Language

English

Start date

September 2026

Frequency

Full time

Duration

9 Months

In this course you’ll discover what design is, what exactly you can do with it, and how far you can go in each area, developing your ideation skills and creative talent in a cross-disciplinary syllabus based on learning by doing.

You’ll develop your artistic identity as a designer with a full understanding of exactly which areas of design are best suited to your skills and create your first portfolio in those areas.

The course gives you an overall view of the sector: product design, interior design, fashion design and graphic design. In this 1-year course you’ll acquire the comprehensive fundamentals of design, essential for taking your first steps as a designer. 

This programme is taught at IED Madrid Design District - Carabanchel. 

Information to decide

This course lets you try your hand at all areas of design, so you can make the best decision when choosing your specialty. 

The focus of the course is mainly on hands-on experience, so you’ll acquire theoretical knowledge to be used in an applied way, with priority given to dynamic experimentation and active participation. In other words, as well as studying theory and technique, you’ll gain experience in design workshops to put what you’ve learnt into practice.

The course is split into didactic blocks where you’ll learn to use basic design tools as you get to know and find your feet in its four fundamental fields: product design, fashion design, interior design and graphic design. 

You’ll find a strong commitment to encouraging creative design for sustainable development and innovation in this course, a common goal shared by lecturers and student alike.

This course is for creative people who want to find out more about all areas of design in a cross-disciplinary learning experience. 

If you’re thinking about taking a degree in design at IED Madrid, but aren’t sure which speciality is best, you’ll be in a better position to make an informed decision with the knowledge acquired in this Foundation Course in Total Design.

This 1-year course is also worth considering if you need to create a portfolio in Design Fundamentals to apply for a Bachelor's degree at another university, as you’ll be developing a portfolio as the course progresses. 

Madrid is a city with a thriving design culture so you’ll be close to a variety of institutions dedicated to art, and it’s also the place some of the top professionals choose to make their base, both for the Spanish and the international markets.

Syllabus

What will you learn?

In this 1-year course you’ll discover the fundamentals of design and learn to use the most useful tools for various design specialties: product design, fashion design, interior design and graphic design. We’ll also help you focus on the speciality you’re most interested in and create your own global design portfolio. 



Subjects

Design Fundamentals

Design Process

Drawing

Volume

Artistic Thinking

Sustainable Thinking

Systems Thinking

Digital Tools

Drawing Expression

Ideation and Creative Process

Fashion Design

Product Design

Graphic Design

Interior Design

Personal Portfolio

Faculty

Teacher

Oskar Ranz

Visual Artist

Teacher

Nadia Nadesan

Teacher

Lorena Madrazo

Teacher

Alex Henkes

Teacher

Cris Argüelles

Architect, researcher, and educator

Projects

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Madrid

Special projects
Abono 03. Hogar

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Madrid

Didactic projects
9.132.000 Historias de Reconstrucción

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Madrid

Didactic projects
NEU

Graphic Design and Visual Communication

Madrid

Final projects / thesis projects
Sólidos Amorphos

News

Professional fashion catwalk with models parading

17 September 2026

IED fashion takes centre stage at 080 Barcelona Fashion

Acceptance Letter (by IED Barcelona lecturer Jeakyong Sim), Compte Spain and L’AMAR (brands founded respectively by IED Madrid alumni Santi Mozas and Nacho Lamar) will take to the catwalk at Spain’s most international fashion event in October.

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.

14 September 2026

Chimera – Hybrid Artifacts: Design Connects Turin and São Paulo

Seven bags, two cities and one shared project. A collaboration between Italy and Brazil has evolved into an international design journey, bringing together different cultures, materials and design languages.

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.

11 September 2026

Peio Santisteban’s “Flores para un monstruo” Wins the IED Madrid Fashion Talent Award 2026

Twelve students from the Fashion Design Bachelor’s Degree at Istituto Europeo di Design Madrid presented their collections for the second consecutive year as part of the OModa Madrid Es Moda programme.

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.

07 September 2026

From Turin to Tokyo: IED and Pioneer Denim bring new visions of denim to the international runway

Projects by students on IED Torino’s Undergraduate Programme in Fashion Design, developed using materials supplied by the company, are heading to Tranoï Tokyo and Denim Première Vision as part of the collaboration with Pioneer Denim, bringing together research, experimentation and product culture.

07 September 2026

Exploring Human-Robot Collaboration in China

New forms of collaboration between humans and robots through AR

Don't miss it

Exhibitions and Festival

28 April 2026 - 30 September 2026

Barcelona

“Caliu” in “Matter Matters. Designing with the World”

The project “Caliu”, by IED Barcelona alumnus Judith Aubà, has been selected to form part of this exhibition, which reflects on the major challenges facing design today and in the future at a critical time marked by the scarcity of raw materials.

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.

Exhibitions and Festival

02 October 2026 - 08 October 2026

Madrid

Sepiia’s 10th Anniversary Exhibition

IED Madrid alumni and designer Federico Sáinz de Robles celebrates the 10th anniversary of his brand, Sepiia, with an exhibition.

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.