Creative Crossroads: MassArt’s Design Journey from London to Leeds

Crossing the Pond: Exploring Communication Design in London and Leeds

The United Kingdom has long been recognized as a global hub for innovative communication design, spanning illustration, advertising, motion graphics, animation, and visual storytelling.

Led by faculty members Scott Bakal, Illustration, and Elizabeth Resnick, Communication Design, this interdisciplinary travel course brought MassArt students to London, where they immersed themselves in the city’s dynamic creative culture. Students visited the studios of leading designers, illustrators, and animators while also exploring internationally renowned museums and galleries that shape contemporary visual culture.

The course continued north to Leeds, a historic and rapidly growing creative center in West Yorkshire known for its thriving graphic design, advertising, film, and new media industries. There, MassArt students collaborated directly with students in Leeds on interdisciplinary design projects, exchanging ideas, creative processes, and perspectives across cultures.

Working together across disciplines and borders encouraged students to approach familiar challenges in new ways, deepening their understanding of design as both a collaborative practice and a global language. Through shared studio experiences, cultural exchange, and creative problem-solving, students gained valuable insights that will continue to inform their artistic and professional futures.