

From Spain to the global stage: four IED Madrid designers triumph at the Accor Awards

Four Interior Design Bachelor's students from IED Madrid have been awarded two prizes at the Accor Design Awards