Food Design

Language

Spanish

Start date

October 2026

Frequency

Afternoons and Saturdays

Duration

9 Months

Creation of innovative design products and experiences at a centre of excellence in this discipline.

The Master in Food Design at IED Kunsthal Bilbao was the first programme in Spain to address the creation and management of innovative projects for the food industry and gastronomy-related sectors through design thinking.

Through experimentation and a critical approach, you will learn how to design or reinvent products and experiences in an efficient and sustainable way to meet the challenges of a sector that needs to move towards responsible consumption and requires specialised professional profiles.

Along the way, you will discover specific techniques, processes, skills and methodologies to promote innovation in the food sector, using tools such as research, creativity and communication. Finally, during the development of the Food Experience Event Design project, students will take part in an international collaboration with IED Firenze, including an academic stay in Florence focused on creative exchange, research, and project development within an international context.

Information to decide

Advanced training designed by one of the largest educational groups in design, integrating this discipline into the field of gastronomy to drive innovation.

In this master´s degree you’ll study theory and gain experience to give you the mindset you need to set up and implement an effective research process. 

You’ll discover how to analyse information to prepare work plans and propose viable concepts, using conceptualisation strategies to develop sustainable, feasible, innovative ideas. 

The program is based on face-to-face classes with visits to companies, laboratories, research centres and Food Design spaces.

The Master’s Degree in Food Design is a cross-disciplinary program for students and graduates in different fields of design (graphic design, product design, interior design, etc.). 

Managers and/or directors of companies operating in the food sector who want to update their vision of the gastronomic and food world from a creative perspective will also find this program particularly interesting and useful.

It’s also ideal for professionals working in architecture, professionals working in marketing or communication and people who work directly or indirectly in the food sector and the culinary arts.

This is the first master’s programme in Spain to combine gastronomy and design thinking to promote innovation. It is therefore a pioneering programme in its field, as it introduces the design perspective to promote new professional profiles in high demand.

The only private center for higher education in design in the Basque Country, IED Kunsthal Bilbao is also part of an international network, with 11 campuses in Italy, Spain and Brazil, which boasts over 50 years of history in design education.

Studying in Bilbao is an advantage, because you will develop your education in an area of international gastronomic prestige, coming into contact with leading companies and building a solid networking.

At the end of your training, you will have acquired the profile of a food designer capable of working on your own or holding positions in the research and development, communication and marketing departments of food companies.

 

Syllabus

MODULE 1 THEORY AND KNOWLEDGE

Nutrition and food technology
Cutting-edge technology and food tech.
Hospitality, industry, and the avant-garde
Food art
Consumer goods and business management
Biomaterials and sustainability



MODULE 2 MARKETING, COMMUNICATION, AUDIOVISUALS, AND DESIGN:

Gastronomic and consumer marketing
Branding and packaging
Gastronomic photography
Communication and audiovisual tools, 3D design, and prototyping



MODULE 3 LOCAL PROJECT

Product identification and seasonality (Sustainability and consumer habits)
Manual and mechanical harvesting and production processes
The evolution of foodstuffs and returning to an ancestral diet
The colour range, shape and texture of food
Designations of Origin, regulations and regulatory bodies



MODULE 4 FOOD EVENT

Event organization
Project management
Interior design for gastronomic spaces
Social trends in food
Project 2
Utensil and support design



MODULE 4: TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND RESOURCES

Food Tech. Science and nutrition
Cereals and bread
Fruit and vegetables
Meat and fish
Design and extra virgin olive oil
Design and sweet things
Drinks and food pairing



Master's Thesis

Research
Economic viability
Communication
Mentoring
Brainstorming



MODULE 6: FINAL PROJECT

Art Direction and briefing
Project development, feasibility and execution
Coordination and implementation
Communication Strategies and Public Speaking 

Faculty

Course Coordinator

Maddalen Arrecubieta

Teacher

Elsa Yranzo

Teacher

Iván Merino

Teacher

Víctor Caleya

Teacher

Carlos Hurtado

Teacher

Santos Bregaña

Teacher

Marta Arrecubieta

Teacher

Aitor Buendía

Teacher

Virginia Matesanz Riaño

Teacher

Cesc Grau

Teacher

Pablo García San Gines

Teacher

Adele Orcajada

Teacher

Idoia García de Cortázar

Teacher

Eli Pérez Pagola

Teacher

Jonathan García

Teacher

Martí Guixe

Teacher

Teresa De Juan Estelrich

Projects

Product and Service Design

Bilbao

Final projects / thesis projects
Cafés Fortaleza for the Silver Economy

News

16 June 2026

Bilbao and Turin Design the Future of Glass Packaging Together

An international Product Design project brings together students from IED Torino and IED Kunsthal Bilbao to tackle a real-world design challenge, from concept development to prototyping

12 June 2026

Issue 3: Future Memories - Plural Intelligences

What will we choose to remember from the present we are living through? This is the starting point of the third issue of Notes on Plural Intelligences – Future Memories.

09 June 2026

Creativity in motion: the IED.60 Public Programme gets underway

June marks a special moment for IED: the Public Program IED.60 is in full swing, with a rich calendar of events spanning fashion, design, illustration and visual arts, bringing talks, exhibitions and open events to Milan, Rome, Florence and New York for the IED community and the wider public.

08 June 2026

IED among the Top Design Schools 2026 according to Calibre Careers: european Network, industry connections and educational excellence

The international careers observatory analyses the Institute’s educational model, combining global recognition with the historic pillars of hands-on, laboratory-based teaching.

29 May 2026

"Minimizing impact is no longer enough: design must regenerate and create value for the planet" Carlos San José Frutos, Industrial Designer

Carlos San José Frutos, a renowned expert in ecodesign and the circular economy, whose professional career includes leading sustainable projects and educating new generations of designers. He now brings an essential perspective on the role of design in industrial transformation as Coordinator of the Official Master’s Degree in Product Design and Ecodesign

29 May 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao and Orbea Imagine the Bicycle of the Future Together with the Next Generation of Designers

Students from the Bachelor of Arts in Product Design and Graphic Design at IED Kunsthal Bilbao collaborated with Orbea, a historic Basque company and an internationally recognised leader in the cycling industry, on a project imagining what bicycles might look like in 2040, coinciding with the company’s upcoming 200th anniversary.

28 May 2026

IED Barcelona Undergraduate Graduation Ceremony 2026

It will take place on Thursday, 18 June at 4:45 pm at Paral·lel 62 theatre.

21 May 2026

IED AHEAD - Design your tomorrow, today.

Enrol by 31 July 2026 and get an exclusive 20% discount on tuition fees for Undergraduate and Foundation Courses starting in September, October and November 2027.

21 May 2026

New Business Strategies through Design for VIBIA

Students from the BA (Hons) in Business Design at IED Barcelona have presented their final projects featuring innovative proposals aimed at imagining new ways of understanding lighting in the hybrid spaces of the future.

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.

Exhibitions and Festival

12 June 2026 - 19 June 2026

Barcelona

“In-Between: Rethinking Objects in a Physical–Digital World” - Product Design Exhibition

La Casa de la Llum (Simón) will exhibit the winning thesis and the two finalists of the 3rd edition of the IED Alfaro Hofmann Collection Prize.

Projects Presentation

02 July 2026 - 02 July 2026

Bilbao

Degree Show 2026 at IED Kunsthal Bilbao

On 2 July, IED Kunsthal Bilbao will celebrate the third edition of its Degree Show, showcasing the final projects of its Design students. Exhibitions, a Fashion Show and opportunities to connect with professionals in a day open to the wider community.

Exhibitions and Festival

13 July 2026 - 13 July 2026

Madrid

IED Madrid Graduation Day 2026

The IED Madrid community comes together to celebrate the end of the 2025–2026 academic year and the achievements of its graduating students.