Graphic Design
From typeface to city: new territories of visual communication
Rome
ITA
Master
Language
Italian
Start date
November 2026
Frequency
Weekend
Fruition
On campus
Duration
11 Months
Course Coordination
Francesco Giuliani
Price
EU/EEA resident students: €13.500
Non‑EU/Non-EEA resident students: €15.500
How can visual communication engage with the city, culture, and the evolving creative industries?
Today, graphic design operates across an expanding range of contexts, moving between visual identity, publishing, cultural communication, and digital languages. In complex urban environments such as Rome where historical signs, ancient inscriptions, and layered visual traces coexist with a contemporary creative scene in constant transformation, graphic design becomes a way to interpret the past while shaping new visual narratives.
The Master in Graphic Design at IED Roma is rooted in this ecosystem and is designed to prepare designers to work across different scales of visual communication: from typeface design to identity systems, from editorial projects to communication for the cultural and entertainment industries. The programme draws on the city of Rome as an active site of experimentation, connecting graphic language with museums, institutions, cultural spaces, music, events, and the wider creative sector.
Throughout the programme, students build a strong design methodology supported by advanced technical skills and continuous hands-on practice. The curriculum combines theoretical input with studio-based work, allowing each project to be developed from initial research and concept through to final production. Particular attention is given to typography, visual systems, materials, and production techniques, alongside the informed use of digital tools.
The course unfolds through a sequence of design experiences of increasing complexity. It begins with work on logotype and type design, grounded in the analysis of Rome’s graphic heritage and key movements in modern design. This is followed by the creation of an artist’s book, exploring the physical and experimental dimension of editorial practice. The third studio focuses on visual communication for the creative industries, especially music, film, and performing arts, which play a significant role in the Roman context. The fourth addresses editorial design in the cultural and artistic fields. These studios are supported by theoretical modules and contributions from industry professionals, encouraging direct engagement with professional practices and real projects developed with partner companies and institutions. The programme concludes with a final Thesis Project dedicated to graphic communication for products, services, or public spaces, developed in dialogue with the local urban context.
The Master prepares graduates to work with complex visual systems and to operate across the different areas of contemporary communication. Career opportunities include design and branding studios, communication agencies, publishing, the music and cultural industries, corporate communication departments, and organisations involved in cultural production and events. Professional roles include Graphic Designer, Junior Art Director, and Editorial Designer, with skills applicable in diverse and multidisciplinary creative environments.
Projects
Course partner
What people say
"These printings defy editorial conventions through unconventional binding and production processes. Their aesthetics blend art, design and craftsmanship. Designers are intermediaries between the artistic idea and its rendition in a tangible object."
Book Designer Varsi Art&Lab - Founder She.Lab Studio
Special Visiting at Slab Letterpress
“An artisanal dimension in this historical moment, within the design scene, is fundamental, precisely because it represents resistance.”
Co-Founder Slab
Special lesson with Giuseppe Boco
"When choosing the paper, a designer must consider many things. Paper weight, paper finishing, texture, colour...We help designers in their daily work by recommending the best paper for their graphic design."
Creative Communication Team Fedrigoni
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