Book design/Graphic design

The field of graphic design has expanded drastically. Before desktop publishing, a designer was just one of several experts involved in a complex process, whereas now, a designer has many processes to handle. His role has developed from specialist to all-rounder, from creator to producer. The end products of each design process are also changing: away from a printed artefact and towards an electronically generated image. The degree course at the HGB can look back on a rich tradition, and the programme cultivates it as living heritage. An important constant is an intense involvement with different production processes and reproduction techniques. At the HGB, Graphic Design is understood as a comprehensive training that goes beyond the supposed limits of the subject, yet leaves room for qualified and focussed work. The foundational course includes the principles of typography, nature studies and drawing as well as graphic and typeface design. In the main studies, the students decide between one of four specialist classes: Illustration, Typography, Type Design or System Design. Practical experimentation in the superbly equipped workshops is accompanied by seminars about theoretical backgrounds of visual culture.