Design through Behaviour, The Lava Workshop for Living Systems
Strip away the static polish and learn to build design systems that actually react and evolve. Join Lava Amsterdam to explore how simple, raw ideas can collaborate and grow into living visual languages.
Upcoming workshop dates
Choose the session that fits your schedule. Live & online. We believe in the power of real-time collaboration, so no recordings—just hands-on learning. Limit: Strictly limited to 15 participants to ensure individual mentoring.
If you have any questions about the course, feel free to email us at franziska@schoolofsystems.org.
Date: TBA
Location: Live online, Google Meet
Please note: This workshop will not be recorded.
Language: English
Price: 250€ + VAT
About the workshop:
In this workshop, we strip away the polish to reveal the engine. Lava Amsterdam invites you to stop treating design as something you apply to make things just to look great, and start using it as a system that functions, reacts and evolves. We begin with simplicity because it has clarity, a skeletal idea is the one thing coders, designers and pencil people can all adopt at the same time.
You evolve your approach to the system, and we iterate together. Where it grows is never where anyone expected
This session is designed for designers of all kinds and levels. Whether you are a student building your first portfolio or a seasoned professional looking to disrupt your routine, the workflow is built to be inclusive. We welcome all mediums: it doesn’t matter if your primary tool is a coding environment, a motion timeline, or a physical sketchbook. The only requirement is a curiosity about how systems work behind the scenes.
Participants will explore the mechanics of living systems, moving away from static rules toward adaptive behaviors. We will practice refining collaboration by using intentionally simple starting points that allow different crafts—from analog to digital—to intersect effectively. By focusing on the “how” rather than the “what,” you will learn to build more resilient design processes that allow an identity to evolve from a simple core into a unique, complex system.
Outcome: You will leave with a practical philosophy for building identities that grow naturally from simple seeds into unique visual languages. You’ll gain a clearer perspective on how to use playful interactive processes to develop living, cohesive visual systems. Most importantly, you’ll take home a new perspective and tools to reflect on your creative practice and what a brand can be.
About Lava:
Lava is an Amsterdam-based branding and design studio that brings brands to life. They help organizations adapt, connect, and evolve in real time.
By fusing strategy, design, and technology, Lava creates living identities and digital products that keep organizations moving forward—and make them impossible to ignore.
For 35 years, Lava has guided brands of every size toward lasting relevance. Their legacy includes transformative work for icons such as Tony’s Chocolonely, Museumkaart, Waternet, Amsterdam 750, KRO-NCRV, UNStudio, Lightyear, and LINDA.
