UC Now Houses Prestigious International Design Journal

The Journal of Visual Communication has been continuously published for 47 years as, often, the only journal devoted to disseminating scholarly research related to the cultural impact and changing landscape of visual communication, what’s commonly known as graphic design.

Last year, the journal’s permanent editorial home moved to the University of Cincinnati’s top-ranked School of Design, with Mike Zender, professor of design and director of graduate studies in the school, taking up the reins as editor. The journal had previously been housed at the Rhode Island School of Design where design educator Sharon Poggenpohl had served as editor for the past 26 years.

According to UC’s Zender, the journal’s purpose – to advance design research among educators around the globe – will also further the education provided within the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning.

“The journal focuses on the latest findings, thought and, importantly, empirical research in the field of visual communication, what we call graphic design. It has been the source for the latest research – say legibility research – that is then used to advance and shape education and even practice. Having the journal at UC puts our faculty and students at the hub for the latest information of visual communication research,” he explains.

Zender adds that he’s happy to serve as the journal’s editor since “it gives me the perfect excuse to keep in touch with lots of smart people, the leading voices in design worldwide.”

He hopes to serve as editor for about the next decade, and in that time, he would like to further the journal’s reach in a number of ways. These include special review issues of the journal that would target practitioners in the field, as well as the collection of past issues on a searchable web site, thus furthering its reach and impact.

“Once we have the past issues online, we can also analyze the design trends of the last five decades. It’s my plan to have our first issue of the journal’s 50th year – in 2017 – serve as a review of the trends within design as evidenced by the journal’s trajectory of research,” Zender states.