Visual Communication and Change
30 creditsThis course focus on change, visual power and responsibility in visual communication. Students explore and reflect on a number of movements in society and how these movements communicate their message with visual communication. The students work with a critical graphic design project. The students also get an in-depth knowledge of semiotics, stylistic approaches and the similarities and differences between propaganda and advertising – the history, present and future. The course ends with an interdisciplinary project with the theme of change, where the student captures an in-depth knowledge and ability to work creatively in groups with a project of high complexity.
Portfolio and letter of intent guidelines
For your application to be deemed complete, you must submit a portfolio and a letter of intent. The portfolio must consist of the following three components:
Assignment A "Campaign for Change" (2 pages)
Use visual communication as a tool to design a campaign challenging overconsumption in today’s world. For example, this could mean the use of social media, fossil fuels, fast fashion, or any others issues you think are relevant to the topic. Present your idea with visualisations in one or several media of your choice (such as drawings, posters, infographics, photo, video, or animation) and write a short explanation of your thoughts and design choices. Keep in mind that a campaign is directed at a particular audience and to use visual communication to create awareness and change. Please reflect on this in your written explanation.
Assignment B "Present your own work" (6 pages)
Use the remaining pages to show your own creative work. Show us examples of your art or design practice. Make sure to include work that speaks to the vision of the program; that is, visual communication as an agent for sustainable change.
Letter of Intent
Please write a letter of intent that on one A4 page describes your interest in visual communication focusing on:
- What are you curious about?
- What do you want to change through design?
- How do you want to use your education to reach your goals?
- What sustainability is to you?
Your portfolio and letter of intent will be evaluated in terms of:
- Your capacity to envision and engage with your future as a design student
- Your previous and intended engagement with sustainability and change
- Your proficiency in expressing yourself in English
All images and documents should be compiled and submitted in one PDF. Please make a table of contents and include any necessary information about your assignments. If you are unable to upload your video or other media, please upload it to an external streaming site and share the link in your PDF.
Kalmar – the student city by the sea
In Kalmar centre, right next to the sea, you will find the university’s facilities that were inaugurated in August 2021. In Kalmar, everything is nearby, and you can take your bicycle to the university regardless of where you live in the city.
New students have housing guarantee. This means that you are entitled to student accommodation within two months. This is one of the reasons for Kalmar being appointed Student City of the Year 2023 by the Swedish National Union of Students. Kalmar has also received the award because the city offers students an excellent living environment. What is more, the city works actively to create opportunities for students to stay in Kalmar to work when they have completed their studies.
Kalmar municipality has about 70 000 inhabitants. Kalmar has a strong trade and industry with many companies that are on the forefront in green energy, e-commerce, and eHealth, which means there is good opportunity to establish contacts for your future work life.
Kalmar has a cultural history centre and has been named Sweden’s Summer City several times. No wonder, with all the hours of sun, beaches and concerts. What is more, the island of Öland is just one bridge away.
Build your own degree
Did you know that you can combine single-subject courses to build your own degree? In this way, you can design your own degree based on your interests and the career you are aiming for. This does not apply to all courses so make sure to check with a study counsellor at the faculty. Learn more about how you can build your own degree and become unique on the labour market.