Skip to main content
Short course

Art Direction for Hospitality and Travel Short Course

Book course
<p>Art Direction for Hospitality and Travel Short Course | Dual mode<br></p><p>Image: Work by Clara Saez Calabuig | UAL</p>
Learn how to walk into a place, understand its character, and build a language around it. Develop a place-led creative concept that you can use in your portfolio.
Next start months
January 2027
Tutor(s)
Antonella Bordone
Price
From £740.00

Course description

Course overview

This course teaches the core skill that most design courses overlook - how to walk into a place, understand its character, and build a visual language around it. It is the work that separates generic hospitality and travel content from work that feels genuinely distinctive.

Taught through real case studies from international shoots and campaigns, this inspiring short course covers research and observation, reading cultural context, translating atmosphere and light into visual direction and building a cohesive creative concept rooted in place rather than trend.

Students leave with a complete place-led creative concept they can use in a portfolio or pitch to real clients in hospitality, travel and lifestyle.

This course is available to study both online and on campus. The price and duration vary depending on the mode of study, allowing you to choose the option that best fits your schedule and preferred learning style:

  • Online learning offers a more flexible, part-time approach, ideal if you are balancing study with other commitments
  • On campus classes provide a more immersive, intensive learning experience in a shorter timeframe
Please check the location assigned to each date in the booking section to ensure you select your preferred study option.

Who this course is for

This course is aimed at designers, photographers, content creators, and aspiring art directors working in or moving into hospitality, travel and lifestyle brands. It is an excellent fit for individuals who are new to this sector or who aspire to work in it and want to learn how to think about place as the foundation of creative work.

Level of experience: beginner to intermediate. Some prior creative or design experience is helpful but not essential.

Necessary experience: none required, though familiarity with photography, design, or content creation is an advantage.

Key information

Topics covered

  • Research and observation techniques
  • Reading cultural context and local identity
  • Translating atmosphere and light into visual language
  • Building a cohesive creative concept and briefing a shoot
Learning outcomes

  • Apply research and observation techniques to understand the character of a place
  • Identify cultural context and translate it into visual direction
  • Develop a visual language rooted in a specific place rather than a generic template
  • Develop a creative concept for a hospitality or travel brief
  • Identify the key components of a brief suitable for directing a photographer or crew
  • Present a creative concept to a brief
  • Digital badge and certificate of attendance
Materials

On campus

  • Notebook and pen
  • A laptop or tablet is useful for building a mood board or visual concept but not essential

Online:

If you are taking this course online, please see our Guide to taking online short courses.

Tutor

Antonella Bordone

Antonella Bordone is a British-Italian Art Director and Creative Director with over 15 years’ experience across luxury hospitality, travel and editorial brands. She has led creative production across Europe, the Americas, and Asia, including senior roles at The Economist Group, Metro Newspaper, and Ink Global, where she worked across more than 20 international titles. She has also directed destination campaigns for clients including the Budapest Tourism Board and spent six years leading creative for Hilton Grand Vacations. Antonella is the founder of A Little Louder, a creative studio working with independent hotels, retreats, and destination brands.

Book a course

Loading

Short Courses