Master’s in Design and Art Direction
- October 2026
- 100% online
- Spanish
- 6.100€
- 12 months
- 60 ECTS
Boost your creativity and turn it into leadership. Prepare to lead visual projects from a strategic perspective.
The Professional Master’s Degree in Design and Art Direction at ESDESIGN trains you to lead a brand's visual strategy in multi-channel environments. Its goal is to enable you to define, supervise and maintain consistent visual systems, ensuring that the brand identity is recognisable, solid and aligned across all its touchpoints.
This programme prepares you for leadership roles such as Art Director in agencies and studios, Brand Guardian or Visual Identity Supervisor, Visual Lead or Lead Designer, and Strategic Consultant in visual consistency.
Art direction is understood here as the discipline responsible for structuring and supervising a brand's visual system. It is not about creating isolated pieces, but about establishing visual codes—colour, typography, composition and style—that guarantee consistency across any medium or channel.
In a context where brands express themselves simultaneously across multiple platforms, this role is key to avoiding visual fragmentation and reinforcing brand recognition and authority.
At ESDESIGN, you work on this approach through practical projects, developing the judgement to make aesthetic decisions aligned with the brand strategy. We incorporate digital tools and artificial intelligence to support visual exploration and prototyping, reinforcing your capacity for supervision and creative leadership in complex professional environments.
"Understanding consumers’ needs and desires in order to create relevant, impactful and meaningful messages that build a connection between consumers and brands, fostering a lasting and meaningful relationship."
Why study the Master’s in Design and Art Direction?
A new approach to Art Direction with a comprehensive, cross-disciplinary and strategic vision to engage and communicate through innovative audiovisual projects.
Additional training workshops and masterclasses included: Anatomy of a Brief, Advertising Conceptualisation, Set Design.
Software learning environment included with personalised support tailored to your level: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Lightroom. Includes Adobe Creative Cloud licence.
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Certification as an expert in different Adobe Creative Cloud tools with Adobe Certified Professional. Support plan to help you succeed in the exam: guidance and specific content for each software, complementary video library, etc.
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Why study at ESDESIGN?
Our exclusive Welcome Plan brings together disciplines, offering a range of workshops and Adobe open classrooms specifically designed for each level, helping you integrate and strengthen your professional network from day one.
Students whose work achieves the highest grades upon completion will be selected to receive mentoring, scholarships, and to present their projects in prestigious competitions.
Guided learning, mentoring and continuous feedback provided by industry professionals who help develop your talent.
Connect with our community, take part in key industry events, and engage in activities and challenges.
Study Plan of the Online Master`s Degree in Design and Art Direction
The Professional Master`s Degree in Design and Art Direction is made up of 10 modules, a Final Master’s Project, 1 Open Classroom, 1 additional workshop, 2 masterclasses, and 2 transversal workshops:
You will learn what Art Direction is and everything it encompasses, focusing on its methodologies, tools, current trends, and the wide range of resources and techniques within the field. You will gain a contemporary perspective to practise the discipline with criteria of sustainability, innovation and future projection. An introductory module designed for you to start becoming (and feeling like) an art director.
Faculty
GIORGIO SCAZZOCCHIO, CREATIVE DIRECTOR AND CEO OF SALMÖN COMUNICACIÓN
He has worked as a creative and art director in agencies and graphic design studios such as Bassat Ogilvy&Mather, TBWA, Tapsa, The Partner, Igriega Comunicación, B&R Comunicación, Estudio Graell, Richards&Auso Fotografía, Aftershare, Wolf Barcelona, Tree House BCN, Bubblegum and Mool&Co. He has led campaigns for leading brands such as Movistar, Zurich, Codorníu, Europastry, Heineken, Puig, Lidl, Levi’s, Freixenet, Ford, Nestlé, Samsung, Nissan, PlayStation, Tropicana, Mundo Deportivo and La Vanguardia, among others. He is currently Creative Director and CEO of Salmón Comunicación, a multidisciplinary agency specialising in communication, art direction and advertising.
You will understand why brands use certain visual codes and how these influence the way consumers interpret emotions and meanings. You will learn how to decide when to align with audience expectations or strategically break the rules, based on a solid understanding of the brand’s essence, its competitive environment and its target audience.
Faculty
ANNA DIVÍ, STRATEGY DIRECTOR AT FIRMA
With extensive experience in leading agencies such as Ogilvy, BBDO, DoubleYou and Dseed, she specialises in audience research, trend analysis and brand positioning. She has been a lecturer in digital marketing and project management at IMM and is the founder of Cooncert, a start-up focused on digital strategy.
You will explore how to see and think like an Art Director, understanding that the goal is always to sell, influence or evoke emotion. You will grasp the importance of building on a solid conceptual foundation and analyse what an idea is, how it is classified and how our creative thinking works. From this, you will define a methodology to help you spark creativity in every project.
Faculty
JOAN CASCANTE, ART DIRECTOR AND CEO OF TÀCTICA
He has worked as an art director for companies such as Renault, SEAT, CUPRA, Audi, Fundació Catalunya La Pedrera and Abertis. In 2004, he founded Tàctica, a multidisciplinary studio specialising in design, art direction and advertising, and combines his professional work with over 20 years of teaching experience across various institutions.
You will develop a critical understanding of Design Thinking as an interdisciplinary and strategic methodology for innovation, focused on solving real human problems through design and creativity. You will build the ability to lead and manage projects that require a deep understanding of human and organisational dynamics, while fostering an innovative and sustainable mindset capable of adapting to current challenges. An invitation to think in order to rethink the world.
Faculty
ALEXANDRA QUEVEDO, PRODUCT DESIGNER, EXPERIENCE DESIGN LEAD & STRATEGY AT EGGS
She has collaborated with leading companies and agencies in innovation and design, including UserZoom, Ogilvy, Desigual, Weight Watchers, La Caixa, Fjord and Beabloo. As a UX Designer focused on strategy, she leads research processes to generate deep customer insights and support evidence-based decision-making. Her work enhances the effectiveness of design teams and contributes to product and service strategy.
You will discover how typography is not only read but also communicates emotions and meaning. You will analyse how its forms and treatments generate different sensations and how it relates to psychological and social factors. You will explore contemporary typographic design in advertising, editorial and digital contexts, along with trends in lettering and the new possibilities offered by AI applied to typography.
Faculty
JOAN RAMON PASTOR, GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND TYPE DESIGNER. ART DIRECTOR AT WETE AND FOUNDER OF ULTRA TYPES
He worked as an Art Director at Vasava, developing projects for clients such as Nike, Diesel and Mango before founding his own studio in 2012. Specialised in typography and lettering for advertising, he has created custom typefaces for brands such as Adobe, Carolina Herrera, Reebok, Desigual and Louis Vuitton. Recognised with awards such as the Laus Silver and the Type Directors Club Certificate of Typographic Excellence, he combines graphic design with illustration and teaching through typography workshops.
Photography is part of our everyday life and has therefore become an essential element in visual communication. You will learn how strong art direction, a defined look & feel, and the right choice of imagery can enhance any project. You will master technical foundations and photographic languages to create images that communicate and evoke emotion, and explore how AI applied to photography can help you tackle new creative challenges.
Faculty
ÍÑIGO BUJEDO, ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS PHOTOGRAPHER , SPECIALISED IN DOCUMENTING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
With over 25 years of experience, he is the only Spanish photographer represented by the London-based agency View Pictures and has been nominated in three consecutive editions as Best International Architectural Photographer at the World Architecture Festival. He combines his professional work with teaching.
You will learn all the stages involved in producing a project: client contact, briefing, planning, resource management, risk prevention, presentation and launch. You will identify the key roles and tools for managing projects across different channels and formats, and understand the real implications of leading a project. You will also explore how to integrate AI into your workflow to optimise decisions and processes. An essential module to enter the business ecosystem and manage brands from a contemporary perspective.
Faculty
ANDREU GALLART, INDEPENDENT GRAPHIC DESIGNER
He has worked with clients such as Laboratorios Ferrer, Red Read and the Generalitat de Catalunya, among others, and has received several Laus Awards. He combines his studio work with freelance projects and teaching.
The intersection of science and art direction will help you understand why some communication pieces have more impact than others. You will analyse how the human eye navigates a visual message, which elements capture attention, and which cognitive processes are involved. Through neuroscience, you will learn analysis techniques and delve into neuromarketing, expanding your ability to evaluate, optimise and transform your visual projects.
Faculty
ALBERT VINYALS, PHD IN CONSUMER PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERT IN NEUROMARKETING AND CREATIVE THINKING
He is the author of the book “El consumidor tarado” (2020). He combines teaching in subjects related to consumer behaviour with workshops on “conscious consumption”, training and in-company consulting, along with freelance creative direction and social media strategy at the agency Inmedia.
Art direction must adapt to the challenges posed by digital platforms and social media, which are present in every aspect of our lives. You will understand the dynamics of these channels and learn to create narratives, languages and formats capable of connecting in an environment where content circulates at high speed. You will see how each platform requires specific communication and how to find the best way to express an idea while maintaining coherence, freshness and relevance.
Faculty
EDUARDO DE BENITO, ART DIRECTOR AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR
With more than 18 years of experience in the advertising industry, he has worked as a creative and art director for brands such as Cupra, Seat, Audi, Nestlé, Puma and Polestar. His approach focuses on transforming ideas into reality by combining research, visual arts, emerging technologies and nature. He has collaborated with agencies, studios, startups and independent projects, and currently works as a freelance creative and art director.
You will understand movement and animation as fundamental elements for a brand to express itself with strength and emotion. You will see how audiovisual language amplifies narratives, adds depth, and opens up creative possibilities that no other discipline can offer. You will master how brands inhabit this space from a cinematic perspective, and explore how the latest trends in Artificial Intelligence applied to audiovisual content make it possible to bring ideas to life that once seemed impossible.
Faculty
DANI TORRES, FILM AND ADVERTISING DIRECTOR
He has worked in production and as an assistant director alongside filmmakers such as Isabel Coixet and J. A. Bayona. Since 2004, he has worked as a director, leading campaigns for agencies such as Ogilvy, McCann, DDB and Young & Rubicam, and for brands like Samsung, Danone, Nike and ColaCao. He has also directed short films such as El Paso and is currently developing new film projects.
A learning space focused on Adobe Creative Cloud software, where you will work with InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Lightroom. You will have access to resources and exercises structured across three levels of difficulty: beginner, intermediate and advanced. You will be supported by a professional lecturer specialised in these tools. The course runs for 6 weeks, alongside the introductory workshop and the first module.
Faculty
QUIQUE LÓPEZ, STRATEGIC CREATIVE DIRECTOR
You will learn to identify the essential elements that make up a professional brief and translate client objectives into a clear creative direction. You will understand how communication strategy guides every project decision and develop the ability to synthesise information in a precise and actionable way. This workshop offers a practical and fluid approach to an essential tool for working effectively as an art director.
Faculty
PATRICIA ARA, MARKETING, COMMUNICATION AND INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN CONSULTANT
Independent consultant specialised in digital marketing, omnichannel strategies and instructional design. She is co-founder of Shine Projects, where she develops customised e-learning solutions for companies, institutions and sales teams. She combines her professional activity with teaching.
You will explore how to conceptualise innovative and transformative ideas by leveraging the potential of artificial intelligence. You will learn to visualise concepts in an abstract way and present them clearly and attractively to clients. You will discover how new technologies can become powerful allies to enhance your proposals. You will develop the ability to communicate ideas with impact and a forward-thinking vision.
Faculty
RUBÉN ROA, CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT PIZZA ACTIVISM STUDIO
With experience in design studios in Spain and Portugal, he has worked as an Art Director at DDB Buenos Aires and Publicis Argentina for clients such as Volkswagen, BBVA, McDonald’s, Renault and L’Oréal. In Barcelona, he was Senior Art Director at 14/DDB for global brands such as SEAT and CUPRA. He currently combines his creative career with his own podcast channel Trazas de Podcast.
You will discover how a set designer builds visual worlds capable of elevating a product and giving it a unique identity. Laura will share her creative process, from the initial idea to its execution alongside photographers and art directors. You will see how powerful, contemporary and visually striking images are created. You will develop a sharper eye for composition, colour and visual storytelling. This masterclass will help you understand how to turn concepts into photographs with real impact.
Faculty
LAURA DORADO, ART DIRECTOR AND SET DESIGNER
She has worked as an Art Director at Apartamento Studios (Barcelona), collaborating with Nacho Alegre, and has worked with world-class photographers such as Alecio Ferrari, Mattia Greghi, Mattia Balsamini, Iris Humm, Frank Studio, Pietro Cocco, Gabriele Rosati, Pol Rebaque, Max Cornwall and Sara Guerrero, among many others.
She has worked for leading brands such as Loewe, Hermès, Vitra, Iittala, Maharam, Paloma Wool, Rowse, Carolina Herrera, Adolfo Domínguez, Tommy Hilfiger and Vogue España, among others.
You will learn to strengthen your business mindset and transform a creative idea into a profitable and sustainable venture. You will discover the keys to turning projects into real opportunities, exploring areas such as strategic planning, resource management, market analysis, and value proposition.
Faculty
MARIO SORRIBAS, BUSINESS STORYTELLING AND PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION CONSULTANT AND TRAINER
Founder and Head Storyteller at Storytelling&Co., specialised in the strategic use of corporate narratives as a communication tool. For more than 10 years, he has worked with companies, organisations, and institutions helping them build authentic and emotional stories that connect with their audiences. He is also part of the Red de Consultores Totales, where he promotes the creation of purpose-driven, human, and collaborative businesses capable of generating value and a sense of belonging.
You will explore the principles of Design Thinking through a new perspective on collaborative design that places the user at the centre and rethinks and adapts traditional design processes. You will acquire the tools needed to develop new methodologies in creative and entrepreneurial processes, using the latest techniques such as Manual Thinking, SCAMPER and lateral thinking.
Faculty
BORJA MARTÍNEZ, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Specialist in innovation methodologies, collaborative processes and user-centred design. Throughout his career, he has worked on projects connected to creativity, entrepreneurship and strategic thinking, helping teams and organisations develop innovative solutions through design methodologies and creative problem-solving tools.
In addition to completing the credits of the previous modules, all students must develop a Final Master’s Project consisting of an Art Direction project based on Design Thinking, with a focus on global challenges and emerging realities. An opportunity to create your major project.
Tools
Everything you need to design, explore and experiment is included from day one.
Professional Certifications
During the Master’s, you will have the opportunity to certify your expertise in different Adobe Creative Cloud software through the Adobe Certified Professional certification, a recognised credential in the design industry that demonstrates proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud tools and essential knowledge for careers in digital media.
In the Master’s in Design and Art Direction, we will support your preparation so you can obtain certifications in Visual Design with Adobe Photoshop Professional, Graphic Design and Illustration with Adobe Illustrator Professional, and Print and Digital Media Publication with Adobe InDesign Professional. Throughout the programme, you will follow a structured support plan to help you successfully pass the exams, including software-specific content, a complementary video library, and guided support within the classroom.
Who is the Master’s in Design and Art Direction for?
The Lifelong Learning Master’s in Art Direction is aimed at individuals who want to develop their training in design and art direction, take a step forward in their professional career, and elevate communication to the next level.
The programme at our higher education school provides a 360º perspective on how to lead an art direction project, from the conceptual and creative stages to execution and production.
Our approach to design and art direction focuses on innovation, trends and emerging technologies, from a practical perspective that will allow you to gain knowledge across the multiple disciplines involved in art direction, including areas such as neuroscience, virtual reality, target audiences and new visual codes, among others.
Graduates of ESDESIGN’s Design and Art Direction programme become professionals capable of responding to the needs of future brands, understanding how they will communicate with their audiences and what their identity will be. They are also qualified to manage and lead art direction projects alongside top-level professionals in the field.
Entry Profile
The Master’s in Design and Art Direction is aimed at individuals interested in visual communication, art direction and creativity, who also have academic qualifications or professional experience such as:
- Graduates in Design
- Graduates in Communication and Advertising
- Graduates in Marketing
- Graduates from other fields with proven professional experience in design, supported by an academic background and/or portfolio, and a strong interest in design
Career Opportunities of the Master’s in Design and Art Direction
Our Master’s in Design and Art Direction has helped our ESDESIGNERS boost their professional careers:
- 60% of our students have improved their professional level.
- 69% of our ESDESIGNERS have strengthened their knowledge.
- 43% have increased their salary.
Thanks to our programme, they have learned to communicate a brand identity in a holistic way and to effectively manage art direction projects. This has enabled them to develop professionally in roles such as:
- Art Director
- Creative Director
- Visual Identity Designer
- Creative Project Manager
- Visual Communication Specialist
- Art Direction Consultant
- Freelance Professional
Degree
Upon successful completion of the programme and after completing the required administrative procedures, you will receive the ESDESIGN Master’s Degree. In addition, you will have the possibility of obtaining a Professional Master’s Degree from the Universidad Internacional de Valencia, provided that you meet the academic, documentation, payment and administrative requirements established by the institution.
To obtain this qualification, you must hold a prior university degree (Bachelor’s Degree, Engineering Degree or equivalent). In exceptional cases, if you do not hold such a degree but can demonstrate relevant professional experience in the field and have successfully passed the Master’s assessments, you will be awarded a Certificate from the Universidad Internacional de Valencia (VIU).
"An amazing experience. ESDESIGN's online methodology has allowed me to balance my work with top-tier training and real-world projects."
★★★★★"Active industry tutors who understand design for the real world. The projects are demanding and fully connected to today's sector."
★★★★★"100% Recommended"
"The campus is excellent, and the community created among students from different countries is incredibly enriching for my global vision."
Admissions Process
- Request information: complete the Master’s enquiry form.
- Guidance: the admissions team will advise you to ensure the programme is the right fit for your profile.
- Documentation: submit the required documents for admission, including your CV, portfolio and a copy of your university degree.
- Evaluation: the admissions committee will assess your professional profile.
- Admission: you will be informed of the committee’s decision, whether positive or negative.
- Place reservation: start your journey as an ESDESIGNER.
FAQs
Yes. The programme is designed for you to make the leap from technical execution to strategic direction. You will develop key competencies in conceptualisation, visual storytelling, and project leadership, preparing you to oversee the aesthetic narrative and creative message of any campaign or brand.
You will work on the development of comprehensive projects that cover the entire production pipeline, adapted to the demands of today’s market:
- Character and environment creation, from initial concept to final movement.
- Visual storytelling pieces, fanzines, and frame-by-frame animations.
- Complex animation projects in After Effects (such as short films or corporate videos).
Yes. The programme is aligned with the current reality of the sector and incorporates the use of Artificial Intelligence and new digital narratives. You will learn to integrate these tools into your creative process to enhance idea generation and the execution of contemporary visual projects.
It is recommended. Although the Master’s degree focuses on developing your strategic and conceptual vision, having a foundation in design or communication will help you get the most out of the programme. It is designed for creative profiles looking to shift from being "hands-on" to becoming "the mind", leading art direction in studios, agencies, or their own projects.