Trait de caractère

Projects BA GRAPHIC DESIGN

Ella Paleni – Trait de caractère

The place of the graphic designer in the age of technological advances: today’s world is in constant technological evolution, which raises questions about the place and role of the graphic designer. In this graduation project, I set out to explore this issue by adopting a resolutely manual and artisanal approach. I created a book from A to Z, using traditional manufacturing techniques, from the elaboration of the paper to the final binding. By moving away from the omnipresent process of digitalisation, I sought to express a need to return to the very essence of the graphic design profession. This project highlights the advantages of an artisanal approach in an increasingly digital world. It encourages reflection on the specific skills that graphic designers can bring to the table.

Diploma project (2023) by Ella Paleni

Know-how
Craftsmanship, Imagemaking

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Projects related to Imagemaking
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Applied Photography – 2026

BA PHOTOGRAPHY

Applied Photography – 2026

with Calypso Mahieu

Le temps des Fleurs This course, which is both practical and technical, requires students to develop a true photographer’s eye. Its goal is to introduce students to, or help them refine their skills in various photographic genres, such as still life, portraiture, and architecture, as well as documentary and staged photography. These disciplines demand particular attention and great precision in the selection of models, locations, and objects. Mastery of composition, framing, and the management of light, whether natural or artificial, is essential for a successful shot. Throughout the course, students are guided to refine their observational skills and their ability to create images that are both precise and expressive.        
Louis Roh – Les chemins perdus

BA GRAPHIC DESIGN

Louis Roh – Les chemins perdus

with Guy Meldem, Diego Bontognali

Millennia ago, humankind discovered electricity and never stopped exploiting and reinventing it, unconcerned, considering this resource to be infinite. This book, Les Chemins Perdus, opens up new horizons, between dream and fiction, through realistic and poetic notions. What if all the lights went out? It stimulates the imagination and offers readers light, childlike speculation. Interest in illustration, storytelling and printing techniques brings this graphic tale to life. This journey of colours and images appeals to a multi-generational audience, tapping into the potential of children’s books in these tense and confusing times.
GEOFF HAN – WORK AND TURN

BA GRAPHIC DESIGN

GEOFF HAN – WORK AND TURN

by Leandra Adler, Cansu Celen, Layana Comte, Anaïs Dermont, Camille Genoud, Eve Gremaud, Eloïse Guillod, Mathis Harmant, Marie Hintzy, Matteo Lucca, Maxime Manera, Gaëtan Mauclair, Mathys Mauron, Emma Morisseau, Sara Pedersoli, Lucie Pittet, Hélène Prongué, Leonardo Mariucci, Alice Refachinho, Justine Renevey, Gaspard Schlatter, Laura Simons, Vu Toni Thien Duc, Maïa Yassin, Jonas Zesiger

In November 2025, 27 ECAL students took part in Work and Turn, a workshop led by Geoff Han exploring the theme of labor and the often overlooked work that sustains the school. Located in a former IRIL knitwear factory in the industrial area of Renens, ECAL occupies a vast building whose daily functioning depends on many visible and invisible forms of labor. Over five days, students worked in small teams to produce a collective 96-page pocket-sized publication. Each pair created an 8-page photographic visual essay focusing on a specific aspect of labor at ECAL. Rather than relying on traditional portraits, the projects explored more poetic and indirect ways of documenting traces of work through spaces, gestures, materials, and infrastructures. The entire publication was manually printed on an offset press by the students themselves, in either black or red and black. The printing process was a central part of the workshop: participants prepared the plates, set up the press, and ran the prints. This hands-on production process echoed the theme of labor explored throughout the publication.  
Visual Identity – BA2 S1 2025

BA GRAPHIC DESIGN

Visual Identity – BA2 S1 2025

with Adeline Mollard

As part of the visual identity course led by Adeline Mollard, students developed a visual identity starting from a randomly selected business card. By appropriating one of its graphic elements and its title, each project offers a unique interpretation. The identity is then expanded across a range of formats, from business cards to F4 posters, including posters, flyers, business cards, and an animated poster.
CRÉATION PHOTOGRAPHIQUE

BA PHOTOGRAPHY

CRÉATION PHOTOGRAPHIQUE

with Natacha Lesueur

Abracadabra! Starting with projects centered on a common theme, students develop their own in-depth work exploring the concept of “magic” in photography. They create a project that explores the relationship between reality and the imagination, using photography as a tool for revealing, transforming, and interpreting reality.

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BA GRAPHIC DESIGN
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