Design Summer Schools of 2019 around the world

Our annual selection of the most exciting design summer schools around the world. This is our fourth edition. With schools in Europe, Asia, and North America. This summer you can attend courses with and without credit points, some even have real diplomas! What all courses have in common is that they help you expand your horizon, learn a lot, and make new friends for life. 

Our selection of creative camps are in the fields of graphic design, typography, architecture, media arts and critica thinking. The guide focus mainly on independent summer schools, who have announced their event dates. Which means we don't show "to be announced" programs. When new design summer schools announce their program dates we will add them here. If you subscribe to our newsletter you will be the first to know.

Our selection is ordered on date. The first starts on May 1st in Canggu on Bali, and the last starts on September 2nd in Bath (UK). So you can literally do some “Voyages Extraordinaire” around the world.

For every school we have made an overview of the most important facts that you need to know, to make a quick comparison. Like application deadline, fee, who are the instructors, do I get credit points etc. This is something we learned from our 2018 design summer schools article.

📲 Checkout our Design Summer School app for Android or iOS!

May 2019

the designkids bootcamp

The Design Kids Bootcamp

May 1-7, 2019. Canggu, Bali, Indonesia

TDK is all about bridging the gap between studying and working. If you're a fresh graduate freaking out or a designer of under 10 years experience who's bored in their job and need a complete career reset.

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️For whom?: fresh graduates or designers of under 10 years experience
⏰Application deadline: -
💵Fee: $ 1,499
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫Instructors: Frankie Ratford
⛺️Including accommodation: Yes
🏅Credits: NO
🍳Including Meals: YES
✈️ Including Travel cost: No

📝Apply to The Design Kids Bootcamp
🌐The Design Kids Bootcamp Website

(Re)configuring Territories
(Re)configuring Territories

(Re)configuring Territories

May 6–12, 2019. Narva, Estonia

(Re)configuring Territories aims to produce knowledge about interdependent social, political, geographical and technological processes in the context of Narva and reflect on post-colonialist questions at the edge-areas of European Union. How can Narva be seen as an example of a post-industrial city? Is Narva a post-national place on the border?

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️For whom?: Architects, artists, designers, programmers and urban planners
⏰Application deadline: 31 maart 2019
💵Fee: € 50
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫Instructors: Yin Aiwen, Damiano Cerrone, Polina Medvedeva.
⛺️Including accommodation: Yes
🏅Credits: NO
🍳Including Meals: -
✈️ Including Travel cost: No

📝Apply to (Re)configuring Territories
🌐(Re)configuring Territories Website

June 2019

summer-intensive-2019

Design Writing and Research Summer Intensive

June 3–14, 2019. New York, USA

The New York School of Visual Arts MA Design Research studio has created a two-week intensive summer program devoted to research and writing about design. Participants will be introduced to a range of techniques for constructing compelling narratives about images, objects, and spaces.

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️For whom?: -
⏰Application deadline: April 15, 2019
💵Fee: $ 1950
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫Instructors: Adam Harrison Levy, Molly Heintz, Steven Heller, Karrie Jacobs, Jennifer Kabat, Robin Pogrebin, Craig Taylor, Rob Walker
⛺️Including accommodation: SVA housing available
🏅Credits: -
🍳Including Meals: -
✈️ Including Travel cost: No

📝Apply to Design Writing and Research Summer Intensive
🌐Design Writing and Research Summer Intensive Website

theprogram

The Program

June 9 - 29, 2019. The Hague, The Netherlands

180 Creative Camp is a creativity event developed by Canal180, the Portuguese TV channel and online platform dedicated to the arts and culture. The camp aims to intersect traditional and media arts and interacting with the community of the host town with the motto “Creative Collaborations in Media Arts”. 180 Creative Camp challenges the boundaries of contemporary creation, in fields such as design, video, urban art and architecture.

⏰Application deadline: 15 March 2019
💵Fee: $ 4.300
🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️Instructors: TBA
⛺️Including accommodation: YES
🏅Credits: -
🍳Including Meals: -
✈️ Including Travel cost: NO

📝Apply to The Program
🌐The Program Website

typeparis2019

TypeParis

June 10 - July 13, 2019. Paris, France

TypeParis is a 5-week typeface design program, which started in 2015. Over the course of the program, industry leaders will teach and mentor students in both traditional and modern craft techniques of typeface design. Located in the center of Paris, students will be able to enjoy the culture of the city and will also receive access to historic materials at key libraries in the city. Renowned guest critics, will compliment the daily program with unique perspectives around typography and design.

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️For whom?: No prior degree necessary. However, previous studies or knowledges in graphic design or typeface will be considered a plus during the selection process.
⏰Application deadline: '14 maart 2019
💵Fee: '€ 4600
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫Instructors: Xavier Dupré, Jean François Porchez, Mathieu Réguer, Marc Rouault, Erik van Blokland, Antonio Cavedoni, Nick Misani, Neil Summerour, Andrea Tinnes, Rainer Erich Scheichelbauer, Georg Seifer
⛺️Including accommodation: No
🏅Credits: -
🍳Including Meals: -
✈️ Including Travel cost: No

📝Apply to TypeParis
🌐TypeParis Website

front-sw2019-07-01-2019

Basel Summer Workshops 2019

June 18 - July 12, 2019. Basel, Switzerland

The Visual Communication Institute HGK, Basel offers workshops for students, educators and graphic designers. Our four unique weeklong workshops afford insight into topical themes in Visual Communication in a study program reflecting the rich tradition of the Basel School of Design. During these four weeks, lectures and input sessions by the faculty and with designers from outside the university will accompany the workshops’ program, as well as field trips.

  • Poster Design, Leander Eisenmann, June 18 – 22, 2019.
  • Inquiry by Design, Michael Renner, June 24 – 28, 2019.
  • Time Designed, Gregory Vines / Ted Davis, July 1 – 5, 2019.
  • Type Design, Philipp Stamm, July 8 – 12, 2019

⏰Application deadline: 15 March 2019
💵Fee: CHF 900 (1 week); CHF 1700 (2 weeks); CHF 2400 (3 weeks); CHF 3000 (4 weeks)
🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️Instructors: Leander Eisenmann, Prof. Michael Renner, Ted Davis, Gregory Vines, Prof. Philipp Stamm
⛺️Including accommodation: NO.
🏅Credits: YES, 1.5 ECTS per Workshop
🍳Including Meals: NO
✈️ Including Travel cost: NO

📝Apply to Information Design Summer School
🌐Information Design Summer School Website

Design West Summer School

Design West Summer School

June 22 — July 5, 2019. GMIT Letterfrack campus, Ireland

Second edition of Design West Summer School. Ireland’s International Design Summer School, set in Connemara on the Wild Atlantic Way. Design West facilitates both individual and collaborative approaches to the making of 2D and 3D design expressions, including visual communication, installations, abstract and environmental design.

⏰Application deadline: May 10, 2019
💵Fee: € 1800
🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️Instructors: René Knip, Yuki Sugiyama, Brankica Harvey, Ken Deegan, Susan Rogers, Noelle Cooper, Colin Farmer, Jo Little, Kate Brangan, Sean Sills, Conor Clarke
⛺️Including accommodation: Yes
🏅Credits: Yes
🍳Including Meals: -
✈️ Including Travel cost: NO
📖Related: Interview with Conor Clarke on design summer school Design West

📝Apply to Design West Summer School
🌐Design West Summer School Website

180camp-homepage

180 Creative Camp

June 30 — July 7 2019. Abrantes, Portugal

180 Creative Camp is a creativity event developed by Canal180, the Portuguese TV channel and online platform dedicated to the arts and culture. The camp aims to intersect traditional and media arts and interacting with the community of the host town with the motto “Creative Collaborations in Media Arts”. 180 Creative Camp challenges the boundaries of contemporary creation, in fields such as design, video, urban art and architecture.

⏰Application deadline: -
💵Fee: € 350
🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️Instructors: TBA
⛺️Including accommodation: -
🏅Credits: NO
🍳Including Meals: -
✈️ Including Travel cost: NO
📖Related: Interview with Nuno Alves, curator of 180 Creative Camp (2016)

📝Apply to 180 Creative Camp
🌐180 Creative Camp Website

July 2019

no-school

NØ SCHOOL

July 1-14, 2019. Nevers, France

NØ SCHOOL is a unique international summer school, held in Nevers in Burgundy, aimed at students, artists, designers, makers, hackers, activists and educators who wish to further their skills and engage in critical research around the social and environmental impacts of information and communication technologies.

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️For whom?: Students, artists, designers, makers, hackers, activists and educators
⏰Application deadline: -
💵Fee: € 1,200
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫Instructors: Ted Davis, Regine Debatty, Martin De Bie, Teresa Dillon, Benjamin Gaulon, Sarah Garcin, Gijs Gieskes, Garnet Hertz, Darsha Hewitt, Dasha Ilina, Ewa Justka, Karl Klomp, Sénamé Koffi A., Lovid, Alessandro Ludovico, Kris Madden, Nicolas Maigret, Alex Mclean, Nicolas Nova, Fred Paulino, Claire Richard, Antonio Roberts, Maria Roszkowska, Lourens Rozema, Jerome Saint-Clair, Phillip David Stearns, Chris Sugrue, Daniel Temkin, Tom Verbruggen, Vtol
⛺️Including accommodation: Optional
🏅Credits: NO
🍳Including Meals: Lunch
✈️ Including Travel cost: No

📝Apply NØ SCHOOL
🌐NØ SCHOOL Website

Resonant Bodies 2019

Resonant Bodies

July 6-14, 2019. Sibenik, Croatia

Slow Research Lab offers an immersive study experience on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. RESONANT BODIES is an interdisciplinary research program that explores conditions of ‘resonance’ within and between a spectrum of bodies (human and nonhuman) – from the intimate scale of sensory perception to an expanded web of relations, spaces and times. Participants will work intensively and across a range of mediums as they tune into the unique forms and rhythms of the local landscape, unearthing its stories and connecting with the myriad ‘bodies’ that are part of it. At the same time, the research brings awareness to patterns of both struggle and resilience held in our own bodies and histories, illuminating the potential for individual/collective transformation. Space is limited to 12 participants.

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️For whom?: fresh graduates or designers of under 10 years experience
⏰Application deadline: 19 May 2019
💵Fee: € 1,100
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫Instructors: Irena Ateljevic, Siobhán K. Cronin, LaToya Manly-Spain, Carolyn Strauss
⛺️Including accommodation: Optional
🏅Credits: NO
🍳Including Meals: Lunch
✈️ Including Travel cost: No

📝Apply to Resonant Bodies
🌐Resonant Bodies Website

porto design summer school

Porto Design Summer School

July 8–20, 2019. Porto, Portugal

The Porto Design Summer School, about to embark on its 7th edition, is an intensive two week workshop led by renowned international graphic designers where participants can explore the creative possibilities of editorial design, by examining typographic systems, hierarchy and composition, narrative structure, navigation, cover design, editing and notions of authorship.

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️For whom?: Graduate and post-graduate design students, professional designers, and in general people who have a passion for books, for making, for exploring, testing themselves and sharing with others.
⏰Application deadline: May 19th, 2019.
💵Fee: €1.590
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫Instructors: Andrew Howard, Hamish Muir,
Ronnie Fueglister. There will be another (guest) tutor, to be announce shortly.
⛺️Including accommodation: Yes
🏅Credits: Yes
🍳Including Meals: No
✈️ Including Travel cost: No

📝Apply to Porto Design Summer School
🌐Porto Design Summer School Website

TDi2014 workingmess-1024x606

TDi 2019

July 8 - 19, 2019, Reading, UK

The TDi is two weeks of learning about typeface design and typography with exceptional tutors, and unparalleled resources. This happens in an environment where we can spend enough time to go deep into the interests of every participant, and follow the threads of inquiry into areas in which people have little experience.

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️For whom?: graphic designers and typographers, web designers of all orientations, educators, researchers, developers, and people who work with type designers
⏰Application deadline: -
💵Fee: £2,725 for the full course (£1,120 for returning participants, for one week)
👩‍🏫👨‍🏫Instructors: Gerry Leonidas, Fred Smeijers, Fiona Ross, Eric Kindel, Ewan Clayton, Vaibhav Singh, Mohammad Dakak
⛺️Including accommodation: NO. Accommodation is available on-campus.
🏅Credits: -
🍳Including Meals: -
✈️ Including Travel cost: No

Apply to TDi 2019

G D A ​S u m m e r​ S e s s i o n s D e - M o d e r n i z i n g D e s i g n 9 – 2 3 A u g u s t ​ 2 0 1 9

GDA Summer Sessions 2019 'De-Modernizing Design'

August 9-23, 2019. Arnhem, NL

How can we counter the hegemony of the western Modernist idiom, and find new and inclusive voices in design? How dominant is the western bias in our aesthetic preferences, computational algorithms and other technologies? How prevalent is the western design canon? Why is 90% of all design produced by the same software from one specific region (Silicon Valley)? Is there such a thing as design sovereignty? Who comprises the design diaspora? Is there a difference between being inspired by another culture and cultural appropriation in design? How can we counter this narrative? What are inspiring alternatives?

⏰Application deadline: 15 June 2019
💵Fee: €1995
🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️Instructors: Clara Balaguer, Thomas Castro, Danny van der Kleij, Karel Martens, Nadine Stijns, Amy Suo Wu. More to be announced soon ...
🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️For whom?: BA, MA and PhD students in Graphic Design, Interactive Media, Visual Communication and related studies (e.g. Media Theory, Fine Arts, Architecture, Film, Creative Writing, etc.) as well as professionals and educators looking for a fresh perspective in their current practices.
⛺️Including accommodation: YES
🏅Credits: YES (4 ECTS credits)
🍳Including Meals: Breakfast
✈️ Including Travel cost: NO

📝Apply to Information Design Summer School
🌐Information Design Summer School Website

Trojan-Horse-Open-Air-Residency-2019--Cultivating-Research-Practices

Trojan Horse Open Air Residency 2019: Cultivating Research Practices

August 12–18, 2019. Bengtsår Island, Hanko, Finland

Trojan Horse explores the boundaries and preconditions that define the field in which architects and designers operate today.
Trojan Horse Open Air Residency 2019: Cultivating Research Practices a spatiotemporal medium offering nutrients for developing our practices and critical research questions together. During these days we will concentrate on writing, reading and discussing.

⏰Application deadline: 9 June 2019
💵Fee: € 70 (Ten participants will be selected anonymously based on the content of their applications and five by luck, using a random algorithm.)
🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️Instructors: Simone Niquille, Leanne Wijnsma
⛺️Including accommodation: Yes, tents
🏅Credits: -
🍳Including Meals: YES, 4meals a day
✈️ Including Travel cost: NO

📝Apply to Trojan Horse Summer School
🌐Information Design Summer School Website

Information Design Summer School

Information Design Summer School

September 2–6, 2019. Bath, UK

The Information Design Summer School happens every year in Bath, UK. It's an intense introduction to information design. There are lectures, discussions, and group-working on projects – we focus on users, diagramming, text design, testing and process. It's an inspiring week that attracts both graphic designers wanting to focus on communicating complex information, and people from other professions wanting some of what we've got: we get medics, lawyers, technical writers and more. Organised by the Simplification Centre in partnership with the International Institute for Information Design.

⏰Application deadline: 15 March 2019
💵Fee: £640 until 1 May. £615 for members of IIID, IDA, PLAIN and Clarity. A few student places available at £350
🙋‍♀️🙋‍♂️Instructors: Rob Waller, Karel van der Waarde, Clive Richards, Jenny Waller
⛺️Including accommodation: NO. Accommodation is available on-campus.
🏅Credits: -
🍳Including Meals: -
✈️ Including Travel cost: NO

📝Apply to Information Design Summer School
🌐Information Design Summer School Website

If you are thinking of joining one of the mentioned summer schools, but are not sure which one or you are not sure if it is soemthing for you. Just hit the chat button and drop us a line. We are happy to help you find the right fit for you.

If we missed the one our you are organizing or attending, please let us know.

📲 Checkout our Design Summer School app for Android or iOS!
🏨Find a place to stay: Hotels & Hostels or Airbnb
✈️Book your trip

Have a great summer.

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