Highlighting outstanding creative work and celebrating the people behind it is what INTL is all about. We promote the creative industries and aim to build a supportive community through inspiring events, international projects and a global awards programme.
Since launching we have:
– Organised 230+ successful events and projects
– Organised 7x physical festivals in Scotland and 8x digital festivals
– Welcomed 250,000+ participants, visitors and contributors
– Received 56,000+ entries from 110+ countries to our International Poster Competition
– Attracted 80,000+ followers across socials
– Facilitated 180+ student/graduate placements
– Reach 3,000,000+ through socials and press each year
– Produce one of the world’s largest creative events
– Working with inspiring designers from around the world
– Fostering relationships with communities across the world
– Gained 9 years of experience curating, project managing, designing and leading
– Growing as a team of friends who love design, art and visual culture
– Encourage creative thinking
– Provide opportunities for people to learn, develop skills and grow
– Build and strengthen a creative community
– Connect people in different creative communities around the world
– Provide a platform for up-and-coming talent
– Create links between education and industry
– Celebrate the best in the creative industries
– Empower creative people
Networking and socialising play a key role in everything we do. Through INTL we aim to build longstanding relationships and a supportive community which spans world-wide.
INTL was launched in 2014 by Beth Wilson and James Gilchrist of Warriors Studio as Graphic Design Festival Scotland.
Frustrated with institutional education and with untameable fires in our belly’s we began by creating something which we hoped would solve some of the issues staring us in the face.
In our graduating year (2014) we decided to connect some of our idols in the industry with local agencies and our peers to create a space for learning and evolution.
Soon to be graduates (us and our peers) worked on live projects set by respected industry platforms along with established names, up-and-coming creatives and students on a combination of theoretical, skill-based, conceptual and practical projects. Working together, collaborating, speaking, eating and sharing in one space over the course of a week. A community was formed.
Combining the physical festival with an International Poster Competition connected the local event with the rest of the world. What began as a festival programme quickly became more than a festival.
A hopeful 5-day festival snowballed to into a monthlong programme of workshops, talks, competitions and exhibitions and this grew year-on-year to become Scotland’s largest design event and an established event internationally.
As everything grew, the name Graphic Design Festival Scotland became redundant in every respect. With 6 years of experience and consistant ambition to improve and evolve we recognised the need for a more suitable name and identity which reflected our scope and vision for the future.
Months of thinking and development was resolved with Graphic Design Festival Scotland’s evolution into INTL.
Alongside INTL, we continue to run Warriors Studio. Discover more about the studio below
Launched in 2014 as Graphic Design Festival Scotland (GDFS), GDFS evolved into INTL in 2020.
After 6 editions of Graphic Design Festival Scotland and many beautiful experiences, it was time for us to look to the future and develop a new, more open, creative organisation.
Under the INTL umbrella, 3 key programmes are available for all creatives from across the world to participate in and benefit from:
International Festival + Assembly
An international creative festival and on-going events series. Get inspired, learn something new, make connections and evolve in the creative industry through a programme of conferences, workshops, socials and exhibitions. Currently this takes place online.
International Posters
A celebration of poster design through a global competition, exhibition and published book. Receiving over 30,000 posters from 107 countries since 2014, the competition is now open for entry.
International Creative Awards
Recognising leading creatives and outstanding projects through an international awards programme. You can find out more here.
The success and achievements of Graphic Design Festival Scotland and INTL would not be possible without the support of friends, family, volunteers, collaborators, funders and partners.
Thank you to each and every one of you for being a part of this supportive and inspiring community. The journey has been phenomenal so far.
Buckle up for the next chapter!
Love,
Beth Wilson, James Gilchrist
Co-founders
12th Isle
44 Flavours
A Day Out
Adrian Shaughnessy
Al White
Alan Kitching
Aleia Murawski
Alex Wallbaum
Alice Rooney
Amber Weaver
Angus Hyland
Animal New Delhi
Anna Beil
Anthony Burrill
Ard
Aurelia Peter
Balmer Hahlen
Brian Not Brian
Calum Douglas
Campfire
Cass Art
Cause & Effect
Caviar
Ciaran Glöbel
City of Glasgow College
Claudia Klat
CodeBase
Colophon
Corbin Mahieu
Creative Edinburgh
Creative Jobs Board
Creative Review
Creative Scotland
Célestin Krier
D8
Daan Rietbergen
Danielle Pender
David Carson
Debbie Millman
Design Displacement Group
Design33
DINES® [STUDIO BLUP]
Dissolving Dancefloor
Dominic Kesterton
DR-Foundry
DR.ME
Edwin Pickstone
Eike König
Elijah Anderson
Elise Mesner
Elph
Emblemmatic
Emily Oberman
Eric Hu
Erich Brechbühl
Erik Kessels
Étienne Hervy
Europium
Eva Cremers
Everyday Practice
Eye Magazine
Fedor Velyaminov
Felix Pfaffli
Femme Type
Fist
Foilco
Folch
Forty Two
Frame
Freddy Taylor
Freytag Anderson
Front Page
G F Smith
Going Good Records
Good
Good Press
Grafik
Graphic Thought Facility
Graphical House
GraphicDesign&
Greg La Marche
Grilli Type
Handpicked
Hannah Clarke
Harry Pearce
HelloMe
Hey Studio
HORT
Hungry Sandwich Club
Ieva Blaževičiūtė
ILKA
Ines Alpha
Infinite Eye
International Magic
Isabel Seiffert
Isla Macer Law
It’s Nice That
Izabel
J Thomson
Jack Sachs
Jaemin Lee
Jamhot
Jamie McIntyre
Jane Stockdale
Jay Daniel Wright
Jessica Hische
Jon Burgerman
Joshua Barr
Juhi Vishnani
Juli Baker
Karol Banach
Kat Loudon
Kelly Anna
Ken Kirton – Hato
Grafik
Kendall Henderson
Kerr Vernon
KesselsKramer Outlet
Koos Breen
Koto
Kunel Gaur
Kévin Bray
Lamm & Kirch
Lauren Law
Le Signe
Leta Sobierajski
Letterform Archive
Little Motel
Liza Enebeis
Lullabies for Insomniacs
MadeBrave
MAKlab
Marianne Wilson
Marina Willer
Mark Bohle
Maya Wild
Mitzi Okou
Mixcloud
Mohawk
Morgan Fortems
Mr Bingo
MTV
Nadine Kolodziey
Nam Huynh
Naresh Ramchandani
Natasha Jen
Neils & Vikki
Nejc Prah
Newspaper Club
Nobrow Press
Noemie Le Coz
Nous Vous
November
Noviki
Numbers
O Street
OKRM
On Top
Or Type
Orlando Lloyd
Pamela Tait
Pantone
Paula Scher
Pentagram
People of Print
Phaidon
PHYSICAL
Pierre Vanni
Please Respect Our Neighbours
PUTPUT
Radim Peško
Ragged Edge
Recoat
Red Light Records
Rich Tu
Riposte
Risotto
Rob Lowe
Roid (MSK)
Sally Hackett
Sarah Boris
Shiva Nallaperumal
So Weit So Gut
Spacehose
Spin
SPIN
Stance
Stand
Stay Fresh
Stefan Sagmeister
Stephanie Specht
Stephen McGilvray
Studio Dumbar
Studio Moross
Studio Nari
Studio Something
Studio Spass
STV Creative
Supermundane
Swiss Typefaces
Tako
Tangent
Tennents Lager
The Future Laboratory
The Lighthouse
The Rodina
The Skinny
Thierry Blancpain
Thirst
Tony Brook
Touch
Tropical
Two Times Elliott
Unfun
Urban Outfitters
Verònica Fuerte
VICE
Wade Jeffrey
Warriors Studio
Where are the black designers?
Whitespace
Wieden Kennedy
Wieden+Kennedy
Wikihouse
Wilfrid Wood
Will Hudson
Wolff Olins
Workhorse Press
Yamina Forzani
Yehwan Song
Yokollection
YONK
Yoyo Nasty
Yukiko
Zipeng Zhu