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Visual Communication Design
Become an expert on visual storytelling with this summer course. You'll explore communication design across various contexts, technologies, and media, with a strong focus on enhancing the audience experience.
Teaching period:
-
Application period:
31.1.2025 – 31.5.2025
Course format:
Campus
Duration:
2 weeks
full-time
Course level:
Undergraduate
Field of study:
Art and design
Credits:
2 ECTS
Organiser:
Aalto University
Tuition fees:
1170€
This course will (re)introduce you to fundamental principles of graphic design and basic communicative aspects of storytelling, regardless of whether they are applied in static, time-based or immersive media.
Explore storytelling as a process of meaning-making, covering a wide range from traditional narrative structures to experimental non-linear and associative forms, as well as non-narrative poetic expressions.
The course prioritises hands-on experimentation and practice-based learning that can be applied to various design processes rather than focusing on software-specific skills and technical instruction. Through practice, students will explore the relationship between static and moving images, the concept of narrative and the impact of motion on audience experience, ultimately also building a simple augmented reality (AR) experience.
During the course, you are encouraged to experiment and play with ideas, methods and representations to express your unique perspectives. You will also complete a number of short assignments to develop skills which you can apply to a personal visual narrative project developed during the course.
11 – 22 August 2025: Lecture weeks on-site at Aalto University campus
- Daily lectures Monday-Friday between 13-16
- Group work and individual tasks
- Optional social program in the evenings
| WEEK 1 | Monday 11 August | Tuesday 12 August | Wednesday 13 August | Thursday 14 August | Friday 15 August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning (9-12) | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | |
| Afternoon (13-16) |
Intro to Graphic Design | Basics of Storytelling | Motion and Animation | Intro to AR | Design Project Ideation |
| WEEK 2 | Monday 18 August | Tuesday 19 August | Wednesday 20 August | Thursday 21 August | Friday 22 August |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning (9-12) | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work |
| Afternoon (13-16) |
Design Project Ideation |
Design Project Workshop |
Design Project Mid-Review |
Integration to AR | Final Presentations |
*Please note that this is a preliminary schedule with subject to change
After completing the course you will be able to:
- Identify basic elements and principles of graphic design as well as the key aspects of storytelling
- Apply acquired understandings to a personal creative project
- Expand personal concepts and methods for working with visual narrative
- Experiment with creative expression and different media
- Present own work and provide constructive feedback to others
- Work collaboratively and implement good project working practices
Throughout the course, students are expected and encouraged to talk about their work and to discuss the work of others. Prior knowledge of graphic design and animation is helpful, but not essential. Familiarity with typical design tools such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premier, or their equivalents is encouraged.
No previous experience with AR is required. The students will work both individually and in small groups within the course collective.
Course workload
Contact sessions (lectures, workshops) 30h
Individual or group assignments 24h
Total 54h (2 ECTS)
The course is graded as pass/fail.
This course does not require previous experience in the topic. Some familiarity with the typical visual design software (e.g. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere or free/open-source equivalents) is encouraged.
Participants must have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts. However, they do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our courses.
Additionally, all summer school course students must be 18 years or older, as it is the legal age in Finland.
Please include a motivation letter or video in your application. In your motivation letter or video, describe your motivation for taking this course. The recommended length for the motivation letter is 150-250 words and 1-2 minutes for the video.
Tuition fees for Summer School courses
One course: 1170€ (incl. VAT 25,5%)
- The course fee includes academic course sessions and assignments, an official digital Aalto University certificate and support from the Summer School team. The fee does not cover accommodation, daily meals, or transportation during the course
- Unfortunately, Aalto University Summer School does not offer scholarships for participants.
Social program fee
If you need a visa, we recommend applying by April 15th 2025.
- This is to ensure that we have enough time to process your application and that you have time to make the tuition fee payment, book a visa appointment and wait for the application to be processed.
- You can apply and be accepted to the courses after April 15th. In that case, we recommend that you pay at your earliest convenience so that we can deliver your invitation letter to you promptly.
- According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the processing time for a visa application is 15 days. However, the processing time may be longer if a more detailed application examination is required.
Learn about the Aalto University Summer School cancellation terms. You will receive the full terms before making the payment and confirming the course participation.
Teacher Information
Cvijeta Miljak is a designer, artist and researcher. She has been engaged in a doctoral investigation into creative participatory practices and audience engagement with exhibitions and heritage, as part of the Beyond Matter – Cultural Heritage on the Verge of Virtual Reality project. Through developing methods for nonintrusive participatory evaluation practices, her interests focus on exploring emerging narratives, intermedial poetics, and implications of digital tools, to re-examine the forms of storytelling in the postdigital media.
Miljak practices across disciplines of graphic design, photography, moving image and new media, influenced by a background in linguistics and literature. She has worked as a designer, photographer and video maker for more than two decades, mainly in cultural and academic environments. Her works have been awarded and shown worldwide.
She currently works as a part-time teacher at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
Summer School Team
Information for Summer School Applicants
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Aalto University Summer School
Everything you need to know about Summer School! Make this summer unforgettable and experience the best of Aalto University and Finland under the Nordic summer sun.
Travel arrangements for Summer and Winter School students
Learn about the guidelines for visa application and budgeting for your stay during the summer course.