Design West is an international summer design school located in the beautiful village of Letterfrack in Connemara, on the West Coast of Ireland. For two weeks next summer, from 18 June to 1 July 2022, participants will get the opportunity to work with leading Irish designers from renowned studios. 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.
Summer is a time for exploration and discovery, for meeting new people and taking on new challenges. It is also a time to get away from the grind of ‘the everyday’ and to reflect upon one’s role and purpose as a designer. Design West offers the perfect environment for studying design in a non-urban environment—away from the noise of the city and the pressures of deadlines. Students will participate in a two-week programme of discovery, learning, reflection, adventure and making.
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 2D and 3D 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.