NEW

Language

Spanish

Start date

July 2027

Frequency

Part-time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

5 days

Credits

25 Hours

Price

1.300 €

Discover how to transform ideas into clear messages through visual tools that enhance creativity, communication and collaboration in any professional environment.

The Summer Course in Visual Thinking introduces you to a methodology that uses drawing, icons, visual maps and graphic metaphors to organise information, explain concepts and facilitate decision-making. It is not about learning how to draw well, but about learning how to think and communicate visually.

In a context where information is increasingly complex and abundant, the ability to synthesise, visualise and communicate ideas clearly has become a highly valued skill in fields such as design, education, innovation, communication and business.

Over the course of one week, you will discover the foundations of Visual Thinking and develop the skills needed to represent concepts using simple graphic resources. You will learn observation, synthesis, visual storytelling and graphic facilitation techniques that you can apply to creative projects, presentations, meetings and collaborative processes.

Through theoretical content and numerous practical exercises, you will overcome your fear of drawing, learn to develop your own visual language and experiment with tools such as sketchnoting, storyboarding, visual metaphors and concept maps.

Information to decide

A unique course in Bilbao to discover how drawing can become a powerful tool for communication, creativity and innovation, regardless of your previous experience.

The course is organised into different thematic blocks covering the entire visual thinking process: observing, drawing, synthesising, narrating and communicating ideas effectively.

The methodology is based on project-based learning, combining individual exercises, collaborative activities and practical applications that allow you to immediately incorporate what you learn into real-life situations.

The programme combines theoretical sessions with practical workshops led by Puño (David Peña Toribio), illustrator, author and internationally recognised figure in creativity and drawing, together with professionals specialised in visual thinking and graphic communication.

This course requires no previous knowledge of drawing or software, making it suitable for anyone interested in incorporating visual tools into the way they communicate, learn or develop ideas.

It may be of particular interest to:

  • Design students, graduates and professionals who want to use drawing as a communication tool.
  • People working in communication, marketing or advertising who are interested in conveying messages in a more visual and effective way.
  • Innovation, consulting and project management professionals who need to visualise processes, strategies or ways of working.
  • Educators, teachers and academic professionals who want to enrich their teaching resources through visual thinking.
  • Human resources, facilitation and teamwork professionals looking for new tools to energise meetings and collaborative processes.
  • Social workers and professionals working in organisations who need to represent processes or facilitate the understanding of complex information.
  • Anyone interested in developing a new way of thinking, organising and communicating ideas through visual resources.

The Summer Course in Visual Thinking is a unique offering in Bilbao that introduces a methodology increasingly used by organisations, companies and multidisciplinary teams to facilitate communication, innovation and problem-solving.

Its highly practical approach allows you to apply what you learn from day one and develop a transferable skill that is valuable for both creative profiles and professionals from any discipline.

Taking this experience at IED Kunsthal Bilbao also means learning alongside an international reference in the field such as Puño, at a school recognised for its commitment to creativity, design and innovation, in a city that inspires new ways of seeing, thinking and creating.

Syllabus

Drawing

The drawn presentation

Exercises to overcome the fear of drawing

Accidents as a creative tool

Conceptual drawing

Exploring the creative process



Observing

How to look

The discovery

The drawing safari

The graphic journal

Life drawing



Thinking

An introduction to Visual Thinking

Drawing and communication

Visual metaphors

Synthesis and icons

Tools and formats for Visual Thinking

Creating a personal visual library

The practice of sketchnoting



Storytelling

An introduction to visual storytelling

Tools and formats for visual storytelling

The tools

The storytelling laboratory

The storyboard



Making

News

Crowded stalls of an auditorium

15 September 2026

More than 200 students from 52 nationalities open the 2026-2027 academic year of the IED Barcelona

On 14 September, the Welcome Event welcomed a new generation of creatives and designers joining the undergraduate programmes.

11 September 2026

Issue 4: Material World - Plural Intelligences

What happens when we recognize the intelligence of materials and learn to work with it responsibly, collectively, and collaboratively?

11 September 2026

IED Kunsthal Bilbao temporarily transforms Doña Casilda Park with ‘Sareak’

A cross-disciplinary project bringing together nearly 200 members of the community to reflect on contemporary communication through design.

07 September 2026

Fashion show and festival: the IED Public Programme is back

In September, IED's Public Program returns with a calendar of events across its campuses in Italy and Spain, offering opportunities for dialogue, exchange and discovery open to the community and the wider public.

28 August 2026

What does sustainability mean for a design school?

When discussing sustainability, the debate often focuses on environmental impacts and the responsible use of resources. But what does sustainability mean, in practical terms, for a school that educates future designers, creatives and professionals capable of driving change?

31 July 2026

Forbes Next Leaders: Alumna Chiara Robino designs the August cover

The collaboration between IED and Forbes Next Leaders continues: for the August issue, the cover was designed by Chiara Robino, Alumna in Illustration from IED Torino in the 2025/26 academic year.

17 July 2026

Priscilla Fois brings her art to Urban Break Korea

IED Roma alumna Priscilla Fois has been selected to participate in Urban Break Korea, one of the leading international festivals dedicated to urban art.

16 July 2026

This Is What the Future of Visual Arts Looks Like

Recent graduates from the IED Barcelona's Graphic Design, Advertising, and Motion Graphics and Video programmes presented their final projects at Barcelona XR Lab. Data, text, image and sound come together to explore the global order and reframe systems for navigating the world.

10 July 2026

Degree Show 2026 opens IED Kunsthal Bilbao to talent, design and the city

Once again, the Papelera Building opened its doors to the public, showcasing the work developed by students over four years of study and turning the school into a meeting point for design, culture, industry and institutions.

Don't miss it

14 September 2026 - 18 September 2026

Barcelona

IED Barcelona 2026 Undergraduate Welcome Week

The welcome event for undergraduate students, teachers and staff to mark the official opening of the new academic year will take place on Monday 14 September.

Exhibitions and Festival

16 September 2026 - 07 October 2026

Genova

The horizon of desire: stories from Genoa’s Waterfronts.

Six perspectives, a city in transition. IED Turin showcases Genoa’s Porto Antico and the Levante Waterfront in a photography exhibition at Palazzo Ducale

Exhibitions and Festival

01 October 2026 - 01 October 2026

Barcelona

Brut! 2026

Three IED Barcelona alumni will take part in an event bringing together leading design schools to showcase their outstanding final degree projects at Disseny Hub Barcelona.

An open notebook showing two pencil sketches, one of a lamp and the other of designer handbags
Exhibitions and Festival

17 October 2026 - 17 October 2026

Barcelona

Barcelona Dibuixa 2026: “The Power of Hand Drawing”

IED Barcelona is offering this workshop, where participants will discover, guided by architect and lecturer Gianfranco La Cognata – Laco 2, how design takes shape through illustration.