Academy of Fine Arts in Kraków

Faculty of Industrial Design Department of Visual Communication

Our students can obtain both BA and MA degrees in Industrial Design. There are several studios within the Department whose principal focus is on visual communication in a broader sense, namely on signage systems design, visual identification design, heraldic designs, packaging design, book design as well as on process visualisation and on designs intended for mobile devices or internet-related.


The issues, often addressed in the studios, concern typography as an integral part of all the student work. The adequate type-face use, which must be suitable for a currently developed design concept, and its readability are essential elements which are subject to visual testing and constantly verified during the creative process. Our students are glad and willing to explore topics related to typographic design, especially to typographic experiments which result in their innovative type-face and unconventional initials for selected publications.

The students have ample scope for creativity. The experimental approach to letters and the conscious attempts at finding new, alternative ways of creating, constructing, deforming, simplifying, and making signs seemingly unreal produce surprising results. This year our students have expressed passionate enthusiasm for producing designs for the TIPOZONE 4 Exhibition. Each student has come up with his or her own idea and has shown an individual creative approach to the theme. They have created letters suggesting movement and based on optical illusion as well as signs which treat space in a novel way and make use of materials which are not usually associated with typography. What is more, the students have made a few animated films which demonstrate their creative exploration of the theme. Last but not least, we have received a research paper dealing with Polish diacritical marks, which may influence the speed of reading and prove helpful for people affected by dyslexia.

On behalf of the Department of Visual Communication I would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to participate in such a prestigious event.

prof. Barbara Widłak, 
Dean of the Faculty of Industrial Design