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

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.

11 September 2026

Issue 4: Material World - Plural Intelligences

What happens when we recognize the intelligence of materials and learn to work with it responsibly, collectively, and collaboratively?

11 September 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao temporarily transforms Doña Casilda Park with ‘Sareak’

A cross-disciplinary project bringing together nearly 200 members of the community to reflect on contemporary communication through design.

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

16 September 2026 - 07 October 2026

Genova

The horizon of desire: stories from Genoa’s Waterfronts.

Six perspectives, a city in transition. IED Turin showcases Genoa’s Porto Antico and the Levante Waterfront in a photography exhibition at Palazzo Ducale

Lecture and Panel discussion

05 October 2026 - 05 October 2026

Madrid

She Makes Noise x Taiwan comes to IED Madrid alongside the presentation of Abono 04

On 5 October, IED Madrid will host a day dedicated to sound creation and digital arts, featuring two guest artists from the She Makes Noise festival, as well as the presentation of the platform’s fifth issue.

IED on Tour

07 October 2026 - 07 October 2026

Bogotá

IED in Colombia

What happens when memory becomes code? IED heads to Bogotá to explore the answer, where design, data and the living archive meet.

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.