CIRRUS is a Nordic-Baltic network of Art and Design higher education. There are 20 excellent art and design schools from the Nordics and the Baltics in the circle of this cooperation. The central activities of the partner institutions are art and design, including innovative activities, technical development and artistic practices.

A More Sustainable Life

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A More Sustainable Life – International project, 3 ECTS
LAB Institute of Design and Fine Arts
Graphic Design programme
Lahti, Finland

 

The course is part of the second year graphic design studies.

It offers you in-depth research and design opportunities around the sustainability topic.

AM00CD93-3001 A More Sustainable Life – International project

You will learn:

  1. Sustainability from visual communication design perspective. You research, question and debate.
  2. You will design a printed publication (team/individual) around the sustainability topic in a week-long workshop.

Method:

The course investigates what the theme ‘sustainability’ means for visual communication design. The problem is that sustainability is a buzzword – and rightfully so – but it has not been properly dissected in our industry. Designers are by nature very attuned to the problems of the world. But often fail to translate this standpoint to something that can be communicated as an extra value that we bring to the table.

 

5 aspects of sustainability from a visual communication designer’s perspective:

–       Research themes: material matter + digital sustainability + social sustainability + environmental aesthetics + designer’s ethics

–      Students form research focus groups, study together and then present findings

–       Presentation is sharing and questioning knowledge. It is prime learning time. Debate culture is also cultivated.

 

These themes will be collated into a publication, a design object made and curated by you. The publication is worked on during a one-week long intensive workshop at the Lahti campus.

We will then present these findings to our design community and make the questions, findings and musings present and relevant.

 

Schedule
Apply to join the course by 5.2.2023
Research: February – April (online work in groups with your own schedule, + few lecture/presentation dates)

Live Workshop week at Lahti Campus: 24.4. – 28.4.2023
Presenting works: May

 

Course lecturers: Marion Robinson & Christoffer Leka, Senior lecturers of Graphic Design

Study places available: 3 students in CIRRUS

Apply to join the course by: 5.2.2023 by sending a letter of interest to marion.robinson@lab.fi

Travel and accommodation costs are covered with a Cirrus-grant (330 EUR international travel / Iceland 660 EUR) + 250 EUR weekly allowance. Grant payments for students from other Finnish universities is  not possible through CIRRUS/Nordplus.