Communication Design
Use your imagination to inspire new ideas with exciting projects
Milan
On campus
ITA
First Level Academic Diploma in Communication Design
Language
Italian
Start date
October 2025
Frequency
Full time
Fruition
On campus
Duration
3 Years
Credits
180
Course Coordination
Lorenzo Picchiotti, Ruggero Faggioni, Cinzia Piloni, Marcello Boromei
Be inspired by the outside world and translate it all into projects with meaningful impact on people. That's what the Communication Design degree programme at IED Milano is all about
Over the three years, you will be taking a journey across the different forms of communication exploring how these are used to create different options and styles. You will be constantly learning new methods to successfully manage your communication, but most importantly, you will be shaping your ideas with projects designed to impact on people’s buying and social behaviours.
On year two of your Communication Design programme at IED Milano, you will be required to choose one of the four specialization tracks available: Communication Management, if you want to learn how to detect new consumer trends and manage brand communication in terms of identity, positioning, media and target audience. Event and PR, if your aim is to develop and coordinate all the activities involved in events and public relations, from creating to producing on-line and off-line materials, while managing the whole process. Copywriting and Content Design, if you are interested in designing and creating multimedia contents to meet specific communication needs. Art Direction, if you would like to learn how to create and develop image consistency across a variety of communication channels and brand events.
IED is the most awarded school at the ADCI awards: students from the Three-year BA in Communication Design won gold, silver and bronze at the 38th edition of the ADCI Awards at Intersections 2024
Issued Degree:
Diploma Accademico di Primo Livello (DAPL), corresponding to a Bachelor of Arts Degree (BA) – EQF6 Level (European Qualification Framework).
Credits:
The course awards 180 CFA (Academic Formative Credits), corresponding to 180 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System).
Information to decide
If ideas and inspiration from the outside world are the fire that ignites your creativity, if you are curious about communication campaigns and can’t wait to give shape to your creativeness with projects that will impress and remain memorable, the Communication Design degree programme at IED Milano is just your best option.
The Communication Design degree programme at IED Milano takes a teaching methodology based on a cross-cutting approach to the specific industry involved. The aim is to strike a steady balance between creativity and strategic thinking, proficiency in the use of technological tools and awareness of the roles to be covered.
On this programme indeed, the basic theory of studies focused on socio-cultural context, semiotics and history of art, is well mixed with more technical subjects requiring computer use, multimedia design and marketing skills. The aim of the Communication Design degree programme at IED Milano is to provide basic knowledge and develop specific methods and project skills that contribute to shaping the role of the Communication Designer.
The first year is the same for all students, but in the second year you will be encouraged to select one of the four specialization tracks: Communication Management, Event and PR, Copywriting and Content Design and Art Direction. Here you will have the opportunity to further develop specific project-related skills for each of the four specialization tracks.
Over the last two years of your Communication Design degree programme, you will be working on some interdisciplinary projects, together with your lecturers and classmates. The most important of these is your dissertation project, where you will learn how to move flexibly between research, information collection and design activities, based on an approach that takes inspiration from real work activities and processes.
If communication is above all your passion, if you like to be inspired by the world around you and the people who live there, and if you are constantly looking for ideas to inspire your creative thinking, the three-year Communication Design degree programme at IED Milano is the ideal programme to support you as you express your potential.
Over your time here, you will have the opportunity to use your curiosity and lateral thinking to develop projects that can have a meaningful impact on society in terms of quality communication. You will do this with videos, illustrations, photographs, concept and multimedia content, events and public relations, and more in general on communication campaigns involving the media at all levels.
Over the three years, you will contribute personally to the projects submitted to IED by partner companies. In past years, students who took the Communication Design programme at IED Milano had the opportunity to work on campaigns for well-known brands such as Flying Tiger Copenhagen, Ceres, Burger King, Netflix, Samsung, Instax, Deliveroo as well as on highly topical issues like disability, to give an example. These campaigns were awarded international prizes from ADCI Awards, D&AD Awards and Clio Awards.
The Communication Design degree programme at IED Milano is designed to provide cultural training and technical experience. Combined with practical tools, this knowledge is the key to a high quality offer for those who wish to approach the world of communication.
You will be learning many different subjects, but most importantly you will be acquiring the methods needed to carry out successful communication projects. You will be able to do this through a ‘learn by doing’ approach and a project-based philosophy, both of which are the keys to understanding a profession that is constantly changing and under evolution.
The lecturers who will be with you along the way are all selected among communication professionals and they all bring their experience and valuable knowledge into IED. All this happens in a place like Milan, where opportunities, ideas and inspirations have their best expression in agencies, start-ups, platforms and media companies.
The Communication Design degree programme at IED Milano will allow you to gain an in-depth understanding of communication and become more familiar with new market opportunities and areas of application. Likewise, you will try out new directions and be able to express yourself, whether working for a company or an agency, in such areas as Brand strategy, Communication management, Art Direction, Copy and Content design, Creative Direction, Event management and production, Creative strategy, innovation and entrepreneurship.
The main software you will need during your course is provided by IED!
On this page you will find all the features you need for your computer.
Syllabus
first year
On your first year, which is the same for all specialization tracks, you will study subjects providing a multidisciplinary overview of the world of communication. This knowledge will contribute to shaping your cultural and technical background to build on in the following years.
HISTORY OF CONTEMPORARY ART
PROJECT DESIGN METHODOLOGY
COMPUTER GRAPHICS
GRAPHIC DESIGN
PROJECT DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION 1
SEMIOTICS OF ART
FUNDAMENTALS OF CULTURAL MARKETING
HISTORY AND THEORY OF NEW MEDIA
second year
The second year is when you are required to select your specialization track. From this point onwards, you will approach a variety of subjects and tools that will prove useful in helping you move into your future career. You will have the opportunity to practice your know-how, working on hands-on projects with external partners and under the supervision of your lecturers, who will be there to support you any time across every step of the process.
Communication Management
This specialization track will allow you to create and manage communication projects aimed at understanding new consumer needs and translating them into strategic and cross media communication plans. Your focus will always be on developing brand identity and promoting corporate values.
Event and PR
If you go into this specialization track, you will acquire the skills needed to plan events and manage public relations. You will coordinate a variety of different tasks, such as writing a brief, building a budget, selecting the best format and location. You will also work in close contact with people who have many different needs, including customers, suppliers, sponsor partners and participants.
Copywriting and Content Design
This specialization track is intended as a way to express your creative flair and learn how to develop, manage and produce ideas and multimedia content such as text, photos, videos and graphics. Applications of these contents and materials will include communication, advertising, publishing products, digital platforms and television channels
Art Direction
The Art Direction specialization track provides training in the field of creative strategies, visual and multimedia content creation, all of which are used to convey the values of a brand, of a product or service, consistently and across different visual and communication channels.
PHENOMENOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS
ENGLISH FOR MASS MEDIA COMMUNICATION
THEORY AND METHOD OF MASS MEDIA
PROJECT DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION 2
THEORY AND METHODS OF MASS MEDIA COMMUNICATION
DESIGN 1
DESIGN 2
MULTIMEDIA PROJECT DESIGN 1
SOCIOLOGY OF COMMUNICATION
third year
On your third year, you will continue to engage with advanced project design tasks, as you work on real projects developed with our partner companies. This year will be the highlight of the programme as you work towards your final dissertation project. Here you will have the opportunity to express your identity as a Communication Designer, assessing your achievements and specific vertical skills acquired as part of your training.
PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE MEDIA
PROJECT DESIGN METHODOLOGY FOR VISUAL COMMUNICATION 3
LATEST TRENDS IN VISUAL ARTS
MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT
DESIGN 3
MULTIMEDIA PROJECT DESIGN 2
DESIGN 4
Faculty
Ruggero Faggioni
Managing Director - QMI
Course Coordinator
Cinzia Piloni
Creative, Copywriter, Story Teller, Strategic Planner, Researcher, Poetess
Course Coordinator
Marcello Boromei
Creative Strategy Director - Synapsy Company
Course Coordinator
Lorenzo Picchiotti
Executive Creative Director - DUDE
Course Coordinator
Michele Arlotta
Head of Sales Fandango Club spa
Mirco Cucina
Tv Writer
Daniele Dodaro
Trend & Market Research Director, SQUADRATI
Filippo Ferraro
Chief Strategy Officer
Sebastiano Morando
Post Production Manager and Supervisor
Fabio Pedroni
Art Director, Copywriter
Cinzia Pallaoro
Creative Director at Leagas Delaney Italy
Ornella Lameri
Head of Strategy
Emanuele Basso
Creative Director
Teresa Martini
Communication Consultant
Piera Cusani
Communication PR, Media Relations
Lorenzo Del Bianco
CEO & Founder - DUDE
Paolo Lentini
Art Director
Irene Pollini Giolai
Creative Director, Producer
Inside the labs
+3
STRATEGIC LABS
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