Visual Communication Design Division Stellenbosch University

VCD course description and objectives:

The Visual Communication Design programme serves to train and educate designers to function professionally in a complex society permeated by rich and diverse cultural values, attitudes and needs. The programme engages in critical examination and exploration of the dynamic relations that exist between social and environmental contexts, contemporary culture, m

edia and technology. Inter- and cross-disciplinary approaches help students to bridge gaps and make connections across media, disciplines and techniques. Exploration of a broad range of design concepts, tools, and methods focuses on the appropriate function and purpose to inform, interpret, instruct, persuade, or to affect the intended user or audience across a spectrum of applications and scenarios. The Visual Communication Design programme aims to balance and interweave analogue and digital communication design skills. Exploration and improvement of traditional hand skills in tandem with digital innovation seek to broaden and redefine disciplinary boundaries as well as to allow students’ personal interests and qualities to develop. A critical and socially minded discipline, the Visual Communication Design programme encourages students to become agents of change within the creative field as well as within social, cultural and environmental contexts. The programme therefor emphasises collaborative, participatory and interactive design processes and solutions.