Summer Course in Graphic Design and Portfolio - IED Firenze

Language

English

Start date

June 2026

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

3 Weeks

Course Coordination

Marco Innocenti

Price

2.800 €

Through lectures, case studies, labs and site visits, you will enhance your theoretical knowledge and technical skills, in order to complete a creative portfolio, developed during this three-week experience.

The course in Graphic Design and Portfolio offers you the possibility to challenge yourself with a creative programme that combines traditional lectures and project work to approach the basic tools and techniques of graphic and visual design. 

The following topics are discussed during the program: historical background of graphics and design, elements of visual communication, basic design, page layout, font and color, fundamentals of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, image placement, save and exporting, development and update of a professional portfolio:

Basic Design: The course focuses on the basis of visual communication, giving an historical overview of graphics and communication, elements of semiotics and graphic perception, including the study of colour palette, families of fonts and typography.

VISUAL DESIGN LAB - Photoshop and Illustrator: The aim of this course is to enable you to use the essential graphic design softwares. You will learn how to use the tools necessary for graphic representations on different digital media. From the first steps in the world of vector graphics with the use of Illustrator, the program proceeds with Photoshop and the versatility of photo editing techniques. The learning-by-doing approach and the workshops will facilitate the comparison with your classmates, on various more and more concrete cases.

Information to decide

This course is meant to provide you with a hands-on introduction to graphic design principles and tools. Through theoretical lessons, the programme covers high-level concepts like layout, typography, and color. You will have the chance to get hands-on, using Illustrator to build a custom logo and practice the vector drawing techniques. Next, the course takes you into Photoshop, where you learn how to creatively adjust and retouch the images you will use in design projects. During the Final Project presentation, together with your fellows you will show the results of the work carried out through the course.

Summer course includes a strategic combination of theoretical lessons, case studies and workshops with industry professionals, as well as site visits to design studios and exhibitions. Site visits are an integral part of the program’s learning experience and are designed to complement what is acquired in the classroom as well as serve as an on-going orientation to the field.

This course meets from Monday to Friday on a full time basis (morning and afternoon) the course has a duration of 75 hours spread over 3 weeks.

The course is designed for aspiring designers who wish to acquire the fundamentals of graphic design in an intensive three-week program.This is an introductory course and no previous studies within the field are required. However we suggest students to familiarize themselves with the major themes that will be presented. 

Faculty

Course Coordinator

Marco Innocenti

Art Director

Laura Ottina

Professor    

Marco Peluso

Art Director & Brand Designer

Federico Cagnucci

Projects

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Florence

Final projects / thesis projects
My portfolio: feel, travel, music

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Florence

Final projects / thesis projects
My Portfolio

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Florence

Final projects / thesis projects
An Afternoon Mapped in Florence

News

Overhead view of a labyrinth of fabric panels and light

10 February 2026

IED Barcelona bathes Llum BCN 26 in warm light

The lighting design installation “Fabric Maze”, a labyrinth of fabrics, lights and shadows inspired by the textile past of the Poblenou neighbourhood, created warm visual compositions with each visitor’s passage.

09 February 2026

Creativity, design and architecture at the Workshop Week 2026

From 2 to 6 February, 430 students at IED Barcelona took part in this annual multidisciplinary academic activity, which offered 25 multidisciplinary workshops inspired by the Barcelona World Capital of Architecture 2026 event. And, for the first time, it included mobility between campuses.

Poster for the Saló Ensenyament 2026 showing two cheerful young people against a blue background

03 February 2026

IED Barcelona at Saló de l’Ensenyament 2026

From 18 to 22 March, attendees at this event focused on educational guidance will have the opportunity to explore the school’s design training programmes at stand D-453, located at the Fira de Barcelona Montjuïc venue.

A table with various posters and images from graphic design campaigns

30 January 2026

Portfolio Review Day Visual Arts 2026

The third edition of the annual exhibition showcasing the best work by fourth-year students from the Visual Arts School at IED Barcelona brought together the personal perspectives of a new generation of creative talent.

Valentino: Après moi, le déluge!

30 January 2026

Valentino: Après moi, le déluge!

In January and February 2026, a small exhibition will be held in the Franca Sozzani Fashion Reading Room at IED Milan, paying tribute to Valentino, a great master of Italian fashion, who passed away on January 19.

29 January 2026

An exhibition on the value of resources and collective action

A group exhibition exploring the value of environmental resources and the role of collective action in shaping a sustainable future. The project stems from a collaboration between IED Firenze and Gruppo Plures.

26 January 2026

IED’s campuses in Madrid, Bilbao and Barcelona are hosting Valor Ancestral, the travelling exhibition by Latam Creative Talent.

The exhibition will debut in Madrid on February 17 as part of the Madrid Design Festival.

Bachelor of Arts (Hons) University of Westminster and IED Madrid

22 January 2026

IED Madrid launches two University of Westminster BA (Hons) degrees

The first intake of Creative Media Arts and Fashion Marketing and Promotion begins in September 2026

08 January 2026

TDC 71 Exhibition connects New York with Bilbao, Barcelona, and Madrid

A traveling exhibition that brings together a leading international selection of typography, calligraphy, and lettering across fields such as identity, editorial design, and applied graphics.

Don't miss it

05 February 2026 - 07 March 2026

Madrid

IED Madrid · Official School of the Madrid Design Festival

From 5 February to 7 March, IED Madrid presents a diverse program deeply connected to the city, positioning it as the festival’s largest creative hub.

Lecture and Panel discussion

25 February 2026 - 25 February 2026

Barcelona

IED MUSES Talks: Omar Sosa

The co-founder of ‘Apartamento Magazine’ will be the second guest of the second season of the IED’s inspirational talk series. The event will take place on 25 February 2026 at 6:30 pm at IED Barcelona.

Lecture and Panel discussion

05 March 2026 - 05 March 2026

Bilbao

IED MUSES Talks: Albert Folch

Creative director Albert Folch, currently working as an independent creative, headlines a new IED MUSES Talks session on March 5, 2026 at 7:00 pm at IED Kunsthal Bilbao.

Exhibitions and Festival

18 March 2026 - 22 March 2026

Barcelona

Saló de l’Ensenyament 2026

From 18 to 22 March, we look forward to welcoming you at stand D-453 at the Montjuïc venue of Fira de Barcelona, where you will be able to discover our educational offer in Design, Fashion, Visual Arts, Marketing and Communication. Come and visit us!