A revamped visual communications minor program will be available to students in every school of the University next semester. Frank Oros, the coordinator for the visual communications department, described the evolution of the minor program as “a response to not just academic needs but industry needs,” in light of the rapidly expanding world of communication technologies,

The expansion of this program stems from a growing awareness that the skills offered by visual communications are not only useful but essential to people in a variety of disciplines and professions.

“[To be familiar with visual communications is] to know not just the tools of technology but also how to use images and words effectively, to bring meaning to objects or ideas that either never had meaning or had complex meaning previously,” said Oros.

Thus, starting in fall 2006 students in all schools of the University will have access to a restructured visual communications minor, which Oros describes as “an expansion and an extension of what we did before.”

Next semester, this minor, which has existed as an art school program for about 10 years, will offer several electives that cover the range of applications involved with the field of visual communications, including a few entirely new courses.

According to Oros, visual communications consists of “anything that you see that carries information,” from a simple object such as a business card to an entire art exhibit.

“It’s all about word and image relationships and how the two work together to deliver information,” said Oros.

As the various means of communication have been quickly evolving in recent years, the demand for the skills and the creative innovation associated with the field of visual communications has been growing as well.

“With the rapid expansion of media forms and the glut of info, everybody from every professional area needs – practically requires – the ability and skills to communicate effectively visually using words and images,” said Oros. “In essence, familiarity with visual communications lends an understanding of how to break through the mass of information that constantly surrounds us in order to become paramount in someone’s landscape, which is a skill that has become more and more pertinent to everyone, from engineers to doctors.”

Students minoring in visual communications will be required to take Visual Communications 1, and will then be able to choose from a wide variety of electives, including 2-D Design; Sound Design, which covers the means of enhancing a story with sound; and Typography and Letterform, which concerns the use of the letter form to communicate not only as text but as an image.

In addition, the minor program will offer Visual Communications and Business, which is meant to teach business school and Arts & Sciences students the art of visual communications as applied to internal communications, such as presentations, as well as external communications like logos and advertising.

New courses include the advanced Visual Communications 2 as well as Basic Illustration.

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