Category: News EN

IDarte participants—teacher Maddalen Agirre Loinaz, together with students Eneko Arozena, Natalia Ruiz, Amaia Rioboo, Nagore Arteaga, Maider Gorospe, Olatz Armentia, Uxue Pérez de Goldarazena and Mikel Echevarría—take part in an international Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) in collaboration with ESMAD Porto and LABA schools in Florence and Brescia, mentored by artist Ana Areias.(https://anatypestype.com/)

What is a BIP?

A Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) is an Erasmus+ mobility format that combines online collaboration with short, intensive in-person workshops in an international context.

Value of the program

• Provides short but intensive international learning experiences
• Promotes collaboration between students from different disciplines and cultures
• Encourages hands-on and experimental learning
• Helps develop a more global perspective through design

It is also a highly enriching opportunity for short-term mobility, both academically and personally.

Main challenge

Flexible Visual Identity: graphic patterns for cultural meaning

Exploring flexible visual identities through graphic patterns (shapes, lines, data visualizations) to build shared cultural meanings, memory and identity.

Process

Students first research cultural patterns in an online phase. Then groups are reorganized for the in-person workshop, where collaborative design work takes place.

Final outcome

The pattern identities are transformed into kites, created using reused materials and developed from a sustainable perspective, connected to the textile and plastic industries of northern Portugal.

Methodology

Interactive, project-based learning with hands-on workshops and experimental design processes.

Fechas
20 hours of virtual collaboration and research work 07/04/2026 – 11/04/2026 (in-person phase at ESMAD@PORTO)

In the Digital Marketing course taught in the fourth year of the Graphic Design Degree, we have worked on projects focused on strategic brand development and its communication in the digital environment. The main goal is for students to understand how a brand is built from a branding, positioning and digital strategy perspective, and how these decisions influence its visual communication, online presence and the relationship it establishes with its audiences.

The course approaches Digital Marketing as a complete strategic process. Before talking about social media or online advertising, we work on the foundations of branding: defining the brand’s purpose, its value proposition, target audience, brand territory and the positioning it aims to achieve in its market. From there, we analyze how to build a coherent digital strategy that allows the brand to generate visibility, build community and connect with its audience.

A large part of the course is developed through practical projects in which students work on different stages of the brand-building process and strategic planning. We begin with branding analysis exercises, where real brands are researched and aspects such as visual identity, brand narrative, value proposition and their management of digital presence are studied.

We also analyze how brands manage their digital channels, distinguishing between Owned Media, Paid Media and Earned Media, and observe how strategies such as Content Marketing, Social Media Marketing, SEO and SEM, or digital campaigns are combined to generate traffic, engagement and brand visibility.

Personal Brands

Based on this analysis, students begin to develop their own brand project. One of the exercises is the creation of personal brands, in which each student defines their professional value proposition, positioning and target audience, developing a coherent identity both conceptually and visually.

Lander Martínez
A personal brand focused on online physical training for football players, based on a scientific and measurable methodology. The project stands out for its focus on real performance and objective player improvement.

Larraitz Lopetegi
A personal graphic design brand focused on individual expression and emotional connection through design. It proposes a creative, innovative identity that moves away from conventional approaches.

Product Brand Creation: Lowcrumb

In addition to personal brands, we developed a product branding project: a cookie brand. In this exercise, students worked on different ideation and conceptualization techniques to build the brand concept that would later guide the development of its identity, narrative and digital communication strategy.

Lorena Mariñelarena
A food brand that focuses on balancing pleasure and well-being, offering healthy cookies with a transparent and conscious approach. It aims to position itself as a reference in indulgent yet responsible consumption.

Design and Strategy: A Necessary Connection

This entire process helps to understand how Graphic Design and Digital Marketing are deeply connected. Design decisions, visual systems, typography, color or tone of voice, are not only aesthetic choices, but part of a brand strategy aimed at generating recognition, differentiation and connection with the audience.

Through these projects, students learn to approach design from a strategic perspective, understanding how branding, content marketing, channel strategy and visual communication work together to build coherent, relevant brands capable of positioning themselves in today’s digital ecosystem.

A group of IDarte students recently took part in one of the challenges set within the framework of the Bilbao Bizkaia Design Week (BBDWEEK). This initiative, supported by the Health Department and Bilbao City Council, posed four real-world challenges aimed at improving public services and user experiences, as well as raising awareness around health-related issues.

The teams were formed in a multidisciplinary way, bringing together students from various design and innovation schools. Each group was assigned one of the four challenges and spent a month developing a response through mentoring sessions, collaborative dynamics, and both independent and group work.

The aim was to present four innovative and viable proposals, one per challenge, by the end of the process. The work included field research, prototype testing, user interviews, cost estimation, and the time planning of complex projects, among other tasks.

For the students involved, it was an enriching experience. They had the chance to apply what they’ve learned, explore new methodologies, collaborate across disciplines, and gain insight into the management of real, multidisciplinary projects. All in all, a valuable step in their professional development and a broader view of how design can address real needs.

These are two of the challenges tackled by Enia Susperregi, Ander Varas, and Lander Martinez:

Ander Varas (Challenge 1)

Challenge 1 focused on cardiac arrest and the lack of visibility and knowledge around CPR techniques. Their research revealed that, beyond lack of training, panic is what often paralyzes bystanders. To address this, they created the Latidos Bilbao Taupadak campaign, a dual strategy combining two solutions: SMS Flash, a visual and audio metronome sent directly to the bystander’s phone by the 112 operator to help guide compressions and overcome the initial panic; and TAUPA, a physical device placed on the chest that helps ensure the correct compression depth (5–6 cm). The goal: empower citizens and reinforce the idea that “the worst resuscitation is the one that doesn’t happen.”

Enia Susperregi (Challenge 4)

Our team aimed to promote the use of calisthenics parks in Bilbao, especially among young women, a group that is still underrepresented in these predominantly male spaces. We developed a graphic proposal for a campaign focused on breaking stereotypes and reinforcing the message that “these parks are for you too”, encouraging a more inclusive, accessible, and diverse approach to outdoor exercise.