At Werkplaats Typografie, theory and practice go hand in hand – helping participants prepare for an unknown future and develop a resilient and inventive attitude. In-depth reflection, self-reliance and entrepreneurship form the core of the master’s programme. Designers are encouraged to keep questioning, as there is never just one right way.
Research lies at the heart of everything we do at Werkplaats Typografie. It may take the form of theoretical analysis through critical reflection, excursions and theses, or emerge as applied artistic research into content and form, text and image, or theory and practice. We believe it is up to the graphic designer, as an artistic, intellectual and professional creator, to formulate critical questions and find answers through design, in close dialogue with the world beyond the studio. The core of the curriculum therefore consists of individual learning paths and group-initiated research projects, which enable participants to explore their professional identity as creators and to define their position within the field.
An important aspect of the Werkplaats Typografie curriculum is responding to the reality of working for external clients. Requests from outside parties often fall outside the subjects that most designers would explore on their own – yet these experiences prove invaluable. During the programme, participants explore the tension between creative freedom and practical limitations. They learn what it means to work within technical, financial and organisational boundaries, such as budgets, guidelines and regulations. The challenge is to translate each assignment into a deeper question – to see every brief as an opportunity to apply a personal approach and to test one’s ideas in practice.
Master’s students at Werkplaats Typografie propose possible answers to the questions raised by themselves or by external partners. Ultimately, what is assessed are the results they design. Participants develop the ability to translate ideas into tangible outcomes. Material realisation is central to graphic design practice and opens the door to integrating other artistic and design disciplines. All students are free to incorporate, for example, performance or sound into their work – but graphic design remains the primary language of Werkplaats Typografie.
The curriculum of Werkplaats Typografie is designed to foster critical awareness, insight and design approaches in relation to (cultural) information and its dissemination – enabling participants to critique and influence the status quo in graphic design. Within this context, practice and theory are closely interconnected, each strengthening the other. The programme’s components encourage participants to explore and exchange information through publication, production, presentation and communication – or a combination of these.
The programme has an open structure, allowing participants to take the lead and initiate their own projects. Lectures, seminars, meetings and presentations form the foundation for self-directed and intrinsically motivated work and research. At the heart of the master’s programme are two key principles: bringing the outside world in and reflecting on it, and engaging outwardly from within.
Werkplaats Typografie connects with the professional field by inviting the world of work into the programme. Guests from various artistic disciplines are regularly invited to review work, give presentations and lead workshops. Throughout the two-year master’s programme, participants are encouraged and challenged by guest lecturers and critics to explore the world around them and to articulate the unique qualities of their own work.
Another important part of the programme is engaging with the reality of professional design practice. Students are encouraged to step outside and present their work to the world. Werkplaats Typografie is regularly invited to take part in national and international festivals, events and projects. For example, students have contributed to the Printed Matter’s Virtual Art Book Fair in New York and Los Angeles. By visiting museums and travelling abroad, participants immerse themselves in different contexts – learning to work in diverse ways and gaining the opportunity to test their practice in real-world settings.
Perceiving at a Low Speed – finals 2015
The educational community of Werkplaats Typografie is built on trust and shared responsibility for each other’s development. The learning community is constantly evolving, free in form and open to a diversity of kindred spirits – students, alumni, lecturers and guests – who not only work together and exchange ideas and perspectives, but also cook and share meals together in the studio. Focus and interaction centre on the growth of each individual – artistically, intellectually and professionally – and also personally, as a critical and socially engaged creator and researcher of the future.