For two weeks next summer, from 23 June to 6 July 2018, participants will get the opportunity to work with leading international designers from renowned studios across Europe. Unplugging from our hectic everyday working lives—commuting, cell phones, deadlines, media saturation—participants will immerse themselves in the wild and rugged Connemara landscape and use it both as a mode of research and as a source of inspiration.
The course will take place at the GMIT campus in Letterfrack which boasts CAD, CNC technology, laser equipment, robotics and digital, manufacturing all ideal for the realisation of 3D typographic design expressions. The campus has excellent Wi-Fi connectivity. In the rural setting beyond the campus, connectivity is weaker, an opportunity for students at Design West to ‘unplug’ from the busy world of design and gain new perspectives.
Programme
The Design West programme is structured to combine research—through the exploration and discovery of the Connemara landscape—with the making of journals, books, digital media, graphic design and 3D typographic expressions. Students will be asked to respond to the natural environment and its materials—mountains, beaches, islands, wildlife—and critically reflect on how this experience will influence their design practice in the future.
We are looking for responses to the following themes; remoteness, silence, ambient sound, the passage of time, less connectivity—‘unplugging’ is more likely to produce diverse solutions, giving creative ideas a chance to develop—walking as research (the exploration and observation of the landscape on foot enhances local literacy and enables students to discover new materials and creative possibilities). Students will also be asked to reflect on balancing the perceived advantages and disadvantages of rural and urban life (cost-of-living, landscape and nature, independence and community versus connectivity, public transportation, cultural life and diversity).
Apply
We welcome post-graduate students and young professionals from all over the world. We value cultural diversity as well as the diverse talent and perspective each participant will bring. The programme will be conducted in English and collaboration across the following disciplines will be encouraged: typography (2D and 3D), graphic design, image making, the writing and the making of books and journals.
More information http://designwest.eu/