What Is Visual Communication Design?
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design (VCD) is the only professional oriented B.F.A. within the Visual Arts program, bridging fine art with applied graphic and digital design. The program merges conceptual thinking with professional-skill building, preparing students to communicate ideas clearly and creatively. Grounded in historical and contemporary practices, students work across analog and digital methods while developing a strong understanding of how design shapes identity, representation and meaning for individuals and institutions.
In the program, you'll build technical fluency alongside skills in visual storytelling, critical theory and research-based creative practice. Studio projects emphasize human-centered design, critical content and narrative development, encouraging students to think conceptually while responding to evolving tools, technologies and global design.
In their final year, student participate in a year-long B.F.A. Capstone alongside Studio Art B.F.A. students, gaining mentorship, conducting research, developing professional portfolios and presenting thesis work in a public exhibition. Together, these experiences prepare graduates to be adaptable, thoughtful designers equipped for an ever-changing design landscape.
Want to become involved with the Department of Visual Arts? Consider getting a tour of the UW Visual Arts facilities to learn more about our spaces and programs.
Faculty in the VCD program bring internationally recognized expertise through scholarly
research, exhibitions, industry experience and cross-disciplinary work, creating a
balanced learning environment that sets the program apart.
Associate Professor Peter Fine practiced graphic design for 15 years and brings a wealth of knowledge to students
at UW. His latest work is The Design of Race: How Visual Culture Shapes America. Associate Professor Brandon Gellis focuses on identity in his work and has won multiple Juror’s Choice Awards.
Photo Credit: "Ephemeral City 3," VCD Associate Professor Brandon Gellis
What Can You Do with a B.F.A. in Visual Communication Design?
Graduates of the B.F.A. in Visual Communication Design enter the professional design world with a competitive portfolio and strong conceptual grounding. Alumni pursue careers in design firms, media companies, cultural institutions, museums, galleries, tech startups and illustration and design roles, while others continue on to graduate study. Many graduates start their own design businesses or become active members of local and regional creative communities, applying their skills across a wide range of creative and professional contexts. The hybrid nature of design, combining the verbal and the visual, is used to emphasize the graphic designer's particular role as author and entrepreneur. Design for sustainability's vital role in defining an optimal future is expressed through a collaborative and process-based method that emphasizes a human-centered approach to crafting solutions and tackling problems as designers.
- Graphic Designer
- Artist
- Interior Designer
- Photojournalist
- Teacher/Professor
- Internet Publisher
- Web/App Designer
- Fashion Designer
- Advertiser
- George Washington University
- OPTiMO Information Technology
- Caballero Graphics & Design
- Interweave
- Jetset Magazine
- Talking Stick Resort
- Pei Wei
- Ricoh USA, Inc.
- Arizona Facility Supply
- Concept Pro Creative
A visual communication design major focuses on using visual elements—like typography, color, layout, imagery and digital media—to convey messages and solve design problems. Students learn how to combine creativity with strategy to create effective designs for branding, advertising, web design, user interfaces, packaging, motion graphics and more. The major blends artistic skills with communication theory, giving students the tools to design with purpose and impact across print and digital platforms.
Visual communication design and graphic design are closely related, but visual communication design takes a broader approach. While graphic design focuses on creating visual content like logos, posters and digital media, visual communication design emphasizes how visuals convey ideas and information across a range of platforms—including branding, UX design, motion graphics and more. If you're interested in both creative expression and strategic communication, visual communication design offers a wider lens and more diverse career paths.
The VCD curriculum emphasizes a "Design for Impact" ethic by exploring the cultural, ethical and environmental roles of design. Students are encouraged to question and shape the world around them through design for sustainability, equity and innovation. From typography and branding to speculative design and visual activism, students learn to design with purpose.
