If you’re passionate about graphic design and you’re from Barcelona or nearby, this series of articles will fit you like a glove. In it we’re going to explore the different paths and options currently available to train as a graphic design professional. To be a graphic designer there’s always a before and an after when it comes to training. You may have that innate — or not so innate — creativity for finding different solutions to everyday problems that usually get everyday solutions. Creativity is a very important thing to have, but don’t let anyone fool you: knowledge matters just as much. So this series of articles is here to dig into the training options for becoming a creative, for learning, for turning graphic design into your profession. 
At random, and with the order having no bearing on how we rate the school, we’re going to start with Idep.
What is Idep?
Idep is the higher school of image and design in Barcelona. It’s a private educational institution, founded in 1981, offering university-level higher education, master’s degrees, postgraduate courses and professional courses in the fields of Graphic Design, Photography and Fashion. To study at a school like this you need decent funds, but if money isn’t an issue the investment will be worth it. Always at the creative forefront, Idep trains graphic designers with a high level of creativity and critical thinking, contemporary and always evolving. One very good thing about this school — something other education centres in Barcelona have adopted over the years — is that the teaching staff are working professionals in direct, ongoing contact with the industry. The teaching method is also very effective, since the work is built around projects and immersion in creative processes; on top of that they add a broad cultural and technological grounding so you acquire the knowledge in a hands-on way, simulating a working environment that’s dynamic and experimental.
How do I get onto a course at Idep?
The first thing is to keep a close eye on the calendar: enrolment opens in March and closes in October. There are three clearly defined routes into studying at Idep.
- Having passed the university entrance exams
- Having completed a higher-level vocational course
- Having passed the university entrance exam for over-25s
There’s no other way in; on top of that, as I’ve already said, it’s a private institution, so the price per year is very high. Even so, they make it easier by letting you pay for your studies in instalments through the bank.
What courses does Idep offer?
The range of courses is enormous and split into three categories: graphic and digital design, Photography, and Fashion design and image. We’re going to focus on the first one, graphic and digital design.
Graphic and digital design
University-level Higher Education
- Higher Degree / Diploma in graphic and digital design
Master’s degrees in graphic design
- Master’s in graphic and interactive design: Identity, Editorial and Web.
- Master’s in Graphic Design and Art Direction
- Master’s in Advanced Digital Design: Web, Apps and interactive products.
- Master’s in Graphic and Audiovisual Design
- Master’s in Graphic Design and Illustration
- Master’s in Illustration, Motion Graphics and 3D.
- Master’s in Graphic Design and Photography.
Postgraduate and Professional Courses
Graphic Design
- Advanced Graphic Design: Identity and Editorial
- Art Direction in Advertising and Digital Media
- Digital and Interactive Design for Web.
- App and Interactive Product Design.
- Audiovisual Design: Motion Graphics and 3D.
- Illustration applied to design.
Intensive Courses
- Introduction to Design and graphics software
- Creative Summer Camp: Graphic, Fashion and Photo Project.
- WordPress and Portfolio
- Typography and Lettering
- Motion Graphics with After Effects
- Photoshop and Retouching.
As you can see, they have a spectacular range of courses that lets you shape your knowledge around the professional profile you’re after. Beyond the obvious training, Idep promises a professional environment where we can give free rein to our creativity and be surrounded by the creative energy of our peers. As at most schools, it’s a chance to get ourselves known, to build a network of contacts that will surely help us in our promising professional future. You’ll find all the details on their website http://www.idep.es/
