Design Experience
Learn by doing: create holistic, cross-disciplinary projects through an all-round design experience
Madrid
ENG
Summer Course - Introductory Level
Language
English
Start date
July 2026
Frequency
Part-time
Duration
3 Weeks
Credits
90 Hours
Price
Discover various approaches and types of design, developing interdisciplinary projects with renowned professionals.
The Design Experience Summer Course offers an introduction to contemporary design through an interdisciplinary approach based on design thinking and learning by doing.
Over the three weeks, you will explore how one concept can be developed into a visual identity, a physical object, a wearable piece and a spatial experience. You will work in the way contemporary design does: by connecting disciplines, languages and processes. You will develop a creative project that evolves from conceptual research through to its materialisation and presentation in a final exhibition.
Today, design does not belong to a single discipline: it moves across formats, scales and contexts. In this course, you will work in a cross-disciplinary lab where visual communication, product design, fashion and spatial design are understood as parts of one integrated system.
Through experimentation, research and creative development, you will learn the digital and hands-on tools needed to transform ideas into coherent design proposals. You will learn to combine different design disciplines and to work collaboratively.
This programme is taught at IED Madrid Design District - Carabanchel.
Information to decide
The ideal introduction to the various fields of design in a dynamic, practice-based course.
You will follow a project-based methodology that will take you through the entire creative process, from initial research to final presentation. Throughout the course, you will develop your project progressively, combining analysis, experimentation and production.
You will learn by doing: exploring references, generating ideas, prototyping and making decisions through practice. The process is iterative and includes feedback sessions, group reviews and ongoing guidance from the teaching staff, helping you to understand, question and strengthen your own creative approach.
You will also work hands-on in the laboratories at IED Madrid Design District, where you will bring your ideas to life through real prototypes: in the FabLAB, equipped with the latest digital fabrication technologies; in the PrintLAB, specialising in printed graphic arts; in the FashionLAB, where you will explore different garment-making and industrial sewing techniques; and in the MediaLAB, equipped with audiovisual technologies for the development of content and visual narratives.
This course is designed for people who are interested in design in any of its forms and want to explore how an idea can develop beyond a single discipline. It is for curious individuals with an experimental mindset and a desire to learn by doing, whether they want to take their first steps in design or broaden their perspective.
If you are interested in working practically in a creative environment, connecting image, object, body and space, and developing your own project from concept through to realisation, this course is for you
Because it allows you to learn design from a contemporary perspective, connecting disciplines rather than separating them. On this course, you will not work on isolated projects, but on one overall project that evolves from the initial idea to its materialisation across different formats.
You will choose this course if you want to understand how the creative process really works: how to research, conceptualise, prototype and shape an idea in a coherent way. You will also work in a practical environment, using the laboratories at IED Madrid Design District and learning from practising professionals who are recognised in their specialist fields, while developing your own project to include in your portfolio.
Throughout the course, you will work with an interdisciplinary approach that reflects the realities of contemporary design practice, combining a hands-on methodology — through theoretical classes, practical workshops and studio experimentation — and culminating in a professional presentation of your project, where you will learn how to communicate and justify your work effectively.
An experience in the heart of Carabanchel, Madrid’s design and art district: a constantly evolving creative environment where design studios, cultural spaces, workshops and independent projects coexist. This ecosystem makes the campus an open space for experimentation, exchange and collaboration with industry professionals. Studying in the Design District means becoming an active part of a real creative community, connected to the city’s cultural and professional scene.
Syllabus
The course is structured around an overall project that you will develop across four areas: visual communication, product design, fashion design and spatial design.
Visual Communication
This block is aimed at defining and developing the visual language of the project, establishing a coherent graphic identity that serves as a common framework for the other disciplines. Through reference analysis, graphic exploration and the use of digital tools, you will learn to build visual systems that connect concept, image and narrative.
Product Design
You will learn to translate the project concept into physical objects that not only fulfil a function but also convey meaning. You will explore how to materialise ideas through form, materials and design processes, developing objects that engage with the project’s visual and conceptual context and become part of its overall narrative.
Fashion Design
We will approach the body as a site for design within the project. Through garments or wearable objects, you will materialise the project concept in proposals related to identity and movement. The process includes research, experimentation and prototyping, while also incorporating sustainability and material awareness.
Spatial Design
This block is aimed at shaping the final dimension of the project, understanding space as an active element of communication. You will design an exhibition environment that brings together visual elements, objects and fashion pieces in a coherent experience, using space as a narrative tool.
Final Exhibition
The programme concludes with the presentation of the project in the form of a final exhibition, bringing together all the outcomes developed throughout the course. The exhibition serves as both a presentation and a moment of critical reflection, through which you will learn how to present and justify all conceptual, formal and material decisions in a professional way.
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