HSE Design Lab — bureau where talented senior students work teaming up with experienced art directors. The Laboratory integrates commercial projects in the areas of branding, book publishing, animation, museum design, digital design. Due to the harmonious combination of an analytical approach, in-depth knowledge, practical competence and constant study of the most modern approaches and design tools, the Laboratory successfully works with both large customers and young startups.

The display area and experimental territory has been opened in 2018. The gallery is to become a platform for a teamwork of students and modern art professionals. We aspire to give the floor to a new generation of artists and throw together successful cultural institutions, famous artists and curators, the students who are just beginning to search their own ways, and sophisticated audience in search for something new.

Four clothing engineering shops work in the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL to implement creative ideas. They are equipped with advanced gear. Household and production sewing machines, overlock machines, coverlocks, and ironing and steaming equipment are at the students’ disposal. To develop complex forms and constructions flexible dummies are used and cutting tables and mirrors, storage racks, brackets and other appliances necessary for students’ efficient work are installed.

The HSE PrepressLab performs a whole cycle of prepress operations. The laboratory personnel includes professionals with many years of experience in book production and magazine printing. The laboratory carries out open consultations for bachelors and magisters as well as extended education students. The lab equipment makes it possible to calibrate printing and projection equipment. Optional calibrating of notebook computer screens is available for students. The laboratory makes it possible to print images of the highest quality, including certified proofs for print shops with possible control of color nuances by special viewing.

In the porcelain workshop students can watch the casting process as well as try themselves as porcelain ware makers under the guidance of an experienced master or work independently with ready-made forms. The workshop offers an opportunity to practice the full cycle of manufacturing a porcelain product — from sculpture plasticine modeling to pouring of porcelain, baking and painting. The workshop is equipped with a furnace, driers, plaster pattern machine as well as paints, glazes, and pigments. In addition, training forms and models are also present.

In the silk screening workshop the students under the guidance of professional typographers study the whole stage of printing technology beginning from the preparation of image and prepress on various types of carriers up to drying of the objects produced and gain knowledge on methods of printing, storing, layout, and presentation of graphic works. Using silk screen printing allows designers to significantly extend the range of their professional methods and skills and find a new sphere of expression.

There are two photo studios in the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL. They are available not only for those who study photography: any student who needs making photos may register and get both modern photo equipment and studio employees expert assistance. The studios suit for all types of photography: portrait photography, product shots, fashion photography, and art projects photography.

Academic discipline «Art and design history and theory» includes lectures on history of arts, architecture, design, photography, cinema, theatre, etc. The exact set of courses depends on the students’ specializations. Besides, we regularly arrange public lectures where top-ranked designers, artists, photographers, and fashion professionals speak in front of the audience. These events are attended not only by HSE ART AND DESOGN SCHOOL students — we are always happy to see there our enrollees, professional designers and modern art aficionados.

Artistic skills are not obligatory for the applicants of the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL, however, it is necessary for every designer to practice them. Art practice is a series of educational disciplines that imply enhancing students’ creative abilities. Depending on the profile chosen the students are engaged in art practice in various formats: study basic principles of drawing, illustration, and painting, sketching and photosketching. They draw comics, paint pictures in oils and acryl, and create pieces of art and installations.

Bachelor’s profile «Jewelry art and object design in fashion» was launched only in 2018, however, any HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL student may venture into jewelry choosing the respective elective course. In the jewelry workshop the students master both the most ancient and most advanced techniques. These are simple form casting, molding, 3D design, vacuum casting, electrochemical processing of metals, titanium vacuum deposition, etc.

The HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL adheres to a project-based approach to education. From the first lesson students start drafting their original project under the guidance of the group curator (an academic group numbers up to 24 persons). One of the key courses is «design technologies». The «design technologies» supply students with all the basic tools needed for a complex work on any project. Depending on the chosen profiles these tools include various elements: software for graphic design, animation, 3D models, motion design, and web products. In the HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL there are 25 IT rooms and 20 training clusters which are equipped with over 500 Mac computers and licensed software PCs. Computer rooms are used not only for lectures and lessons but also for independent work of the students.

The HSE ART AND DESIGN SCHOOL library grants open access to the most recent publications on design, art, fashion, and media industry for all the students.