Master in Branding and Packaging Design

The Master’s Degree in Branding and Packaging Design provides theoretical and practical training so that future brand and packaging designers can acquire a holistic vision and specialise in the conceptualisation, creation and design of online and offline brands, as well as the design of packaging that provides unique experiences while reinforcing consumer commitment to their brands of choice.

The master's degree programme combines strategy and research, creative thinking, presentation techniques, visual experimentation and graphic design, sustainability and volume. Theorical and practical training is complemented by workshops to facilitate the application of all the knowledge acquired during the course. This will enable students to acquire specific expertise and a broad vision of branding and packaging design that will allow optimal integration into multi-disciplinary work teams.

The Master's Degree in Branding and Packaging Design is worth 60 ECTS and can be earned by completing the two postgraduate courses worth 30 ECTS each. These postgraduate courses can be taken in the same or different academic years. Additionally, all the postgraduate courses that make up part of a master's degree can be completed independently. 

Postgraduate degree in Brand Design

Module 1 - Branding immersion

During this introductory module, students will acquire a holistic view of the true significance of brand design, the areas it covers, and the key aspects for its creation and management from a design and strategy perspective. Before embarking on their own design projects, students will gain an understanding of the significance of branding and how to observe the user and context.

• Brands, companies and the business of brand design.
• Understanding the company and the brand: types of companies, map of stakeholders, strategy and objectives, types of brands, positioning, brand history, brand auditing.  
• Observing the user and the context: empathy map and user persona, journey map and insights, consumer trends, skills and references benchmark, market and cross-category trends 
• The creative process of brand design.

Module 2 - Brand strategy

Branding is concerned with more than just the visual, it also requires thinking, research, and the capacity to synthesise and conceptualise. In a theoretical and practical manner, this module will show students how to understand the purpose of a brand, develop the DNA and the brand idea, and expand them to a brand manifesto. Additionally, the various typologies of brand architecture will also be covered.

• Brand DNA: mission, vision, values, brand purpose, attributes and personality, brand archetypes.
• Brand idea: methodology for the creation of the brand idea, creativity workshop for devising creative territories, conceptualisation tools and brand manifesto. 
• Brand architecture: types of brand architecture, creation of scenarios.

Module 3 - Creative tools for brand design

Through theoretical and practical sessions covering the key range of creative tools used to construct branding, students will learn to visualise the brand DNA, conceptualise a brand based on a briefing, and understand the methodology and process behind the creation of a brand name. In addition, students will be exposed to lettering conceived specifically for brand design.

• Brand DNA visualisation: tools for visualising the intangibles of a brand.
• Conceptualisation and visual creativity: how to create impactful visual concepts. Narrative Strategies. Synthesis of the Image. Expressive Resources. 
• Lettering: how to develop lettering when designing a brand. Forms, construction and composition.
• Naming: the name and verbal identity of the brand. Naming briefing. Creative strategy, process and techniques of name creation. Selecting a name.

Module 4 - Tools and techniques for effective presentation

During theoretical and practical sessions, students will explore specific aspects of public presentations while bearing in mind the objectives, script, storytelling and staging. They will also pragmatically address how to prepare the materials for a presentation and a branding budget while taking all the stages of the design process into consideration.

• Branding project presentations: objectives, script, storytelling and staging.
• Budgeting a branding project.
• Personal branding: credentials of a brand designer.

Module 5 - Visual brand identity and art direction system

In this module, students will conduct an in-depth examination of each of the visual elements – brand, typography, colour, images, illustration, icons, movement, UX and UI – that are involved in the creation of a brand system. Creative and effective art direction must be able to visualise the brand idea and DNA in impactful and unique way.

• Brand: logotype, imagotype, isotype (symbol), isologo. Variants. 
• Art Direction. 
• Visual style. 
• Typography.
• Colour. 
• Images. 
• Illustration.  
• Icons. 
• Movement. 
• UX, UI.

Module 6 - Brand experience

In this training block, students will learn to plan, expand and standardise the design of a visual brand system across the various points of contact with the public: brand communication in media and digital media, websites, apps, events, spaces, staff, products, services, packaging, etc. 

• Points of contact with the brand. 
• Planning of the brand expansion. 
• Design of the brand expansion in all contact points. 
• Brand manual. 

Module 7 - Practical workshops

This module includes five specific workshops, covering everything from the briefing to the creative solution across five distinct areas. Each workshop takes a different sector as a starting point in which the project can be developed. During the sessions, students will develop an understanding of the various competitive environments, enabling them to apply the methodologies, tools and knowledge acquired during the postgraduate course to establish themselves in a practical and experimental manner.

• Brand redesign for a big company.
• Small company brand. 
• Innovation brand.  
• Branding with lettering.
• Brand in motion, social brand - TFP

Postgraduate Degree Final Project

To conclude the course, each student will develop a final postgraduate project that represents an in-depth exploration of the strategy, conceptualisation and design of an innovative brand that aims to have a positive impact on society. The methodology and creative process that have been imparted throughout the Postgraduate Degree in Brand Design will provide a framework and students will be required to present the results of their efforts before a panel. With assistance from their tutors, students will choose the starting point for their projects for the work that will subsequently be produced. 

• Final Project structure. 
• Individual and group follow-up tutorials.

Postgraduate degree in Packaging Design

Module 1 - Packaging strategy and management

During this introductory module, students will acquire a holistic view of the true significance of packaging design and its construction process as a key element of brands. They will learn to master the general framework of a packaging project and develop the ability to scale and subsequently develop the creative projects that will be offered to them.

• The creative process of packaging design. 
• Brand strategy and experience applied to packaging.  
• Benchmark: analysis of the competition.
• Contact points beyond packaging.

Module 2 - Research and packaging trends

Students will gain an appreciation of the period of change that this discipline is currently experiencing and an understanding of its future direction, taking into account the trends we are surrounded by and the new demands of consumers. Packaging designers are and will be key agents of this change.

• Consumer trends.
• Packaging trends. 
• Research techniques and methodologies.
• The role of packaging in the digital environment. 

Module 3 - Creative tools and art direction for packaging design

Through theoretical and practical sessions on the various key creative tools used in the construction of packaging, students will learn how to create a big idea, master the visualisation of the mood board and develop the art direction for packaging design, with particular emphasis on typography, photography and illustration. 

• Big idea: conceptualisation and creativity. 
• Mood board: research and creative approach to the project. 
• Art direction: from the concept to the visualisation, graphic visual system, illustration and photography.
• Typography: the possibilities for typography in packaging, basic typographic elements, micro- and macro-typography.
• Illustration: the possibilities for illustration in packaging, illustration styles, illustration and concept.

Module 4 - Technical tools and software for packaging design

Through theoretical and practical sessions covering the creative tools used to construct packaging, students will acquire specific knowledge of computer software, as well as an understanding of the possibilities available to them when it comes to final art, materials and finishes. 

• Photoshop applied to packaging. 
• Illustrator specifically for packaging.
• Final art: how to create and present final packaging art.
• Materials and finishes: constraints of printing systems, substrates and finishes.

Module 5 - Ecodesign and sustainable packaging

In this module, students will receive an introduction to the world of ecodesign as it applies to packaging and an understanding of the significance of developing the vision, tools and processes required to apply sustainability to packaging design in a holistic manner.

• Sustainability fundamentals, product life cycle and improvement strategies.
• Qualitative environmental analysis of packaging. 
• The search for design that incorporates the environmental vector.
• Creativity and conceptualisation: the limitations to finding innovative sustainability-related ideas.

Module 6 - Packaging volume

Students will gain an understanding of the creative process behind a volume design – concept, uses, shapes, materials, textures, colour scheme, etc. – from the initial briefing onwards, while appreciating the context of the market and considering the user experience of the packaging.

• Volume: benchmark from the perspective of volume.
• Usability: research focused on the user and usability of packaging.
• Creativity and conceptualisation: from the idea to the reality of the volume of the packaging. 

Module 7 - Practical workshops

Notable professionals will deliver five specific workshops covering everything from the briefing to the creative solution in five different areas. Each workshop will take a different sector as a starting point from which the project can be developed. During the workshops, students will acquire an understanding of the various competitive environments, enabling them to apply the methodologies, tools and knowledge acquired during the postgraduate degree to establish themselves in a practical and experimental manner.  

• Niche perfume packaging.
• Mass consumption and sustainability packaging.
• Experimental Packaging.
• Illustrative packaging.
• Packaging for innovation – TFP.

Postgraduate Degree Final Project

To conclude the course, each student will develop a final postgraduate degree project that represents an in-depth exploration of the strategy, conceptualisation and design of innovative packaging that aims to have a positive impact on society. The methodology and creative process that have been imparted throughout the Postgraduate Degree in Packaging Design will provide a framework and students will be required to present the results of their efforts before a panel. With assistance from their tutors, students will choose the starting point for their projects for the work that will subsequently be produced. 

• Final Project structure. 
• Individual and group follow-up tutorials.