Graphic Design Festival Scotland (GDFS) has a forward-thinking programme of workshops, talks, exhibitions, panel discussions, live projects, urban murals and music. The festival offers opportunities for designers to collaborate, work on projects with leading names, be inspired at conferences, engage in panel discussions, showcase their work, enter competitions to win up to £500, discover new designers at exhibitions, socialise with a global design community and party through an entire week! The core programme runs from October 17—23 and an exhibition runs alongside the programme and continues until October 25.
GDFS 2016 is also part of Scotland’s Year of Innovation Architecture and Design (#IAD2016). The 2016 programme includes the following:
New Worlds
An evening of talks and a panel discussion with four speakers at the forefront of new technology and new thinking within design: Emblemmatic (NYC & Amsterdam), The Future Laboratory (London), Wikihouse (Paris) and one more to announce.
Live Project
Students and recent grads have the opportunity to work with 12 of Scotland’s top design studios on a live brief over 2 days as they compete for GDFS best up-and-coming award and have their work reviewed by Creative Review, Hato, Grafik Magazine and Koto.
x15 Workshops
Exploring a huge spectrum of processes and approaches with locally and internationally renowned names:
Sign Painting with Ciaran Globel
Developing a Brand with O Street
Analogue Publishing with Good Press
Letterpress with Alan Kitching
Web Development with CodeBase
3D Printing with MAKLab Glasgow
Film & Advertising with STV Creative
Type Design with Grilli Type
Visual Merchandising with Urban Outfitters
Branding Masterclass with Koto
Art Direction with Putput
Poster Design with Bureau Mirko Borsche
Illustration with Nous Vous
Design & Advertising with Wieden+Kennedy
Conceptual & Experimental with Design Displacement Group
x3 Exhibitions
International Poster Exhibition featuring 200 posters from around the world. Design Displacement Group and PUTPUT exhibitions. Judges of the poster competition include Unfun, Lamm & Kirch, Warriors Studio and Étienne Hervy.
Conference and Panel Discussion
Panel discussion with Grilli Type, Koto, Mirko Borsche, PUTPUT, Wieden+Kennedy, Design Displacement Group and Nous Vous.
Launch Night
Music from a selection of record labels, complimentary drinks, the opening of 3 exhibitions and announcement of all competition winners. Mentors include D8, Freytag Anderson, Graphical House, Jamhot, Kerr Vernon, Stand, MadeBrave, O Street, STV Creative, Recoat, Tangent and Front Page. The live project will be judged by It’s Nice That, Étapes, Hato Press and Koto.
After Party
In collaboration with 12th Isle: guests include Tako of Redlight Records (Amsterdam) and Brian not Brian (Brixton/Belfast) of Going Good Records.
Partners of Graphic Design Festival Scotland 2016 include Event Scotland’s Year of Innovation Architecture and Design, Infinite Eye, J Thomson, GF Smith, The Lighthouse, Mohawk and The Skinny.
This year GDFS will be taking over Scotland’s entire National Centre for Design and Architecture, The Lighthouse, across 5 floors for one month. The 2016 programme is set to be the largest to date and the largest design event in Scotland, with figures expected to break last years record of 12,000 participants, attendees and visitors.
The International Poster Exhibition will also be twice as large as last year, featuring 200 posters from around the world being showcased in Gallery 1 of the The Lighthouse.
How can people get involved now?
Tickets available to purchase by clicking here.
Contribute to the 2016 identity by clicking here.
Have your short film considered for SHORTS by clicking here.