COMMUNICATION
DESIGN
PROGRAMME CONTENT
6 SEMESTERS TO BRING YOUR VISION TO LIFE
PROGRAMME CONTENT
COMMUNICATION DESIGN
«It’s all about creativity & design»
Our vocational programme spans over six semesters. In the first semesters, you’ll build a strong foundation by mastering the essentials of design. During the main semesters (4 & 5), you’ll have the opportunity to specialise in your preferred design fields by selecting from a variety of elective courses. Finally, Semester 6 is dedicated to your final project—but let’s take it one step at a time.
COMMUNICATION DESIGN // FOUNDATION
1st SEMESTER
«Every great design begins with an even better story.»
First Things First
One of the most important challenges in the field of design is analysing and reshaping existing visual habits—essentially, learning to see the world through the eyes of a graphic designer. So, let’s go back to square one and break through your existing structures. Form and colour, composition, and typography are the key pillars of our craft—that’s why you’ll lay the foundation with dedicated subjects and hands-on exercises.
Since our profession is primarily digital, we will, of course, train you in industry-standard software, starting with the layout program Adobe InDesign and vector design with Adobe Illustrator. All exercises are always closely linked to real-world practice.
Semester CONTENTS (Preview)
- The basics of creativity
- Adobe Illustrator
- Adobe InDesign
- Typography 1
- Photography
COMMUNICATION DESIGN // FOUNDATION
2nd SEMESTER
«Design is intelligence made visible.»
GO DEEPER
Dive even deeper into the subjects of the first semester with the continuation of typography, additional software training such as Adobe Photoshop, and exciting new courses like Corporate Design. This is where you’ll take your first steps into the world of logo design.
In “Think Creative”, you’ll be brainstorming until your head is spinning—because creativity can indeed be learned, and there are techniques to help you boost it. And as for film, all we can say is this: Get ready to be excited!
SemesteR CONTENTS (Preview)
- Typography 2
- Think Creative
- Logo design
- Adobe Photoshop
- Film
COMMUNICATION DESIGN // FOUNDATION
3rd SEMESTER
«The life of a designer is a life of fight: fight against the ugliness.»
YOUR MISSION: CREATE!
Now it gets real! In the Editorial Design module, you will design your first magazine on a topic of your choice. You’ll also research content and images yourself and apply what you’ve learned in typography.
Your first Corporate Design project is also on the horizon: You’ll develop a brand—from the concept and logo to the complete corporate identity. You’ll also learn how packaging works and come up with ideas for an advertising campaign. A particularly popular highlight of this semester is the Motion Graphics course.
HALF-TIME
What? Three semesters already?
Time really does fly at htk, and before you know it, three semesters have passed! After this exciting phase, it’s time for the mid-term project. Over approximately ten days, you’ll develop a complete corporate design based on a given theme. But no need to panic—if you’ve been keeping up so far, this challenge won’t trip you up!
COMMUNICATION DESIGN // MAIN SEMESTERS
4th & 5th SEMESTER
«I’ve never had a problem with a dumb client. There is no such thing as a bad client. Part of our job is to do good work and get the client to accept it.»
Yes! ELECTIVE COURSES!
From the fourth semester onwards, you’ll choose together which direction to take! By then, you’ll likely have a clearer idea of what you want to do in your future career. A specific course content for the upcoming semesters is then created based on a collective course selection from a pool of subjects.* This happens twice—once in the 4th and again in the 5th semester—so it’s the perfect opportunity to deepen your knowledge in existing subjects or gain entirely new insights.
The elective courses offered may vary from semester to semester, giving us the chance to introduce new and exciting subjects into the curriculum. Important: alongside the electives, there are also some compulsory courses, as they are part of the core “tools” of communication design—the mix is key!
*The final curriculum is therefore shaped by the overall course selection, so it’s possible that some courses may be cancelled in a semester due to low enrolment. However, alternative courses will be offered, giving you another chance in the next semester. The actual elective courses on offer reflect the overall course choices made by the participants.
THE GRAND FINALE
That went quickly!
Your entire final semester is dedicated to your graduation project. First, you’ll choose a project—unless you’ve already found a topic during your studies.
COMMUNICATION DESIGN // FINAL PROJECT
6th SEMESTER
«Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.»
THE FINAL PROJECt!
The time has come—this is it! After five semesters, you are now entering your final semester, which is all about your graduation project and portfolio!
It all begins with an idea for a concept—together, we will refine this into a complex final project during various lessons. Your task is to bring your idea to life, independently. Our lecturers are available for coaching sessions to guide you and help you find the right direction based on what you need. At the end of the semester, you will be assessed by an external jury.
Semester CONTENTS (Preview)
- Concept
- Coaching
- Design Business
- Portfolio Check
- Presentation
- “Speedrecruiting”
- Exhibition
- Final project
EXHIBITION &
SPEED RECRUITING
Show yourself! And what’s the best way to do that? With a final exhibition and our contacts!
The grand finale is the presentation of your project at our graduate exhibition: You’ll prepare everything you’ve created this semester for your own stand, where family and potential employers can admire your work. In addition, we arrange interviews with potential employers for you—helping you land that job directly!
ANY QUESTIONS? JUST ASK ONE OF OUR
STUDENT ADVISORS
HAMBURG