IF DESIGN LAUNCHES ACADEMY IN SEPTEMBER 2025
iF Design, renowned for its prestigious iF Design Award and more than seventy years of advancing design culture worldwide, has announced the launch of the iF DESIGN ACADEMY. The new initiative opens in September 2025 and positions itself as a forward-looking training hub for design leaders who want to deepen their strategic, entrepreneurial and personal skills. With courses available through ifdesign-academy.com, the Academy combines interactive live online sessions in English with plans for in-person formats from 2026. By drawing on a network of globally recognized experts from Apple, McKinsey, IBM, and more, it expands the platform’s mission beyond awards and exhibitions, establishing an original space dedicated to cultivating leadership that is effective, responsible and sustainable.
with the iF DESIGN ACADEMY, iF Design is launching a forward-looking training program for design leaders | all images courtesy of iF Design
THE PROGRAM’S STRUCTURE IS BUILT AROUND four PILLARS OF EXPERTISE
At the heart of the iF DESIGN ACADEMY lies the conviction that design leadership, besides being a profession, is a role of responsibility in times of rapid transformation. The Academy builds directly on iF Design’s legacy, with CEO Uwe Cremering describing it as a ‘logical next step’ in the brand’s evolution. The program aims to create an environment where design leaders can acquire new skills while sharing experiences and expand their perspectives in dialogue with peers. The curriculum is structured around four pillars of expertise: business understanding, which sharpens economic thinking and strategic action in the context of design; personal growth, which enhances emotional intelligence and leadership qualities; future literacy, which prepares participants to address global change processes with awareness and foresight; and Operationalize & Scale Design in Organizations, which increases the impact of the design function across the organization.
‘The founding of the iF DESIGN ACADEMY is a logical next step in the further development of our brand. It complements the iF Design portfolio with a global learning and further education offering that is specifically tailored to the needs of the next generation of design leaders. We are thus creating a space in which design leaders can network, pass on their knowledge and exchange ideas,’ points out Uwe Cremering, CEO iF Design.
the Academy’s courses start in September 2025 and are aimed at experienced designers
THE ACADEMY’S courses are tailored to professionals
The Academy’s first round of courses offers a blend of foundational and advanced opportunities tailored to professionals at different stages of their leadership journey. The Design Leadership Studio 01 introduces prospective leaders to essential frameworks, while Design Leadership Studio 02 builds on the experience of seasoned managers. More specialized modules such as Leading Beyond Design, Expanding Organizational Influence, and Elevating Your Design Team address the realities of managing teams and organizations in a complex environment. Looking ahead, the Academy is also preparing courses that focus on urgent future themes such as artificial intelligence and sustainable design leadership, set to debut in 2026. Each program is structured as a collaborative, application-oriented experience, ensuring that theory is consistently tied to practice.
‘iF Design has always aimed to raise the bar of quality and spread the word about high quality design. I’m honoured to be one of the academy instructors and experts and excited to apply the same thinking about quality to design leadership,’ explains Andy Polaine, Lead lecturer Leadership Studio 02.
the content focuses on four central areas of expertise: Business Understanding, Personal Growth, and Future Literacy
To deliver this content, iF DESIGN ACADEMY has assembled an international faculty of influential figures who bridge design, business and education. Among them is Garen Kouyoumjian, a former McKinsey associate partner who co-authored the consultancy’s influential reports on the business value of design and now leads the course ‘Leading Beyond Design.’ Meanwhile, Tiffany Chen, who drives strategy for Apple’s Retail Engagement and Marketing team after a career at IDEO, brings her expertise in human-centered design and leadership development to ‘Leadership Studio 01.’ Andy Polaine, an educator, writer and former Fjord group design director, contributes decades of experience to ‘Leadership Studio 02’ while also serving as a guest lecturer in Studio 01.
Among them is Doug Powell, a widely recognized design leader and former vice president at IBM and Expedia, who shares his insights into scaling organizational influence and cross-functional design practices. Rounding out the team is Peter Merholz, co-founder of Adaptive Path and co-author of the standard-setting book ‘Org Design for Design Orgs,’ who advises on building effective and resilient design teams. Together, these lecturers bring impressive credentials as well as the credibility of having shaped design leadership at the highest levels.
a special feature of the Academy is the combination of depth of content, international perspective and access to a global network
Courses at the Academy are delivered as live online formats, supported with interactive modules that invite participation and peer-to-peer exchange. Subtitles ensure inclusivity, opening the program to a truly global audience. Beginning in 2026, face-to-face workshops and networking events will complement the online learning experience, giving participants the chance to form deeper connections with lecturers and fellow design leaders. By combining digital flexibility with in-person engagement, the iF DESIGN ACADEMY embraces a hybrid model that reflects both the demands of contemporary professional life and the enduring importance of community in the world of design.
‘Being able to engage with such a diverse student body, spanning the globe, representing a vast variety of industries, and across the range of professional design practices – this is what excites me about teaching at the iF DESIGN ACADEMY,’ says Peter Merholz, Lead Lecturer Elevating Your Design Team.
the courses are led by globally recognized experts from design, business and science
(from left to right) Doug Powell, Peter Merholz, Andy Polaine, Tiffany Chen and Garen Kouyoumjian
project info:
name: iF DESIGN ACADEMY
lead lecturers: Garen Kouyoumjian; Doug Powell; Peter Merholz; Tiffany Chen; Andy Polaine
launch date: September, 2025
courses: ifdesign-academy.com
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