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Explore the vibrant world of graphic design at Dutch Design Week through the eyes of Falmouth's MA Graphic Design students.
Every year, towards the end of October, the Dutch city of Eindhoven springs to life and turns into a buzzing cultural hotspot. This is because it hosts Dutch Design Week (DDW) – Europe’s biggest design event. What better place to unite our creative cohort than a city that brings together the world’s most prominent, inspiring and forward-thinking graphic designers?
In this blog post, we’ll recap the highlights of our immersive, culture-rich visit that took place from 28 – 31 October 2023.
SATURDAY + SUNDAY, 28-29 OCTOBER
To kick off the trip, students gathered at the Dutch Design Foundation and met one another for the first time. This was a great opportunity for MA Graphic Design students to bond with their peers, form a rapport with their course leader, and get inspired by the breadth of everyone’s perspectives.
Attendees took the time to discuss the schedule they wanted to follow and spent the day exploring the various DDW venues dotted across the city. These included the GameChangers exhibition, the Graduation Show from Design Academy Eindhoven, and a group exhibition on intertwining hope and design.
MONDAY 30 OCTOBER
Monday featured a packed schedule of seminars led by industry experts at the Volksmotel. The first was led by Amsterdam-based designer Elisabeth Klement, team member at the San Serriffe bookstore.
Students got to discover how this red-light district-based store goes far beyond selling books, hosting a detailed schedule of weekly events centred on graphic design and the arts.
Next to take to the stage were Mariana Lanari and Remco Bladel, who shone the spotlight on their joint project: Archival Consciousness. Attendees learned how this artist and graphic designer duo works closely with libraries and archives at cultural institutions, transforming their physical collections into browsable digital resources.
The final talk was led by Tina Lenz, the artistic researcher behind Design Anthropology. Students got to hear first-hand about her journey from graphic design to social design. They also learned how she combines her knowledge of anthropology with her background in art education, exploring multiple principles within social design.
After this series of talks wrapped up, attendees were able to choose between breaking off and pursuing other activities, or sticking with the group to visit an exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum.
TUESDAY 31 OCTOBER
On this final day of the event, students had the unique opportunity to visit Momkai studio, and receive a personal behind-the-scenes tour from Founder and Creative Director Harald Dunnink. This studio works with local and global businesses to build impactful brands and drive positive, meaningful change in the world. Its design philosophy is centred on cultivating calm, and ‘memberful design’. You can read more about their ethos in this article.
After exploring the studio, attendees were then invited to spend the remainder of their trip visiting galleries and museums together before returning to wherever they called home.
Face-to-face MA Graphic Design events at Falmouth Flexible
At Falmouth, we’re proud of the sense of community we create for our online students. When it comes to creative subjects like graphic design, it’s more important than ever for students to form international connections and enrich their perspectives with global insights.
There’s no limit to where these connections can take them, too. For example, the bonds formed between this trip’s attendees could blossom into lasting friendships, professional collaborations, mentorships, or even future job opportunities.
Does this sound like a community you’d like to become a part of? If so, we’d love to have you join us. Check out our online MA Graphic Design course. We hold up to two face-to-face events per year, and no two have the same agenda, so there’s always something new and exciting to look forward to:
