NetherlandsWeek-Long Study Tour | Graphic Design Program

This week-long Study Tour to the Netherlands forms an integral part of the studio curriculum by broadening your understanding of how design shapes human experience. You will examine graphic design in the built environment by studying cultural destinations in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the surrounding areas. The Netherlands is a visually captivating country and the Dutch have continually been at the forefront of graphic design starting with the De Stijl movement in the early 20th century. By visiting sites and immersing yourself in the environment, you will begin to identify cultural differences through visual and graphic expression.

The sites visited, as sensory experiences, provide you with an opportunity to develop your critical observation skills and diagrammatic and representational proficiency. Simultaneously, you will be equipped with a vocabulary of design concepts, strategies, and materials, which can then be applied in your own creative work in studio and beyond.

Tour Objectives

  • Study graphic design as manifest in contemporary and traditional sites within the built environment of Holland
  • Meet local offices and experts in the industry and learn about innovative design
  • Develop sketching and note-taking skills for recording impressions of sites in a journal

Possible Activities

  • Visiting the Stedelijk Museum, Rijksmuseum, and the EYE Film Institute
  • Office visits to prominent Dutch graphic design firms