Case study: Editorial Design 2025

Last updated 26 October 2026

A really interesting aspect of the summer school is access to the graphic design and illustration archives, dating back over 50 years and featuring student work by well-known alumni such as Alan Fletcher and Jonathan Barnbrook. During the course, the archivist Richard Doust is invited to deliver a session for participants, giving an insight into this incredible history and access to an amazing repository of artefacts.

The course is led by Adrian Shaughnessy (Graphic Designer, Writer, Editor, Publisher and former RCA tutor) in partnership with Astrid Stavro (Designer and President of ISTD).

“Editorial design is the ability to combine text and image into a coherent presentation of information.”
Adrian Shaughnessy Course Leader

Gallery of Participant Works

“I came into the course with quite a reserved attitude about my design skills, and left with a huge appreciation for how far I have come in my career so far. The tutors helped me to push myself further with each of the briefs, and at the end of the course, I had three projects that I'm proud to show in my portfolio, and I might even print one of them soon. Thank you!”
Matt Lott Digital Content Producer

“What I enjoyed the most was seeing the works in progress of all my classmates. We are so used to seeing final products, and it is truly inspiring and human to witness how something takes shape - from the initial idea to sometimes a finished dummy - and all the steps that happen in between.”
Raquel Echevarría, @raquelechevarria_ Photographer & Graphic Designer

“The Editorial Design course has helped me to gain in confidence, and know how to assimilate my research into well thought through, relevant designs. Really interesting, rich in things to come away and think about.”
Mazine Davies, @maxineadavies Production Editor

Editorial Design

Discover an expanded view of editorial design in an open and experimental online environment, under the expert guidance of RCA tutor Adrian Shaughnessy.

Royal College of Art Editorial Design Summer School

Case study: Editorial Design 2023

An expanded view of the craft of Editorial Design in open and experimental online environment, under the expert guidance of RCA tutors Adrian Shaughnessy and Astrid Stavro from 2 - 30 May 2023.

Royal College of Art Editorial Design Summer School

IN SESSION: Editorial Design in the Post-Reading Era

This talk took place on the 29th July 2026.

A wide-ranging conversation on the state of editorial design in today's publishing landscape, and why the discipline is attracting heightened interest from students, young designers and established practitioners.