The LAB Institute of Design and Fine Arts is one of the largest Finnish schools in its field.
The establishment aimed at meeting the contemporary demands of educating young men with the necessary theoretical and practical skills in agricultural crafts.
Later called Lahden taide- ja käsiteollisuusoppilaitos this college joined together the above mentioned crafts college, the Lahti art school (later known as Lahden Taideinstituutti) and the Helsinki goldsmith school (Helsingin Kultaseppäkoulu).
The digitalization of communication brought with it the department of Multimedia production (later under the title Media Design).
The school has during its history educated many professionals in key positions around the world in such companies as Honda, Toyota, Apple, Marimekko, Nokia and H&M.