The 3-year BA major educates responsible and skillful future designers who have the ability to operate independently in the wide field of visual communication. Students learn the praxis of graphic design using various tools and approaches, along with skills in conceptual and critical thinking. The curriculum offers studies in crucial skills for communication design, including layout, typography, visualization, motion graphics and animation, and basics of coding and programming.
In addition to skills, students become acquainted with creative problem solving, storytelling, design process, the impact of design, issues of societal and environmental sustainability, as well as aspects of professional life. As visual communication is based on conventions and forms influenced by previous technologies and media, it is considered essential to develop both the know-how of traditional design techniques as well as contemporary environments.
The VCD major addresses current and societal themes and treats visual communication as a tool for influencing, visualizing information, and responsible planning. The studies encourage creative experimentation, peer learning and support the student in finding one’s place, profile and expertise in a wide field of visual design. The curriculum prepares the student to work in a wide variety of design tasks independently or as a part of a multidisciplinary team. The aim is to train creative and collaborative visual communication design professionals who are able to handle large-scale design tasks in an open-minded, critical and responsible manner. Upon graduation, the student is equipped to operate in the professional field, and/or to continue to master's studies.
The extensive networks of VCD enable workshops, excursions, exchange studies and many kinds of collaborative projects also in international settings.
Grafia’s Vuoden Huiput 2021 is Finland's most important creative design competition. The main prize of the Young Creators series, the Gold Top, has been awarded to VCD Master's student Aliisa Perikangas for her coursework Herätä minut (Awaken Me).