All continuing education programmes, Basel Academy of Art and Design

How can art become a force for peace? This programme explores the potential of artistic practice in conflict transformation, community building, and social healing. Through theory, dialogue, and creative action, you develop tools to engage with complex global challenges in ethical and imaginative ways.

How do you speak about your art - and through it? This programme invites you to deepen your artistic practice by connecting making with thinking. Through reflection, dialogue, and critical engagement, you explore your own position as an artist and expand your capacity to act, communicate, and contextualize in contemporary cultural settings.

In this continuing education module, visual designers learn the fundamentals of generative design and creative coding. In a live coding environment, they develop algorithmically generated forms and typography, experiment with animation, interaction, and audio-reactive visualizations, and design their own digital tools for visual communication.

What lies behind the global reputation of Swiss Style? This module critically examines the visual language, ideology, and legacy of Swiss graphic design. You explore how modernist ideals were constructed, disseminated, and mythologized — and what they mean for design practice today.

The International Master of Design in Graphic Design UIC/HGK Basel program (MDes Basel) is a collaboration between two preeminent design schools housed in leading public research institutions: The Institute Digital Communication Environments (IDCE) of the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW (HGK Basel) and the School of Design at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). The MDes Basel program offers advanced design students’ opportunities to amplify their creative abilities as they engage in the world-class cultural offerings of two vibrant cities. The students are enrolled at UIC, the teaching takes place at the HGK Basel. Upon successful completion of the MAS, graduates are granted an internationally accredited Master of Design (MDes) from the University of Illinois Chicago and two MAS-certificates from the HGK Basel.

How do we navigate, shape, and question the digital world? This programme explores digital technologies as cultural, political, and artistic phenomena. You critically engage with platforms, algorithms, and digital practices - and develop strategies to act creatively, reflectively, and responsibly in our networked society.

How can ‘artificial intelligences’ (AI) such as ChatGPT, Midjourney and Flux be used meaningfully and sustainably in creative design and art projects? The workshop offers an introduction to the technical basics of these tools and gives participants the opportunity to integrate them competently into their own practice.

In Berlin, Erik Spiekermann and three other designers will introduce us to the basics of letterpress printing and typography. In a joint project in their unique letterpress workshop p98a, we will utilize the potential of historical techniques and digital approaches.

Visual communication plays a central role in shaping the images we encounter in daily life. Since the design of images is always an interpretation of the world by the designer, visual messages inevitably influence the perception of the beholder. In today’s world of digital communication channels, understanding how images are perceived, both in their visual appearance and the media through which they are disseminated, is essential for creating and sharing them consciously and responsibly. 

What shapes how we see, sense, and understand the world? In this module, you explore perception as a fundamental element of artistic and design practice. Through exercises, reflection, and interdisciplinary inputs, you investigate the connections between sensory experience, cognition, and creative expression.

What makes a poster unforgettable? In this workshop, participants learn how to transform a clear idea into a visually compelling poster. They work with color, form, and typography to convey content concisely and develop a unique design style.

Tender Computing is a concept and workpractice that explores a soft, experimental and playful way of Physical Computing, which means the creative design of interactive objects and spaces. The module provides a project based introduction to Physical Computing and the Tender Concept in a curated lab-like atmosphere.

The Multispecies Spaces Lab test new practices that transform our relationship with the planet. The 7-day intensive course, a 5-day course followed by a 2-day exhibition program, establishes a practice-oriented laboratory that mobilizes the interdisciplinary capacities of architecture and art.

How do letterforms shape the way we read and feel? In this module, you dive into the fundamentals of type design — from sketch to digital font. You explore the aesthetics, structure, and rhythm of typography while developing your own typeface through guided practice and critical reflection.

Every day, we view and interact with a wide range of information on various monitors. The terms UX and UI design describe the process of designing these interactions and information.

How do images shape what we see — and what we believe? This programme explores the power of visual communication across cultures, media, and contexts. You sharpen your ability to read, interpret, and create images critically and creatively — expanding your visual vocabulary as both a maker and a thinker.

In this workshop you’ll discover how to create real-time audiovisual artworks with TouchDesigner. You’ll get to know the node-based environment, explore the core operator families, and experiment with building audio-reactive visuals and custom interfaces.