Visual Discovery Conference in Miami provides unique perspective for VisCom students

Zoe Cranfill, a third-year student at the School of Visual Communication (VisCom) majoring in photojournalism and minoring in commercial photography, just returned from the 2024 Visual Discovery Conference (VDC) in Miami, Florida, and is a student at Augsburg. I'm already excited about the possibility of attending next year's VDC. ,Germany.

“I think the Visual Discovery Conference is an essential experience for our students because it allows them to collaborate with other schools and experience how we work,” Cranfill said. “This will give you an idea of ​​how our school works and also give you an idea of ​​other visual communication methods.”

VDC is a student-centered gathering of students and faculty from renowned international design schools, where student collaboration and experiential learning are at the heart of the exciting event. During the five-day workshop, which includes a variety of themes important to each host city, students from different international schools will collaborate to create a visual story, which will be presented in an oral/visual presentation on the final day. With professional keynote and faculty talks, student exhibitions, student design competitions, and exploration days, the event provides a variety of opportunities for cross-cultural exchange, learning, and professional discussion. His VDC, hosted annually by one of the participating universities, provides participants with a compelling insight into the diverse cultural environments and campus life of international design universities.

“The Visual Discovery Conference is a life-changing opportunity for students interested in visual storytelling,” said Timothy Goheen, director of the Ohio University School of Visual Communication. “VDC is an example of the best that Ohio State has to offer, giving students the opportunity to grow not only skill-wise but culturally as well. That's what the college experience is all about.”

The 2024 VDC was held in Miami, Florida and hosted by Professor Alberto Cairo of the University of Miami, a renowned data visualization expert. Students and faculty from Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, Ohio University, University of North Carolina, Florida International University, and Northeastern University attended. Students worked on visual projects about hurricanes, the Everglades, and the effects of global warming.

“I learned the importance of team communication and that everyone has talents that should be utilized,” Cranfill said. “We also learned that Florida is sinking. Sea levels are rising by a catastrophic amount.”

Two of the students who attended the last VDC in Lucerne, Switzerland, traveled to Miami again this year. Cranfill was one of them.

“Lucerne, Switzerland was amazing,” Cranfill said. “I chose Ohio University because of its great photojournalism program and because the faculty and environment at Ohio State made me feel so at home when I came to campus.”

This conference/workshop is the brainchild of an assistant professor in the Ohio University School of Visual Communication. Professor John Grimwade (now Professor Emeritus) and Professor Michael Stoll of the Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. The two wanted to offer students the opportunity to attend a professional storytelling conference/workshop without having to pay a fee. Students only pay for transportation, accommodation, and meals. His first VDC was held in 2018 at the University of Venice in Venice, Italy, and his second was held here at Ohio University in 2019.