IED Florence asks "what does it mean to be a graphic designer in the digital age?"

Promotion: students from the Istituto Europeo di Design Graphic Design master's programme have created a series of 32-page visual essays that aim to investigate emerging trends.

Curated by professor and coordinator Isabella Ahmadzadeh, the Research and Trend Forecasting report by Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) master's students was informed by a series of "what if" scenarios based on emerging trends.

"What if an AI-led totalitarian regime banned analogue technology?" asked the students. "What if we were forced to live underwater due to climate catastrophes, or what if our emotions were no longer private but visible to everyone?"

Each student developed a premise for a graphic story, which was developed into a 32-page visual essay.

The project combined research with graphics, with students experimenting with combinations of personal artwork, collages and AI-generated imagery, to visualise speculative futures.

"More than just a showcase of design skills, this collection of visual essays challenges us to reconsider the futures we're heading toward," said the university.

"It's a call to reflect on the forces that shape our world – and the power of design to imagine what comes next."

Based in central Florence, IED offers undergraduate, postgraduate and summer courses focused on visual communication, arts, fashion and design.

Its full-time Graphic Design degree is now accepting submissions ahead of the course that begins in November 2025.
"[The course] provides a cross-cutting learning methodology where theory and technical lessons are integrated with practical exercises, both individually and as a group, with a focus also on hands-on project design workshops," said IED Florence.

"Cultural subjects will explore different areas of sociology, communication ethics, design history, communication, as well as project-specific techniques involved in the graphic design process."

Led by Ahmadzadeh, the course is based at IED Florence's campus in a 20th-century building via Bufalini, a short walk from the cultural heart of the city.

The students who took part in the project include Riya Allen, Nick Arbelaez, Nicole Ferraresi, Catalina Giraldo Sanchez, Zuzanna Górska and Laurent Janssen. In addition to Jacopo Koning, Mariam Kvavilashvili, Tung Le, Alex Moreno Del Rio, Lara Pikovnik, Chiara Pucci and Marta Sobrino Cusido.

To learn more about the course, visit the university's website.

Partnership content

This article was written by Dezeen for IED Florence as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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