This workshop invites participants to explore graphic design through an immersive and contextual approach, by creating a complete visual identity inspired by Venice and its lagoon. Throughout the course, participants explore the entire creative process—from visual research and brand strategy to the development of the logo, typography, color palette, and their applications—drawing directly on the city as a living canvas and source of inspiration. Emphasis is placed on experimentation, fieldwork, and analog exploration, with a focus on active research rather than formal refinement.

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Read and interpret the visual language of a specific cultural context as raw material for graphic design
• Develop a brand strategy, including audience definition, value proposition, brand territory, and tone of voice
• Design a coherent visual identity system based on contextual research
• Apply a visual identity across various touchpoints, from print to digital
• Clearly present and justify their creative and strategic decisions to a group

Venice embodies more than fifteen centuries of visual culture. The colors of the facades, the geometric patterns of the mosaics, the typography on vaporetto signs and storefronts, and the shifting light on the lagoon throughout the day come together to form a landscape of exceptional richness. During this workshop, this visual heritage is not merely a backdrop, but a genuine subject of study and a starting point for creativity.

Participants learn to design a relevant visual identity for a project related to Venice and its lagoon, whether it involves a cultural institution, a local business, a community initiative, or even the city itself as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In every case, the graphic language must emerge from a genuine immersion in the context: what is present, what is observed, and what it conveys.

Brand strategy plays a central role in the process. Before any visual exploration begins, participants lay the groundwork for the project through a structured framework that defines the target audience, the project’s ecosystem, the value proposition, the brand territory, and the communication tone. This step helps guide and bring coherence to graphic choices, linking them to clear intentions rather than purely aesthetic considerations.

The workshop also includes a half-day visit to a cultural institution or studio in Venice, offering a firsthand encounter with local practices and visual culture. The rest of the research takes place in the city itself: participants develop an observer’s eye, collecting colors, typefaces, textures, patterns, and light as living material for their projects.

Schedule

Day 1

Morning

• Welcome, introductions, and overview of the program
• Venice as a design subject: visual history, material culture, and contemporary context
• Case studies of context-rooted visual identities: examples of cities, cultural institutions, and international heritage sites

Afternoon

• Presentation of the brief
• Participants select their topics and begin gathering references
• Group discussion: What does Venice already look like? What visual elements are already present and worth exploring?

Day 2

Morning

• Half-day guided tour of a cultural institution or studio in Venice

Afternoon

• Visual exploration of the city: capturing colors, typography, patterns, textures, light, and materials
• Group presentation at the studio: sharing research and connecting it to individual projects

Day 3

Morning

• Brand strategy workshop: target audience, project context, value proposition, brand territory, tone of voice
• Comprehensive demonstration of the process, from the strategic brief to the visual translation
• Individual finalization of the strategic canvas and group validation before moving on to the visual phase

Afternoon

• Initial visual explorations: mood boards and hand-drawn sketches
• Individual and group feedback from the facilitator throughout the session

Day 4

Morning

• Finalizing the visual identity and brand variations
• Preparation of presentations

Afternoon

• Presentations: Each participant presents their topic, strategy, and brand identity
• Group critique and discussion
• Conclusion and feedback on the week

By the end of the training

Each participant will have completed:

• A completed brand strategy canvas
• A logo or wordmark
• A color palette and a consistent typographic system
• Proposals for up to five brand applications related to their project
• A campaign poster presenting the brand proposal

• Classroom, multipurpose room, workshops with professional equipment
• Supply of materials
• Individual and collaborative work
• Workshop-based work
• Active participation and hands-on experimentation by participants are emphasized

• Group and personalized progress tracking, regular updates
• Self-assessment of technical skills
• Group presentation
• Attendance sheet for each half-day
• Certificate of completion issued by Campus MaNa