The first year is an adventurous exploration of your qualities in various aspects of graphic design. These qualities are explored with challenging assignments that appeal to the student’s curiosity and creativity. Considerable emphasis is placed on open-mindedness and the joy of working. You will try out different ways of working and acquire an initial indication of your visual abilities and the value of your ideas.

You will gradually move towards the development of your own visual language and visions. In the first year, it is important to create a large body of work that provides confidence and creates resilience that will be useful during the rest of the programme.

In the final assessment, you must answer the question of whether graphic design is suitable for you, and if you are suitable for the profession. You should be able to specify clearly the elements of the profession that are of primary interest to you.

Points of departure

• The introduction to the field is both practical and theoretical.
• The creative and intellectual development of the student is central.
• Scheduled courses are offered parallel to each other. They focus on particular aspects of the profession and the culture, both substantively and technically, and they broaden the frame of reference. In addition to scheduled courses, two project weeks take place in the propaedeutic year: a department-wide week for all years and an Academy-wide course for all first-year groups. The first years start with a an academy wide introduction of 2 weeks, followed by an excursion. This year we will visit the Venice Biennial with halve of our student-population of Graphic Design.

Study programme components

• Design
• Image
• Typography and Letters
• Interactive Media
• Coding
• Drawing
• Theory: Current Visual Culture
• Academy-wide: Art Theory and Introduction to Science

Courses & ECTS credits 2023-2024

In the second year, you will work on a series of challenging design assignments. The emphasis is on expanding understanding of the profession and strengthening qualities as designers. Ample space is reserved for research. The assignments address a variety of issues, including the concepts of public space and audience groups. There are realistic and fictional, optional and compulsory assignments. During the year, the courses taught are replaced by supervision by different teachers in joint assignments. Each teacher covers a specific area of expertise: Design, Image, Typography or Interaction.

Students have the opportunity to discuss their work with different teachers. You will also take the Letterstudio, Design Research, Moving Image or Design Practice course, and formulate your own Individual Study Trajectories. The theory programme is devoted to the history of graphic design within its cultural and social contexts, establishing a relationship with the work of the students. You will also focus on the presentation and exhibition of your work.

Points of departure

• Expanding the understanding of the discipline
• Strengthening the students’ personal qualities as designer
• Greater focus on research
• Supervision by teachers with different specialisations in joint assignments
• Choice between Letterstudio, Design Research, Moving Image and Design Practice
• Individual Study Track as a tool to add breathing space or depth to the study programme
• Career preparation projects, in the context of classes, as well as the Individual Study Track
• Organisation of exhibitions and presentations

Study programme components

Design assignments with supervision in

• Design
• Image
• Typography
• Interaction
• Design Theory
• Elective: Letterstudio, Design Research, Moving Image or Design Practice
• Technique: Coding
• Individual Study Track

Courses & ECTS credits 2023-2024

The third year also focuses on complex design assignments. In this year, the emphasis is placed on the relationship between graphic designers and society. This is reflected in the theory programme, the assignments and the internship. One of the points of departure for the course is that you will gain increasing control over your tracks as the programme progresses, and much will be expected of you in the third year.

You are largely responsible for organising your own supervision, and will have considerable freedom in how you approach the assignments. For example, you can decide to increase your focus on designing for new media, to centralise the unification of text and image, or to approach assignments typographically. The curriculum emphasises interdisciplinary collaboration and multidisciplinary knowledge. By making optimal use of Letterstudio, Design Research, Moving Image, Design Practice and the Individual Study Track, you can broaden your knowledge, specialise and acquire additional skills and techniques.

The third year theory programme teaches philosophy, and it is devoted to reflection on current social themes. Its aim is to help students develop a vision on their personal responsibility as a designer and to support their ideas of designing according to their social visions.

Points of departure

• After the first year’s emphasis on the discovery of student’s qualities, and the second year’s focus on deepening their understanding of the discipline, the third year concentrates on the relationship with society.
• The courses continue to fuse together. In the second semester, the assignment teachers supervise a large assignment with a socially relevant theme.
• The students choose Letterstudio, Design Research, Moving Image or Design Practice
• The Individual Study Track serves as a tool for adding breathing space or depth to the study programme, and career preparation projects take place within the framework of the Individual Study Track.

Study programme components

Design assignments with supervision in +

• Design
• Image
• Typography
• Interaction
• Theory: Philosophy
• Elective: Letterstudio, Design Research, Moving Image or Design Practice
• Technique: Coding
• Individual Study Track

Courses & ECTS credits 2023-2024

This year is entirely focused on the final examination and the internship. The first semester is exploratory in nature, with students working on various design assignments involving both visual and content-based elements, which could serve as precursors for the central theme of the graduation project from December 1 on. The start of the fourth year will be the 3 months of internship in or outside The Netherlands. The final phase commences in the second semester. You will be motivated by deadlines, and must work hard to be able to present enough work of a sufficient level to pass to the final phase. The theoretical part of the final year comprises the thesis, which provides the theoretical preparation for the graduation project. You will also prepare for the final examination and your future professional practice, and will be assisted in constructing your portfolio.

Points of departure

• The focus of the final year is on the position and positioning of students as graphic designers within their disciplines and society.
• The entire year is devoted to the final examination; after the internship, students work on projects with which they can graduate.
• Students graduating with letter projects can make use of supervision from the Letterstudio tutors.

Study programme components

Graduation projects with supervision in

• Design
• Image
• Typography
• Interaction
• Theory: Thesis
• Career Preparation
• Technique: Coding
• Individual Study Track

Courses & ECTS credits 2023-2024

You are able to develop an innovative concept arising from your artistic ambition and research, elaborate it into a distinctive image, product, means of communication or spatial design, and to contextualise it in a meaningful way

You are able to consider, analyse, interpret and assess your own and others' work, and are capable of constructively considering your findings in relation to your own work

You are able to further develop your vision, work and working methods in breadth and depth through an ongoing process of research, and in this way, contribute to your discipline and to society

You are able to establish and maintain an inspirational and functional working environment and to organize your research, work and practice

You are able to effectively present your vision, research and work and engage in a dialogue with clients and other interested parties

You are able to relate your artistic practice to the artistic and social context

You are able to make an independent contribution to a collaborative product or process