Within the framework of the Erasmus+ programme, which supports professional development opportunities for education staff, Dejan Šmid , lecturer for the subjects Media Art and Visual Communication and Project Work in Graphic Design of the short-cycle study programme Media Production – Graphic Design module, participated in professional training at the design studio Odenthal design from Berlin.
Odenthal Design, based in Berlin, has been dedicated to designing sustainable visual solutions for civil society organisations, political institutions, companies and cultural establishments for more than 20 years. Their services include the development of comprehensive corporate identities, logos, brochures, books, websites, as well as event design and e-books. An important part of their work also includes design consultancy, with the aim of creating a creative dialogue with clients.
Odenthal Design is a company that also follows guidelines for reducing carbon footprint. They have been dealing with sustainability topics since the early nineties, when environmental issues were still quite avant-garde. It is precisely this specialisation, unusual for those times, that has led the studio to be regarded today as a thought leader in this field, which is why the studio is still very successful today. The studio now collaborates with leading organisations in this field, such as Climate-Alliance Germany, a network of approximately 150 civil society organisations.
The lecturer participated in the workshop "Sustainability in graphic design", where he became acquainted with approaches to sustainable design, such as the use of environmentally friendly materials (recycled paper, nature-friendly inks, …), reuse of objects and materials (envelopes, boxes, …) and the selection of environmentally conscious contractors for implementation, especially in printing. Some tricks were also presented, such as specific preparation of photographs for printing on eco paper. As an interesting point, we also learnt about the concept of modular furniture, which has been used in the studio for more than 20 years and still serves its purpose more than excellently.
Afternoons were dedicated to visits to exhibitions on topics related to the field of graphic design in Berlin galleries and the purchase of literature in specialised bookshops.
The exchange enabled the acquisition of new knowledge in the field of sustainable design, which we will be able to present to students within the framework of lectures in the future.
Studies are delivered in Slovenian – ask us how to apply.
B1 Slovenian is required; we offer a free preparatory course. The admissions team replies within one working day.
Source: Academia (8. 6. 2025). Fotografije: arhiv Academie.
This English summary was produced automatically from the Slovenian article and is pending editorial review. Slovenska različica
