Visual Communication

The BA in Visual Communication trains future graphic designers in the major disciplines of the field: editorial design, space design, visual identity, and interactive design. During the three years of study, students acquire all the tools, from the most traditional to the most innovative, and develop great formal and intellectual versatility enabling them to position themselves as autonomous and committed creators.

Teaching, which includes various work methods, personal follow-up, and the realisation of fictitious projects and real commissions, is carried out by practitioners and theoreticians in the field and favours a cross-disciplinary approach in order to facilitate professional integration in an environment that features ever-changing technology.

Drawing on the tradition and culture of Swiss graphic design as well as on the new challenges linked to the digital transition, the BA in Visual Communication maintains a privileged link with the BA in Illustration and the MA in Media Design. Within the course, particular attention is paid to the creation of images, both still and moving, and to narrative, interactive design, and digital cultures.

Within HEAD’s Visual Communication department, the new BA in Illustration focuses on practices based on images and narration: illustration, graphic novel and animation. Over three years, students acquire traditional and digital tools to develop their approach as authors. They experiment with drawing and image creation techniques in all their forms. They practice their skills in storytelling, scriptwriting or formulating messages. The course encourages students to be curious and critical of the surrounding culture, from fine arts to theatre, film, music, digital arts, literature and video games.

Teaching aims to help students master working methods as well as technical and theoretical skills, develop personal projects in the workshop and provide services to external clients. The particularity of this Bachelor’s degree is that it complements the learning process with graphic design fundamentals, which enable students to adapt their projects to different communication media, such as book publishing and audio-visual or digital productions, and to carry out commissioned work, which will promote successful professional integration. A series of lectures and workshops given by professionals in the field help students develop a personal visual culture while raising their awareness of our contemporary world’s social and artistic issues.

The MA in Media Design is for students who want to specialize in interaction design and explore its potential. Over two years, you will create digital narratives, interfaces, games, immersive experiences, and interactive installations. You will engage with creative coding and tools such as AI, VR, AR, and game engines. Beyond purely technical training, you will conduct field research in order to create scenarios, understand user needs and design concepts that balance innovation with a human-centered, social, and environmentally responsible approach.

The program revolves around three main topics. The first you will investigate the evolving landscape of human-machine interactions, using machine learning processes as you learn to “talk to robots”. The second, “interaction design with limited resources”, focuses on prototyping experiences that minimize the environmental footprint. Third, “games and narratives”, will teach you how to craft new storytelling and interactive experiences.

Program Overview

The Master in Visual Knowledge trains professionals capable of making content from a wide range of fields (scientific, economic, cultural, social, environmental, etc.) both visible and understandable. These experts master the analysis and graphic transformation of numerical, textual, and narrative data into clear and accessible visual systems, thereby facilitating communication with diverse audiences.
Projects are grounded in narrative strategies drawn from the humanities (journalism, sociology, anthropology), positioning visualization as a powerful medium for knowledge transmission. The curriculum combines the mastery of analog, digital, and generative tools with a critical reflection on the social and ethical impact of images in an age of information overload.

The program addresses the responsibility of designers in facing contemporary challenges, while exploring inclusive, ethical, and sustainable visual approaches. It emphasises real-world projects in collaboration with professionals, fostering hands-on experience, the development of technical, theoretical, and interpersonal skills, as well as the growth of a professional network.
An internship, which is optional and of variable duration, can complement the course between the first and second year.