The 11th edition of the summer school came to a close on Saturday 26th July. We welcomed 16 participants from around the world, together with five tutors and other guests.

At the beginning of every edition we draw peoples attention to how quickly the two weeks pass by, and one would think that by now, after all these years, this would render us – the tutor team at least – immune to the sensation of time evaporating before our eyes. And yet…

The Escola Artística e Profissional Árvore (Àrvore Artistic and Professional School), was once again the venue for course in the heart of the city. We are indebted to their generosity.

As in previous editions the structure of the course balanced dynamic group projects with individual contributions and development, together with discussion, illustrated talks, practical production and of course, social time.

The first week included short practical exercises focused on observation, structure and hierarchy, and the act of subtraction within the design process. Also included were lectures by Andrew Howard, André Cruz and Hamish Muir.

The second week began with a talk by tutor Ana Resende, and in midweek an informal book evening was organised in which a number of quests were each invited to talk about a project of their choice. Our guests this year were Fabian Harb, co-founder with Johannes Breyer of Dinamo Typefaces, João Castro, founder of The Royal Studio, Susana Carvalho, co-founder together with Kai Bernau of the design studio Carvalho Bernau, and designer Pedro Nora.

The two weeks culminated in the presentation of four editorial projects. Each one the result of group discussion and designing, dissecting and redesigning, refining and fine-tuning. Each ensuing publication the result of careful production planning, printing and finishing. Five copies were made of each, one for each of the group members and one for the summer school. Twenty five books in all. Quite an achievement in such short period of time.

The results will be posted in the near future. As this collaborative deep dive into editorial design wraps up, we're once again left with a wealth of new connections and plenty to reflect on. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made it happen. We are grateful for the engagement, dedication, and the openness and friendship from all who took part.