Visual Communication Design
(Formerly Graphic Design)
Designers persuade, inform, and delight through visual means. Today's designers also offer guidance to sophisticated clients and develop design strategies and tactical approaches to meet a spectrum of needs and challenges across business, social, and cultural territories. Through a mixture of training and experience in visual communication design centered on typography, the program develops students' abilities to shape and solve problems, while expanding technical and visual skill sets across industry-relevant media, materials, and environments.
Because designers are increasingly called upon to communicate and collaborate across a diverse range of cultures, markets, and industries, students are also encouraged to enhance their intellectual, creative, and conceptual problem-solving capabilities through study in areas such as writing, business, art and art history, economics, philosophy, marketing, architecture, ethics, history, and sociology, for example.
B.F.A. Concentration in VCD
At the heart of the Visual Communication Design Concentration is a laboratory-like studio setting - where an active community, informal peer-interaction, and opportunities for collaborative output help inform students' preparation for professional practice. A small program within a large university, students receive individualized attention from design faculty and access to a growing K-State alumni network, within the context of broader resources and opportunities found at a large academic research institution.
VCD Concentration Required Courses
ART 285 - VCD Fundamentals
ART 290 - VCD I: Typography and Design Principles
ART 310 - VCD II: Methods and Processes
ART 390 - Design for Digital Media I
ART 395 - Introduction to Digital Photography
ART 400 - VCD III: Storytelling in Design
ART 420 - VCD IV: Design and Context
ART 576 - VCD Capstone I: Research
ART 580 - VCD Capstone II: Project
ART 585 - VCD BFA Portfolio and Professional Practices
ART 590 - Design for Digital Media II
ART 601 - Graphic Design History/Theory/Criticism
Full curricular guide: VCD BFA
B.F.A. Foundation Requirements (First year in Program)
All students wishing to earn a B.F.A. degree in the Department of Art complete the one-year Foundation program, which includes four Studio courses and a one-credit-hour course, Art Careers Seminar.
In the Spring semester, in which the Foundation requirements are completed, B.F.A. students take ART 205 and submit a portfolio for review to be admitted to the concentration of their choice.
Required Foundation Studio Courses (Starting Fall 2024):
- ART 105: Art Careers Seminar
- ART 174: A&D: Mixed Media Process & Exploration Lab
- ART 180: A&D: Color, Light, & Perception Lab
- ART 194: A&D: Community & Env Engagement Lab
- ART 200: A&D: Visual Representation and Fabrication Lab
- ART 205: Portfolio Review
VCD Technology Requirements:
- Mac laptop, minimum 13-inch screen (Apple is the industry standard for graphic design); 14-inch, preferred
- Minimum Specifications: Apple MacBook Pro with 13 13-inch screen M1 Chip with 8‑Core CPU and 8‑Core GPU, 256GB SSD Storage
- Dell XP13 or Microsoft Surface Book 3 laptops (not the surface tablet) are equivalent minimum Windows computer
- Complete Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, all applications (Use "Student and Teachers" Pricing)
- Cloud-based backup service and/or minimum 1TB backup drive
Program Opportunities:
Internship
Visual Communication Design students are encouraged to seek out and complete a professional internship experience between the Junior and Senior year. Internships are an integral part of the undergraduate educational experience, not least in providing further networking opportunities and helping to enhance resumes and portfolios. Faculty approved internships can be used for art-elective credits Summer applications are due in the early spring.
AIGA Student Organization
Our local AIGA student group is very active, often traveling to national conferences or events, arranging studio tours, bringing in influential contemporary designers, and informing majors of networking, event, internship and job opportunities. The AIGA is the largest professional organization of designers in the United States, and provides a broad range of information, experiences and networking opportunities for both up-and-coming and established designers.
Visual Communication Design Minor
Designers persuade, inform, and delight through visual means. A minor in Visual Communication Design helps students communicate and collaborate across a diverse range of cultures, markets, and industries.
Update
The Art Department has restructured course requirements for the VCD Minor. The information listed below will initiate the semester of Fall 2025.
If a student declared the VCD Minor prior to Fall 2025, they should review their DARS report if they are unsure which requirements they should follow.
Minor Requirements
3 Credits- Foundation Course*
ART 180 or ART 174 or IDSN 225** or ENVD 201**
6 Credits- Required Core Courses
ART 303 Visual Communication Design Techniques I**
ART 503 Visual Communication Design Techniques II**
9 Credits- Electives (choose 3 courses)
ART 330 Digital Techniques
ART 304 Digital Illustration
ART 104 Digital Photography for Non-Majors*** OR
ART 395 Introduction to Digital Photography ***
ART 335 Introduction to Printmaking
ART 407 Visual Communication Design Topics
ART 601 Graphic Design History/Theory/Criticism
ART 621 Advanced Concepts in Digital Video
ART 629 Foreign Studies in Visual Communication Design
Total Credit Hours: 18
*Foundation course is a prerequisite for taking core courses
**Prerequisite or permission required
***Only one Intro Photo course can be counted towards the VCD Minor
Program Technology Requirements
- Laptop capable of running Adobe Creative Cloud Suite
- Complete Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, all applications (Use "Student and Teachers" Pricing)
Ready to Sign up?
To declare a minor, please fill out this form
To drop a minor, please fill out this form
Do you need more information or have questions about classes? Please contact the Art Advisor.
Graduate Studies
The K-State MFA program with emphasis in Visual Communication Design consists of three intensive and exploratory years of thinking and making. It is structured to support passionate, driven candidates wishing to embark on advanced investigations in design-related areas. Program graduates are well-prepared to pursue positions of leadership as design thinkers, makers, and problem-solvers.
Over the course of the program, graduate students develop a personalized and unique direction in their work that culminates in a third-year capstone design project and exhibition. MFA candidates pursue areas of interest through in-depth independent study with departmental faculty and a cross-disciplinary graduate committee, selected by each student in consultation with their major professor. Design MFA students are allocated secure studio space in Willard Hall, as well as access to the rest of the Art Department facilities.
Qualified students may be eligible for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA), which provides financial support as well as valuable experience for future employment.
Program Facilities & Equipment
The Visual Communication Design area has approximately 1800 sq. ft. of classroom and work-space, two production areas, and access to the department print lab, and other facilities in Willard Hall.
Faculty
Mervi Pakaste
Professor & Area Coordinator
mpakaste@ksu.edu
Willard 322A
Daniel Warner
Associate Professor
dwarn@ksu.edu
Willard 322D
Mira Jung
Assistant Professor
mirajung@ksu.edu
Willard 306