Study Guide

Learning outcomes

The student is able to
- understand poster design history and current contexts
- visualize societal issues in poster format
- design an impactful poster.

Implementation and methods of teaching

The intensive week will be led by design professionals and teachers from the partnering universities. Students will get a solid understanding of visual methodologies relating to poster design, familiarise with poster design history and will create their own poster. Students from other design universities will join the course, so the course language is English.
Workshop week is intensive, meaning full days at campus working.

The posters will be exhibited at the end of the workshop week at the campus gallery LUJA 13.6.-19.9.2025 and at at centre of Helsinki, Luonnos window gallery by Grafia association 26.6.–8.9.2025.

Timing and attendance

1-2 online lectures before intensive week.
Intensive week 9.–13.6.2025, participation in all teaching days is required.

Learning material and recommended literature

LAB library has a good selection of poster design books.

Alternative completion methods

Only the intensive course.

Working life cooperation

Collaboration with the partnering design universities, Lahti International Poster Triennial, Malva and designers.

Learning environment

Live intensive workshop week in LAB Campus, Visits to Malva museum. Online lectures prior to workshop week.

Student time use and work load

Full participation on workshop week, days may be longer than usual.
At the end we will put up an exhibition at campus and have a closing event, so Friday may last until evening.
The exhibition will also need to be taken down later by LAB students.
The exhibition may be organised at the partnering universities later in the year, so be prepared to send work, or otherwise be available to help.

Contents

The Poster Design Summer School is a joint course between the visual communication / graphic design departments of LAB Institute of Design and Fine Arts, EKA Estonian Academy of the Arts and Vilnius Academy of the Arts.
The course is taught by teachers and designers who are heavily involved in the international poster scene.
Theme of the course is 'Freedom of expression'.

This course is collaborating with the Lahti International Poster Triennial, exhibited in the Visual Arts Museum Malva, in Lahti, 6.6.–7.9.2025. Students will visit the exhibition and get a guided tour by the organisers of the triennial.

This course is a chance the network in the international design community and build a stronger foundation in graphic design practices relating to composition, visual storytelling and influence.

Additional information for students: previous knowledge etc.

Basics of graphic design is a required.
At the moment the maximum amount of students in this course is 20, where 5 places are reserved for LAB Institute of Design and Fine Arts Students, 10 places from partnering design universities, and 5 places to other design universities.
More spots may open to LAB students, if the there are less international students joining the course. These late openings will be communicated later in the Spring.

How to participate:
Send a motivation letter to marion.robinson@lab.fi by 13.4. when enrollment period for summer studies close. The students will be selected after that.
Title the email: Poster Design Summer School 2025
The letter can be visualised.

More information about the course:
Marion Robinson
President of the Lahti International Poster Triennial
Senior Lecturer, Graphic design
Visual communication design department
LAB Institute of Design and Fine Arts

Assessment criteria

The course is evaluated Pass/Fail.

Assessment scale

Approved/Failed

Assessment criteria: assessment scale failed/approved

Fail: the student hasn't participated fully on all days of the intensive week and it's prior online lectures.
Pass: The student has participated fully on the course.