School of Visual Communication Design
November Scholar Puts Communication on Display
Scholar of the Month
Jessica Barness
Assistant Professor of Visual Communication Design
College of Communication and Information
2012-present
The word “communication” likely makes you think of language, but November’s Scholar of the Month has spent her entire career researching design as a language of its own.
Across various media, Jessica Barness, an assistant professor in şÚÁĎÍř’s School of Visual Communication Design, creates her own design-based research model that merges the making of artifacts with critical inquiry.
“I’m interested in the multiple facets of design,” she said. “Design is social, and it’s a professional practice as well as a scholarly discipline. We’re designing artifacts and experiences, but we’re also building the new knowledge necessary to inform and lead those activities. Research through design can be used to better understand people, phenomena, theories or technologies. By approaching design as a sort of hybrid practice, our students learn how to adapt to future needs within our society.
Scholar Puts Communication on Display
Scholar of the Month Jessica Barness Assistant Professor of Visual Communication Design College of Communication and Information 2012-present The word “communication” likely makes you think of language, but November’s Scholar of the Month has spent her entire career researching design as a la…Registration Open Through May 15 for Inspire, the Kent State Design Academy
Reduced tuition rate available for those who sign up by April 15 şÚÁĎÍř’s School of Visual Communication Design will host its annual pre-college design academy, Inspire, which explores all areas of graphic design, from June 20-24. During Inspire, students engage in projects combining…Communication Studies Student Interns with the School of Visual Communication Design
Kara Taylor, a senior applied communication major, is interning with the School of Visual Communication Design this spring. As one of their marketing interns, Taylor is responsible for covering VCD events and writing content for the school’s social media platforms, alumni magazine and alumni website…Technology Requirements
Fall 2025 and Spring 2026All Design, Illustration, User Experience Design and Photography students are recommended to purchase a laptop computer for their classes. A MacBook Air, Chromebook, iPad, tablet, or a similar device is NOT sufficient for these classes.We recommend purchasing your laptop com…
VCD Grad Student Illustrates Marvel Comic
Chad Lewis, a graduate student in the School of Visual Communication Design at şÚÁĎÍř, has hammered out a career in illustration by penning his version of Thor’s origin story for the latest Marvel Avengers comic. 
Kent State Communication Students Invade UK, Ireland for Education Abroad Experience
Fifty şÚÁĎÍř students from the College of Communication and Information participated in education abroad programs in Europe this spring, visiting Northern Ireland, Ireland and England in May. Three of the college’s classes studied specialized areas in communications in both the U.K…Schedule A Visit to CCI
New students are encouraged to visit campus to learn more about our programs in media, design, communication, technology and information.