Date

20 June 2025

Each School awarded a prize for the best thesis as well as a special mention for each pathway.

A speculative mapping of the unconscious; the analysis and future projection of Hitmarker Branding; a shared living space designed to combat the loneliness of widowed women and foster a sense of community; the healing of emotional baggage through styling and creative direction. These are the four final projects by students from IED Barcelona’s 2025 graduating class that have been recognised by the Best Thesis Awards. In addition to this recognition, the winning students received an Artist 22 Plus tablet provided by XPPen.

The prizes were awarded at the Graduation Ceremony held on 19 June at Paral·lel 62, during which the final-year students from the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts (Hons) and IED Diplomas received their degrees.

The emotive event included the presence of IED Teacher Claudia Schneider as Guest Speaker, who also surprised the audience with a lyrical singing performance on stage, as well as the student Cheyenne Berry as Student Voice.

The alumnus Elena Aubà, Graphic Designer at Lo Siento Studio, received the Alumnus Award, an accolade in recognition of her career achievements.

The awards

The decision of the Best Thesis from the Visual Arts School came down to a battle between the special mentions in Graphic Design (where Carmina Goran prevailed with ‘Sutura’) and Motion Graphics and Video (awarded to Lorenzo Nanni with ‘The Art of Dwelling’). The overall winner was Goran, with a project that challenges the boundaries between science and myth, body and territory, self and machine.

The winner from the Fashion School was María Andrea Hernández with ‘Una Vez y Más’, where, through each of the projects comprising her final degree work, she wanted to create a visual letter to who we once were and who we can become. Her thesis was awarded the special mention for the Fashion Styling and Communication pathway. Anna Guitart with ‘Morriña’ and Julia Rodríguez Heine with 'Lunch at the tennis court’ took the special mentions for the Fashion Design courses undertaken in Spanish and English, respectively.

As for the Communication School, Ona Molas had the Best Thesis with Brands For Non-Believers; a thesis that aims to better define and contextualise the emergence of Hitmaker Branding, which also received the special mention for the BA (Hons) in Fashion Marketing and Communication. Meanwhile, Sofía Villarrubia gained the special mention for the IED Diploma in Fashion Marketing and Communication with ‘Reimagining Traceability and Transparency at Mille Collines’.

Last but not least, the Best Thesis from the Design School went to Helena Langlois with Nova Aurea *. She also received the special mention for the Interior Design pathway for this project that reimagines the concept of growing old through a shared living space designed to combat loneliness and foster a sense of community.

The special mentions for Product, Transportation, and Business Design went to Alvise Leon Van Meijgaard with ‘Pebble - Portable AGI Device’, Pau Amorós with ‘Nature Catchers’, and Iman Balzhanova with Virtual Garden, respectively.

In collaboration with: XPPen.

You may be interested in:

16 June 2026

IED Barcelona Fashion Shines at the Palau Reial de Pedralbes

In its 22nd edition, the “Fashioners of the World” catwalk show presented 25 collections by emerging fashion talents from IED Barcelona, as part of the public programme of activities marking 60 years of Istituto Europeo di Design.

15 June 2026

Eight ADG Laus Awards for IED Spain Students

IED Madrid, IED Barcelona and IED Kunsthal Bilbao won two Gold, four Silver and two Bronze awards at the 56th ADG Laus Awards, reaffirming the creative talent driving the next generation of designers.

15 June 2026

Three IED alumni among the winners of the iF Design Student Award 2026

Three alumni from IED Kunsthal Bilbao and IED Madrid have been recognised in the iF Design Student Award 2026, one of the world's leading international competitions for emerging design talent.

28 May 2026

This is what Fashioners of the World 2026 will look like

On 15 June at 7 pm, IED Barcelona will present a selection of the best final collections by Fashion students from the Class of 2026 at the Palau Reial de Pedralbes. The event forms part of the IED.60 Public Program.

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.

25 May 2026

IED Receives 26 Nominations at the ADG Laus Awards 2026

24 projects by students from IED Barcelona, IED Madrid and IED Kunsthal Bilbao have been selected as finalists across different categories of one of Spain’s most prestigious graphic design awards.

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.

18 May 2026

The 4th Sketching Marathon awards the best transportation design sketches at IED Barcelona

Pol Navarro (Style & Proportions), Karya Atalag (Productivity) and Federico Russo (Creativity) were the winning students, recognised by an international professional jury.

13 May 2026

Diego Bicet, IED Barcelona alumnus, nominated for the Work Forward Awards ’26

A graduate in Interior Design, he was selected with “Hope, un camino a la esperanza”, a project envisioning a workshop-school for refugees in the heart of Barcelona.