International Design Week
1 theme
5 days
9 countries
15 workshops
18 lecturers
150 students
The Institute of Design and Communication, one of the largest institutes at the FH JOANNEUM, with around 300 students, contributestothecreativedynamicsoftheCityofGraz.Competence in design, human-centered methods and research are important elementsinourinterdisciplinaryeducation.Researchattheinstitute encompasses contemporary design challenges in society in collaboration with industry and other academic institutions. The institute offers a bachelor’s program in Information Design and master’s programs in Exhibition Design and Communication, Media, Sound, andInteractionDesign.Ourstudentslearntounderstandeconomic, social,cultural,andtechnologicalbackgroundstoeffectivelycreate designsolutionsforsocietyastheyshapetomorrow’sworlds.
www.fh-joanneum.at/idk
Design Month Graz bundles and condenses the energy of the local creative industries within one month, makes them visible to the outside world and thus makes a central contribution to anchoring the creative industries in people’s minds.
In 2023, Design Month Graz will take a look at the theme of REVOLUTION. In what way can and should design influence revolutionary processes? What do designers have to do with it? A look at the activist and political climate shows great confusion and frustration. The current mood offers good conditions for disruptive upheavals, i.e. revolutions. Perhaps right now it is causing the radical changes that are needed at many levels of society and the ecosystem. With the thematic focus in Design Month Graz 2023, we hope to help in the search for solutions, because we know that the time for disruptive upheavals has long since come.
After last year’s successful premiere, we are excited to bring a new mutation of the International Design Week back to the Institute of Design and Communication at FH JOANNEUM University of Applied Sciences Graz.
We are pleased that we are welcoming 19 international guests from our significant global partner university network as part of the Design Month in our UNESCO City of Design Graz.
The International Design Week enables our students to engage in the much appreciated and necessary cultural exchange with international design experts in the fields of media, sound, interaction, communication, and spatial design.
Furthermore, hosting this International Week in-house gives our students the opportunity to collaboratively create tangible outputs and develop design ideas beyond the classic classroom brief, allowing cultural exchange beyond the design studio setting.
We appreciate our international colleagues coming to Graz and sharing their expertise for further mutation of our undergraduate and postgraduate students into critical designers, makers, thinkers. We are looking forward to seeing the cultures of our figurative petri-dish grow new organisms in the international creative habitat.
Design mutates just like a single-cell organism, in permanent transition and transformation, adapting to cultural, social, political, economic, and ecological change. Without design the world is muted, at a stand-still, no voices of change to be heard.
Daniel Fabry Head of Institute Design and Communication Head of Master Programs Birgit Bachler Head of Bachelor Information Design
Designers not merely embellish the face of our world, but act as a driving force to change the face of the world for good. Design exposes and interrogates the mutations resulting from our ever-changing planetary condition, between crisis and cure, and thus itself acts as a reflection of those mutations. Design, like a single-cell organism, is in a state of constant mutation and adaptation to its surroundings, perpetually responding to cultural, social, political, economic, and ecological changes. In the absence of design, the world would become muted, stagnant, and void of the innovation and progress necessary to navigate the complexities of contemporary life.
The International Design Week began on Monday with a networking day that featured a series of mini seminars open to all staff of the Institute of Design & Communication. The day commenced with a thoughtprovoking talk by Zachi Diner from the Holon Institute of Technology, Israel, discussing the rise and evolution of the AI universe and its impact on the creative landscape. Zachi emphasized how the advancement of AI gives rise to new roles and responsibilities for designers.
The second session, titled „Sound Atmospheres and Design: Programmatic Music for Visual Media“, was hosted by Luis Daniel Martínez Álvarez from Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, Mexico. This interactive session explored the influence of sound design on the perception of space and media.
In the subsequent session, Melani Lleonart García and Álvaro Sanchis from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, provided insights into their teaching methodologies. They showcased how co-design, qualitative assessment systems, and collaborative project reviews can effectively teach graphic design to large groups of students.
Emilio Lonardo from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, led an experimental speed dating session, engaging participants in discussions on speculative futures of design in a fast-paced manner. Conversations revolved around design scenarios such as humans being able to digest plastic or the establishment of the first interplanetary colony with 1000 inhabitants.
The networking day successfully kickstarted the International Design Week at the institute, exploring thought-provoking design topics, contemporary creative challenges, and innovative teaching approaches.
Animation is the art of bringing objects to life through movement. By manipulating shapes, forms, and colors from one frame to the other, animators can create the illusion of emotion and thought. Morphing allows the change of an objects look, essence or its identity: a mutation. E.g., a bottle can transform into a bird, then into a rain shower etc. Animation techniques that can be used range from 2D hand drawn to digital 2D, 3D and stop motion. No prior animation experience is needed.
Prof. Melanie Beisswenger is an animator with credits on the Academy Award-winning feature film Happy Feet, as well as Happy Feet 2, Iron Man 3, and the TV launch ad for BioShock. Her short films have been screened internationally and won awards. She writes for books, articles, and speaks at conferences.
In 11 animated clips, the workshop participants interpreted the theme of animation as a mutation in unique ways. Starting with the exploration of different techniques, students quickly worked through ideation, conception and experimentation, to develop their own story and style. Whether stop motion, 2D, 3D or a mix of these animation techniques, within the very limited time of 3 days, the students created fabulous works that are well worth revisiting: “it’s a loop” - let’s see it again!
Melanie Beisswenger Professor, Institute for Media Design Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences Salzgitter, GER
IDW was a great opportunity to try out techniques and types of creation I have never tried before. For me, being able to work in an inspiring and supportive animation environment really pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. We had daily recaps together where I could also experience the process other students made.
Hannah Drobir Student CMS
After my experience with stop motion, I believe now that everyone who wants to animate should at least try out stop motion once, even if it is not their preferred way to animate. Simply, because it will help you understand the change of a shape/form to create movement better. Spending as little as a few hours creating an animation taught me so much on shapes and form during a movement.
Renée Kerschbaumer Student IND
This week was full of learning new things, stress, and a lot of fun. We had a great tutor, who had already worked on big budget productions. She showed us different animation techniques and gave us tips to take our animations to the next level.
Luca Zaussinger Student IND
If communication design really claims to effectively convey the voices of cultural, social, political, economic, and ecological change, and if communication design really wants to be a “driving force” for social change, then we communication designers need to get to know and critically question the argumentative possibilities and media “instruments of persuasion”. How exactly can people be activated to change their behavior by means of communication design?
Since 2003, Matthias Beyrow has been teaching the interrelationships around branding, identity, and communications as a professor at the Potsdam University of Applied Sciences. He has been the editor and author of the Kompendium Corporate Identity & Corporate Design since 2007.
Matthias Beyrow Professor for Symbols & Identity, Department of Design Potsdam University of Applied Sciences, GER
The workshop „Be involved!“ used the concrete example of reducing „noise pollution in public spaces“. After a basic understanding of the interests of all protagonists involved („host“, „guest“ and „residents“) the participants identified and tested five methodical approaches to problem solving: „information“,„manipulation“,„instruction“,„intervention“and
These communication approaches broadened the repertoire of the participants and were presented in their different creative forms.
„regulation“.
It has been a week since my stay in Graz for the International Design Week, and looking back, I consider it to be a truly fulfilling experience that provided me with a breath of fresh air. The workshop encouraged us to really take the time to think about communication and the tools it offers us to convey our messages effectively.
Priscila Shihui Qiu Guest student UPVThe workshop I attended was very interesting and I learned a lot about how to communicate information. The key to a successful communication strategy is to think about the whole situation before you start the design phase. In some ways it is very similar to the design thinking process.
Madeleine Hurst Student CMS
In the workshop
essential to think before designing. It is necessary
PatriciaSalinasVilla GueststudentUPV
to have a communication strategy before carryingtooutthecreationofabrandoracampaigninorder adaptthemtotheneedsofpeople.
Be involved! we learned that it is
Is a temporary intervention in public space able to change people’s perception? On observing illegal street vendors, designer Simon Busse developed this workshop format on folding and unfolding cardboard structures to turn pedestrian zones into a goods presentation area. Students participating in this workshop are asked to find a location, select a product or a service and develop a temporary presentation/ mutation area for it that attracts on the one hand and a device that mutes on the other hand.
After training as a craftsman, Simon Busse studied Industrial Design at the SAdbK in Stuttgart and DA Eindhoven. Different international stages confirmed him to found his studio in 2005. He has been teaching and giving lectures for more than 10 years and has been a visiting professor at HfG Schwäbisch Gmünd since 2021.
Simon Busse Lecturer, Industrial Design University of Design Schwäbisch Gmünd, GER
It was a big challenge for the students to go from an idea to a working design prototype on a one to one scale within the short time frame of a design sprint, but I was thrilled how quickly the guest students were supported by the local students and a group was formed that encouraged each other. The workshop facilities were ideal for constant team meetings, reviews and quick implementation - big thanks to all students for the inspiring results and the entire FH Joanneum team for the fantastic hospitality!
I learned great folding tech- niques and mechanisms and also improved my modelma- king skills for cardboard. I wish it would have been a longer experience, but I know that’s due to the seminar week.
Titus Kollmann Guest student HfG
It was a very exciting workshop because I was able to get a taste of product design and learn a lot of new things from other students as well as from our workshop leader. It was also a challenge to develop this whole concept including the product within only three days. Working with new materials such as cardboard, tape and hard plastic was not easy at first, but I was able to master it very well.
Elisa Groß Student IND
The environment of the workshop was an experience of its own, with everyone willing to give a helping hand or constructive advice. The creativity in the room was tangible as you could see everybody‘s gears turning in their head for how they are going to make their stand work, and their excitement when they finally did.
Shelby Campbell IND Exchange student MRU
In this workshop the students will realize a poster, based on the three laws of robotics established by the writer Isaac Asimov. The objective is to approach graphic design in collaboration with the AIs DALLE-2 and Midjourney. Using the text to image method (prompts), a set of graphic elements will be made, the group will initiate the ideas and
intentions and the students will make the visuals in co-creation with the AIs. The goal is to imagine and develop (or explore and design) a common form of work within the group with the AIs.
Nicolas Tilly has been teaching interaction design since 2013 at the École Supérieure d‘Art et Design d‘Orléans. He also gives workshops in art schools in France and abroad. Nicolas Tilly specializes in creative coding which he uses in experimental websites and video games projects. For several years he has been conducting research on digital playing cards.
Emanuel Cyriaque has been teaching publishing and new forms of writing and reading related to digital technology since 2007. Specialized in digital literature, he is also the director of Éditions hyx (editions-hyx.com), a publishing house specialized in art, architecture, and digital culture.
Nicolas Tilly & Emmanuel Cyriaque Teachers, Media design
École Supérieure d‘Art et Design d‘Orléans, FRA
We learned how to use Midjourney as part of a production process, we
made a poster with the use of AI and it was really interesting (and scary)
Daniel Mayerhofer Student INDget the image we wanted.
to see what Midjourney is capable of. But also how hard it can be to get
exactly what one wants from it. The learning curve for writing efficient
promts was quite steep and it took a surprising amount of tries to actually
On Tuesday, my team dedicated most of the day to generating a wide range of images using various prompts, aiming to gather a diverse collection for the following day. Wednesday was focused on everyone designing their own posters using the images generated. Considering our plans for the AR experience, we eventually settled on a single poster to proceed with. We divided our tasks among the five members, with my responsibility being the animation using Blender. On the final day, we fine-tuned our work, printed the posters, and captured photographs of them. We then ventured into the city to place the AR version of our posters on different buildings.
As the main theme “Mutate or Mute” implies, this design workshop will focus on the impact of AI on the design landscape and explore how AI tools and services can enhance traditional design processes. The aim is to focus on brand and strategy design and to give students hands-on experience using AI tools for research, discovery, brand definition, visual identity, and conceptual brand applications.
Zachi Diner heads the Visual Communication Department at HIT. Experienced interaction designer, educator, and entrepreneur with 20+ years in digital design and new media. Co-founded two successful design agencies in Israel, and led and partnered on numerous projects for companies, startups, and enterprises. A Creative researcher with a passion for design and aesthetics.
The workshop brought together 12 design students to explore and reimagine traditional branding and strategy frameworks using cutting-edge AI tools, including ChatGPT and generative AI services like Midjourney, Stable and many more. Their objective was to generate fresh ideas, strategies, concepts, and products for classical brands such as Gillette, Uber, Nestle, and red bull. Over the course of the workshop, participants were practicing collaboration, exploration, and experimentation to push the boundaries of conventional design thinking.
These deliverables were presented and each team showcased the research, insights, and AI-backed creativity. The workshop served as a springboard for participants to engage with classical brand strategy fundamentals and rethink of ways to create new and extended sub brands and new concepts for product line and visions.
Zachi Diner Head of the Visual Design Department, Faculty of Design Holon Institute of Technology, ISR
The workshop encouraged us to think critically and creatively, pushing us beyond our comfort zones. We were challenged to overcome obstacles and develop innovative sub-brands that stayed true to the essence of the parent brand while capturing the attention of target consumers.
It was interesting to create a whole new product just with using AI tools and it was fun to learn how to use them. We learned a lot about how brands and their marketing work and we learned how to make use of the AI tools which will take part in our future.
Lorena Beste IND Exchange student HSD
Helene Schober Student IND
Overall, I believe events like the International Week should be held more frequently. The opportunity to focus on a single topic for an extended period of time has a significant learning effect. It allows students to explore a topic in greater depth and go away with a more profound understanding of the subject matter.
Alina Schweighofer Student IND
This workshop proposes the implementation of augmented reality as a vehicle to analyze and extend the message in public murals to rethink and redefine the impact in the identity construction of those pieces in the community, considering participatory design processes. With this workshop we seek that participants understand the communication intention of the mural, its impact in the community that cohabits and to extend the message through a new audiovisual narrative proposal displayed in mobile technology in-situ.
Mariana Gonzáles de la Rosa, Industrial Designer, CONACYT fellow in the Industrial Design Postgraduate UNAM, Diploma in Social Economy and Cooperative Entrepreneurship. Head of Industrial Design Program, IBERO Puebla, México. President of DI Integra, Mexican Association of Institutions and Schools of Industrial Dev
Roberto Razo Rodriguez, Professor from Puebla, Mexico. He has been involved in instructional design projects and finds a passion in the relation between education and design using interactive technologies as a medium to relate people with content, through experiences that can take them to reach knowledge.
Maria González de la Rosa & Roberto Razo Rodriguez
Head of Industrial Design Program & Professor Universidad Iberoamericana Puebla, MEX
The workshop „Murals and the City“ was held, where students were invited to explore the city in search of a mural that resonated with them. They were tasked with analyzing three dimensions of the murals: the emotional aspect, the rhetorical elements, and the public opinion. The main challenge of the workshop was that within such a short timeframe, the students were able to achieve and comprehend that designing an experience involves a series of cognitive and technical processes.
It was so nice to learn how to do new things with techniques I already knew, but at the same time with a different approach. Also, the teachers were so good with us, always helping us with everything we didn‘t understand and also, I liked that they provided us with a quick lesson on other software that we didn‘t know yet, like Adobe Aero and a short introduction to the VR lenses.
Sarah Elizabeth Rivera Sánchez CMS Exchange student ITESO
A term the workshop leaders brought closer to us was ‚Participatory Design‘, which we also made use of by interviewing pedestrians about the murals we found in the city. I also didn’t know how many murals Graz actually had. They are hidden gems indeed (and they really upcycle the city).
The output of the workshop was to create a symbiosis of murals and augmented reality. What I also liked, is that we had theoretical approaches as well as practical. The first day we strolled through Graz, and we were looking for murals. After finding one we liked, we were putting a lot of thought in it as we were observing the surroundings, experimenting with our senses, and interviewing people.
Rosa Pfeiler Student IND
Nadja Pirchheim Student CMS
A Fanzine is a quick and easy way to share creative ideas and express oneself. It‘s a great platform for self-expression. In the „HT>LT“ workshop, students will focus on imagemaking and explore the connection between high-tech and low-tech techniques. They will design a small, printed publication (fanzine) featuring visuals related to the theme „Hybrid“. The image-making process will be significant: students will sketch images using an AI platform
(high-tech), then refine and produce them using traditional analog techniques (low-tech).
Golan Gafni is a lecturer and final project moderator at the Visual Communication Department of the Faculty of Design at the Holon Institute of Technology. He is also a graphic designer at Keren & Golan Graphic Design Studio (01kg.com) and the editor and publisher of The A5 Magazine (thea5magazine.com).
Digital image making using AI platforms, has transformed art and design, empowering creators with limitless possibilities while challenging them with authenticity and content saturation. The main aim of this workshop was
to use these platforms as a sketch for an idea for a short publication and then to maximize the visual look by using hand techniques. The results were surprising: abstract, funny and very experimental.
Tina Bergmann Student CMS
Maaike Hamelynck Lecturer for Graphic and Interaction Design Coordinator Department of Design, Minerva Art Academy Hanzehogeschool Groningen, NLD
Hanna Dierneder Student CMS
Pablo Jordán Vilches Guest student UPV
Álvaro Sanchis & Melani Lleonart
Professor & Associate Lecturer Departamento de Pintura, Facultat de Belles Arts Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, ESP
Beyza Nur Kilinc
Tiago Durão Barata IND Exchange student IADE
Emilio Lonardo Adjunct Professor, Dipartimento di Design Politecnico di Milano, ITA
Maria Belem Dueñas Lynce de Faria IND Exchange student IADE
Lalissidis Evripidis Guest student HfG
Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, GEO
Koka Ramishvili Teacher, Fine Art
Michael Aldrian Student IND
Nicolas Platter Student IND
Eva Črepnjak Student AUD
Nitzan Waisberg Lecturer, Faculty of Design Holon Institute of Technology, ISR
Andrés Mata Gutiérrez Guest student UPV
Celina Bettmer Student AUD
Carla Molins Pitarch
Lecturer & Researcher, Multimedia Department Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, ESP
Alexander Wildinger Student CMS
Yao Amevi Amessinou Sossou Student CMS
