ESdesign Barcelona School of Design

What ESdesign Barcelona School of Design does

ESDESIGN Barcelona School of Design (legal entity: ESDESIGN, S.L.) is a Spain-based, fully online higher education institution specializing in design. Founded around 2014 and headquartered in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat in the Barcelona metropolitan area, the school delivers 18 master's programs (including two double-degree tracks) across seven verticals: communication (branding, packaging, art direction), spaces (interior design, decoration, retail design, landscape architecture), interaction (UX/UI and audiovisual production), graphic and editorial design, fashion, and product design, plus a newer master's in artificial intelligence applied to creativity. Programs are taught in Spanish, run 100% online with live classes, and are led by active industry practitioners; the school reports more than 9,000 graduates (the website cites more than 10,200) and a 92% student recommendation rate.

The school operates a proprietary Virtual Campus learning management system that streams live classes, hosts course materials, and supports a digital portfolio system where students publish work; no public API or developer ecosystem exists. ESDESIGN's commercial model is B2C tuition-based, with no publicly disclosed pricing — prospective students submit information requests through the website and are contacted by an inside sales team via phone, WhatsApp, and email. This lead-to-enrollment motion is augmented by event-driven GTM (the annual FESesDESIGN festival in Barcelona, the LABesDESIGN innovation lab) and a community-led layer built around the ESDESIGNERS alumni network and talent programs (Call to Talent, Connect to Work, Ruta del Emprendimiento).

ESDESIGN is a wholly owned subsidiary of Grupo Planeta, the Spanish media and publishing conglomerate, and operates within its Planeta Formación y Universidades higher-education network, which spans 22 institutions in Spain, Andorra, France, Italy, North Africa, the USA, and Colombia, serving more than 160,000 students annually from 100 nationalities. Master's degrees are accredited in partnership with Universitat Carlemany. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through tuition fees; the company has no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no public financial reporting.

Name

ESdesign Barcelona School of Design

Legal name

ESDESIGN, S.L.

Website

https://esdesignbarcelona.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ESDESIGN is a Barcelona-based, 100% online design school offering 18 master's programs across communication, spaces, interaction, graphic, fashion, product, and AI-applied design, serving individual career-changers and design professionals globally and operating as part of Grupo Planeta's higher-education network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Design Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161)

akta.pro primary industry

Design Colleges (Graphic, Industrial, UX/UI, Interior) (EDAHAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fashion & Apparel Design Colleges (EDAHAJAF), Architecture Schools (within Arts & Design institutions) (EDAHAJAG)

Keywords

• Online design education
• Design master's programs
• Creative arts training
• E-learning design
• Professional design courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue - Master's Programs: The school generates revenue primarily through tuition fees for its master's programs and double master's programs. Programs include various design disciplines (Interior Design, Graphic Design, Branding, Fashion, Product Design, UX/UI, etc.) with 100% online delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ESDESIGN Barcelona School of Design is an online design school offering 100% online master's degree programs across multiple design disciplines including branding, interior design, graphic design, UX/UI, fashion, product design, and artificial intelligence applied to creativity. Programs are taught via live online classes by active industry professionals and award-winning practitioners, with project-based, industry-relevant curriculum. The school operates as a subsidiary within the Planeta Formación y Universidades network under Grupo Planeta, providing accessible design education to students worldwide.

Product overview

ESDESIGN Barcelona School of Design is an online design education institution offering a portfolio of 18 specialized master's programs (two of which are double-degree programs) across seven knowledge areas: Communication (branding, packaging, art direction), Spaces (interior design, decoration, retail design, landscape architecture), Artificial Intelligence (AI applied to creativity), Interaction (web/UX-UI design, audiovisual production), Graphic and Editorial (digital graphic design, editorial design, illustration and animation), Fashion (fashion business and brand management), and Product (product design and digital modeling). The programs feature 100% online delivery with live classes taught by active industry professionals and award-winning practitioners. The institution operates under the umbrella of Grupo Planeta's Planeta Formación y Universidades network and differentiates through community engagement via ESDESIGNERS, annual festival FESesDESIGN, and innovation lab LABesDESIGN.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FESesDESIGN: Annual design festival held in Barcelona featuring workshops, conferences, tours and networking events for design students and professionals
• LABesDESIGN
• Campus
• E-shop ESDESIGN

Products and services

• Master's in Artificial Intelligence Applied to Creativity and Design (Máster en Inteligencia Artificial Aplicada a la Creatividad y el Diseño) Online master's program integrating artificial intelligence into creative design processes, training students to use generative AI tools across text, image, video, and audio modalities for research, conceptualization, and production.
• Master's in Branding, Creativity and Brand Communication (Máster en Branding, Creatividad y Comunicación de Marca) Online master's program in branding, creativity, and brand communication covering strategic brand development, creative messaging, and visual identity for professionals and career changers.
• Master's in Packaging and Visual Identity (Máster en Packaging e Identidad Visual) Online master's program focused on packaging design and visual identity systems development for consumer-facing brands and products.
• Master's in Design and Art Direction (Máster en Diseño y Dirección de Arte) Online master's program in design and art direction covering creative leadership, visual communication, and campaign development.
• Double Master's in Branding, Packaging and Visual Identity (Doble Máster en Branding, Packaging e Identidad Visual) Online integrated double-degree master's combining branding, packaging, and visual identity into a single program for comprehensive brand and packaging design mastery.
• Master's in Interior Design (Máster en Diseño de Interiores) Online master's program in interior design covering spatial design, environmental aesthetics, and residential and commercial interior planning.
• Master's in Interior Decoration (Máster en Decoración de Interiores) Online master's program in interior decoration focusing on residential and commercial space styling, materials, and decorative concepts.
• Master's in Retail Design and Visual Merchandising (Máster en Retail Design & Visual Merchandising) Online master's program in retail design and visual merchandising for commercial spaces covering storefront, showroom, and point-of-sale design.
• Master's in Landscaping and Sustainable Urban Planning (Máster en Paisajismo y Urbanismo Sostenible) Online master's program in landscape architecture and sustainable urban planning covering outdoor space design, urban green infrastructure, and sustainability.
• Double Master's in Interior Design and Decoration (Doble Máster en Diseño y Decoración de Interiores) Online integrated double-degree master's combining interior design and interior decoration into a single comprehensive program.
• Master's in Multi-device Web Design: UX/UI (Máster en Diseño Web Multidispositivo: UX/UI) Online master's program in multi-device web design covering UX/UI design principles, user experience research, and interface implementation across devices.
• Master's in Audiovisual Production and Communication (Máster en Producción y Comunicación Audiovisual) Online master's program in audiovisual production and communication covering video, sound, and multimedia content creation.
• Master's in Digital Graphic Design (Máster en Diseño Gráfico Digital) Online master's program in digital graphic design covering visual communication for digital platforms, typography, and brand applications.
• Master's in Editorial Design and Digital Publications (Máster en Diseño Editorial y Publicaciones Digitales) Online master's program in editorial design and digital publications covering layout, publishing workflows, and editorial projects for print and digital formats.
• Master's in Illustration and Animation (Máster en Ilustración y Animación) Online master's program in illustration and animation covering digital illustration, motion graphics, and storytelling techniques.
• Master's in Fashion Business Creation and Brand Management (Máster en Creación y Dirección de Empresas y Marcas de Moda) Online master's program in fashion business creation and brand management covering fashion brand strategy, product direction, and creative leadership in the fashion industry.
• Master's in Product Design and Digital Modeling (Máster en Diseño de Producto y Modelado Digital) Online master's program in product design and digital modeling covering 3D prototyping, digital fabrication, and end-to-end product development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% student recommendation rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Arrels FundacióminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Social impact partner for FESesDESIGN 2026 festival. Entry to the festival was free with voluntary donation starting from 1€ to support Arrels Fundació, an organization supporting homeless people in Barcelona.
• Estrella DammminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Venue sponsor for FESesDESIGN 2026 festival. The festival was held at l'Antiga Fàbrica d'Estrella Damm, the historic brewery facility in Barcelona.
• Europa FMminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 June 2026Media partner for FESesDESIGN 2026 festival, helping promote the design festival and extend its reach to broader audiences.
• Planeta Formación y UniversidadescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESDESIGN is part of Planeta Formación y Universidades, the international higher education network of Grupo Planeta. The network comprises 22 educational institutions in Spain, Andorra, France, Italy, North Africa, the USA, and Colombia, serving more than 160,000 students from 100 nationalities annually.
• Grupo PlanetacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company providing educational infrastructure, resources, and institutional backing for ESDESIGN's operations.
• Universitat CarlemanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing degree accreditation and validation for ESDESIGN's master's programs alongside the institution's own credentials.
• Disseny Hub BarcelonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for LABesDESIGN 2024 event, located at Pl. de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona. The design hub serves as a venue for ESDESIGN's multidisciplinary design lab events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Domus Academy: Domus Academy is a Milan-based postgraduate design school offering master's programs in design, fashion, business, and experience. Direct peer targeting the same career-advancing master's audience with industry-practitioner faculty and project-based learning.
• Hyper Island: Hyper Island is a UK/Sweden-based creative and digital business school offering immersive programs in design, leadership, and innovation with strong online and hybrid delivery. Comparable as a modern, industry-led creative education institution serving career changers and upgraders.
• IED Istituto Europeo di Design: IED is a major European network of design schools with campuses in Italy, Spain, and other markets, offering master's and undergraduate programs across fashion, design, communication, and visual arts. Comparable as a private, multi-discipline design school with industry-aligned curriculum and online delivery.
• Shillington: Shillington is a global design education provider offering online and in-person bootcamps in graphic design for career changers. Direct peer in the online design education space targeting working professionals seeking practical credentials.
• BAU Barcelona School of Design: BAU is a Barcelona-based private design college affiliated with the University of Vic, offering undergraduate and master's degrees in graphic design, interior design, product design, and audiovisual design. Direct competitor with overlapping master's portfolio in the same local market.
• ELISAVA Barcelona School of Design and Engineering: ELISAVA is Barcelona's leading design school, offering undergraduate, master's, and continuing education programs across graphic, product, interior, and interaction design with strong industry ties. Closest direct geographic competitor sharing the same Barcelona ecosystem and target audience of career-advancing design professionals.
• Miami Ad School: Miami Ad School is a global advertising and design school operating across multiple countries with hybrid and online programs targeting aspiring creative professionals. Comparable as a private, industry-focused design education brand with global delivery and practitioner faculty.

Broad incumbents

• Parsons School of Design (The New School): Parsons is a leading US-based design school within The New School, offering undergraduate and graduate programs online and on campus across fashion, graphic, interior, product, and UX/UI design. Broad incumbent with overlapping master's offerings and stronger global brand recognition.
• IE School of Architecture and Design (IE University): IE University's School of Architecture and Design offers undergraduate and master's programs in design, fashion, and architecture with campuses in Madrid and Segovia plus online delivery. Comparable Iberian peer with master's-level design programs, university accreditation, and global student recruitment.

Regional players

• EINA (Escola d'Art i Superior de Disseny): EINA is Barcelona's historic art and design school affiliated with the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, offering degrees in graphic design, product design, and interior design. Comparable regional peer anchoring Barcelona's design education ecosystem, primarily serving Spanish-speaking students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/esdesign_bcn
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxzn4V-4jDcI7ZtL8gQStYw
• Facebookfacebook.com/EsdesignBarcelona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/esdesign-barcelona
• Instagraminstagram.com/esdesign_bcn

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ESdesign Barcelona School of Design