Presentation

Creativity, motivation, energy and curiosity are the main ingredients to enter our Propaedeutic Year. This preparatory stage is aimed at students who wish to work in the fields of art or design and allows them to acquire the necessary skills for a Bachelor's program. During one year, this training offers the possibility to holders of a Maturité or a Baccalauréat to familiarize themselves with the methods of the discipline in which they wish to work (Visual Arts, Industrial Design, Photography, Graphic Design, Media & Interaction Design, Cinema). Immersed in the ECAL itself, they learn the essential workings and current techniques inherent in the various fields of contemporary creation.

On the basis of intensive cross-disciplinary courses given by recognized practitioners and theoreticians, students take up numerous subjects (Photography, Drawing, Color, Graphic Design, Art History, History of Architecture, Cinema, Industrial Design, etc.) and become aware of their future orientation one day a week. In addition, they benefit from conferences, exhibition visits and other events that take place in the school.

By benefiting from the know-how of our institution, students can then present a quality portfolio that will allow them to take the entrance exam for a Bachelor's degree at the ECAL or at a university in Switzerland or abroad.

Language

French

Qualification issued

Foundation Year Diploma

Yearly fees (materials included)

from CHF 1 725.– to CHF 21 025.– (according to the residence),
CHF 8 845.– (if a reduction is granted)

Length

2 semesters

Credits

0 ECTS

Useful links

Admissions Contact

Equipments & infrastructures

Foundation Year Space

Learning Objectives

General courses
Description

1/4

  • Familiarise yourself with contemporary artistic practice through issues, quotations or statements drawn from plastic, literary, film or musical works (Image Workshop).
  • Test your theoretical and practical knowledge of physical, chemical and physiological colour, whose main elements are the values, contrasts, harmonies, hues and language codes (Colour Course).
  • Draw by observing and understanding lines and surfaces in order to transform 3D elements into two dimensions (Drawing Course).
  • Draw by highlighting research and experimentation from a purely artistic perspective (Creative Drawing Course).
  • Become aware of your graphic environment and learn about the vocabulary of shapes and colours, in addition to understanding the relationship between typography and image (Graphic Design Course).
  • Create a visual universe “in motion” through video and interaction design (Moving Image).
  • Become familiar with the computers and the main creative software used at ECAL (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and create a portfolio of the best works produced during the Foundation Year, using a combination of the different tools taught (Computer Science Course).
  • Practice photography using basic techniques: natural and artificial light, space and perspective in the field of architecture, still life and portraiture (Photography Course).
  • Acquire background knowledge via theory courses (history of art, film, graphic design, industrial design, photography, interaction design, video art in relation to each of the six major options, etc.).
Option courses

1/2

In addition to theory and practical courses, every Friday student stake a course on their BA major.

  • Fine Arts option
    Develop artistic expression and singularity by tackling sculpture, painting, installation or performance in targeted exercises.
  • Cinema option
    Experiment and learn the basics of the main practical aspects: filming, editing, viewing and teamwork.
  • Industrial Design option
    Research ideas, create relevant and technically simple objects and prototypes and learn how to work in the studio.
  • Graphic Design option
    Deepen the basic formal and colour vocabulary by addressing the relationship between image and text and acquire a working methodology and thinking skills in line with the development of graphic projects.
  • Media & Interaction Design option
    Encourage introduction to digital practices, enabling students to tackle screen and network interaction design, as well as to design and develop personal projects (applications, websites, video clips, video games, connected objects, etc.).
  • Photography option
    Reinforce basic knowledge in technical and practical areas such as digital colour photography, lighting, working with models, sequencing and photo editing.

Projects

This section contains a selection of emblematic or recent projects related to the disciplines taught in the foundation year.
See all projects

General & Option Courses

Option Graphic Design - Monogram 23-24

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option Graphic Design - Monogram 23-24

with Robert Huber

Creation of a typographic monogram

Option INDUSTRIAL DESIGN S1 23-24

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option INDUSTRIAL DESIGN S1 23-24

with Grégoire Jeanmonod, Martino d'Esposito

- A tape dispenser (term project) - A clock (short project) - A personal project (short project)

Option Graphic Design – Flyers 23-24

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option Graphic Design – Flyers 23-24

with Violène Pont

Gamepics

FOUNDATION YEAR

Gamepics

with Nicolas Haeni

An exhibition at the Olympic Museum by the students in Foundation Year – Photography option at ECAL/University of Art and Design Lausanne. Under the photographer’s direction Nicolas Haeni, the students have explored the theme of the Olympic Games by immersing themselves in its diversity. Through photography and moving images, the young photographers offer a fresh and curious look at these disciplines, inviting us to look beyond mere performance to contemplate the beauty of detail hidden in each sport.

Foundation year Workshop 2024

FOUNDATION YEAR

Foundation year Workshop 2024

with Clemens Alexander Severin Piontek, Karla Hiraldo Voleau, Vanessa Safavi, Basil Dénéréaz, Bruno Deville, Aurélie Vial

Option Cinema Bruno Deville Instructed to follow one or more people in the course of their work, the students were each asked to make a documentary with the constraint of treating it the attributes of fiction. Option Media & Interaction Design Basil Dénéréaz Introduction to 3D through a week-long workshop on the theme of CGI still lifes, designed to familiarise students with this medium. Option Photography Karla Hiraldo Voleau How do we communicate today, within our relationships? How is the online environment shaping the way we talk about love, whether through words or images? The students delved into their experiences and perceptions of relationships to create a portrait of love in the digital age. Option Graphic Design Clemens Piontek Modular Expression Exploring modular design and creating lettering and new typography. The aim is to create fonts that express a feeling, an emotion, a mood or an atmosphere. The set of components specific to each is created from the Vevey* typeface, which has two variants: Vevey Positive & Vevey Human Kind. Option Visual Arts Vanessa Safavi Working with specific objects or materials chosen by the students on the basis of their physical and symbolic properties, to reveal a gesture or intention in the conception of a defined plastic work. Option Industrial Design Aurélie Vial Exploring digital cutting and assembly techniques. Starting with sheets of honeycomb cardboard and using the workshop's digital cutting table, we created columns and structures, the only constraints being that they had to be vertical and self-supporting. How do you inhabit a space with 26 different proposals to create a collective and coherent whole? Pictures © ECAL/Marvin Merkel Poster © ECAL/Aude Meyer de Stadelhofen

Expression – Duboux

FOUNDATION YEAR

Expression – Duboux

by Alexandra Cupsa

Visual of the labels designed by Alexandra Cupsa as part of a competition organised by Constance and Jean Duboux for students in the ECAL Foundation Year.

Cyanotype workshop

FOUNDATION YEAR

Cyanotype workshop

by Adam Touhami, Alice Refachinho, Anaïs Dermont, Cansu Celen, Eloïse Guillod, Emma Morisseau, Filipa Batalim, Isabelle Virnot, Laura Simons, Lena Mancini, Mathys Mauron, Matteo Lucca, Noé Fortuit, Pierric Mamin, Tobia Rizzon, Marie Macherel

A day-long workshop given by Aude Meyer de Stadelhofen to students in the Graphic Design option. The aim was to compose by hand using tracing paper on which were printed visuals previously produced by the students. The possibility of cutting, cropping, pasting and drawing allowed everyone to make the visuals their own and create original posters.

Option Design Industriel – Ikea Upcycling

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option Design Industriel – Ikea Upcycling

with Martino d'Esposito

Premier projet du semestre durant lequel les étudiants en option Design Industriel ont dû redonner une autre utilisation à des sacs IKEA. Projet cours de 3 semaines.

Ecal x Reitzel silo

FOUNDATION YEAR

Ecal x Reitzel silo

by Dunand Clea

Reitzel wished to make the surface area of its silo available to young artists for free expression and creativity. To this end, a competition was held and student Cléa Dunand's project was selected, transforming the industrial silo into an artistic canvas. Production of the paintings: Yoanys Andino Diaz and his team

Option Design Graphique 22-23

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option Design Graphique 22-23

with Violène Pont

Suite de cinq flyers pour un événement fictif.

Option Cinéma 22-23

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option Cinéma 22-23

with Julia Bünter

Option photographie 22-23

FOUNDATION YEAR

Option photographie 22-23

with Younès Klouche

Sélection de projets de semestre

Program

This section lists the detailed modules and courses for each semester of the programme.
Cours généraux
  • Photographie
  • Dessin appliqué
  • Dessin créatif
  • Couleur
  • Image en mouvement
  • Informatique / Portfolio
  • Introduction au graphisme
  • Atelier image
Théorie
  • Histoire de l'art 
  • Histoire de l'art contemporain
  • Histoire de la photographie
  • Histoire du Design Graphique
  • Histoire du Design Industriel
  • Histoire du cinéma 
  • Innovation, Interaction, Design
Cours d'options
  • Arts Visuels

  • Media & Interaction Design

  • Design graphique
  • Design industriel
  • Cinéma
  • Photographie

Find all the programme documents below

TESTIMONIALS

Nicolas Pasteur
Mara Wohlfahrt
Flavio Visalli
Mélanie Fontaine
Gabriel Hafner
Marion Reymond

Staff

Head

David Monnet

Coordination

Adjointe technique
Nadège Gallay
Bastien Favre

Assistante
Laura Trummer

Professors

Antonio Albanese
Tonatiuh Ambrosetti 
Luc Aubort
Francis Baudevin 
Clelia Bettua 
Martino D’Esposito 
Daniela Droz 
Christophe Guignard 
Claus Gunti
Grégoire Jeanmonod 
Matthieu Minguet 
David Monnet
Patrick Monnier 
Christian Pahud 
Violène Pont 
Tatiana Rihs

Lecturers

Alfredo Aceto 
Jonas Berthod 
Julia Bünter 
Romain Collaud 
Romane de Watteville
Natacha Donzé 
Pierre Doze 
Marc Dubois
Patrick Keller
Younès Klouche
Nicolas Haeni
Robert Huber
Sylvain Meltz
Adeena Mey 
Anna Percival 
Pauline Perret
Lisa Rebeca 
Denis Roueche 
Laurence Salmon