Purposeful and versatile, design is a pervasive form of visual culture. Everywhere and everyday, we interact with it - consciously or unconsciously, ephemerally or memorably. Design, at its worst, can mislead, offend, discriminate and sensationalize. At its best, it can inform, guide, delight, persuade, inspire, captivate and alert us. It most certainly influences our environment profoundly and determines the choreographies of daily life.

The School of Visual Arts is concerned with the question of what constitutes a sound education for visual communication designers in Pakistan. Design is most commonly associated with the field of advertising yet its scope is not limited to this aspect. Its potential lies not only in its importance to commerce but in its service and inspiration to humanity.

At SVA, we seek to integrate international design movements with the constantly changing demands of local society and industry. These are important issues because design in Pakistan is still a young and emerging discipline with great potential. The rich cultural heritage of this region offers future designers a vast source of material and inspiration. The rediscovery of aesthetics produced by craftsmen, calligraphers, artists and architects of the past is an exciting challenge for our students.

The Bachelors of Fine Art in Visual Communication Design is a four year undergraduate programme for students who intend to undertake inter-disciplinary design study. Our teaching strategies include self-directed and group projects, lectures, student ledseminars, workshops, conferences and a close rapport between students, faculty and the industry. Students gain the ability to use soft skills such as flexibility, precision, mobility, creative risk, teamwork, innovation. These skills are vital for the realization of daring, functional and attractive design solutions and for the ability to work with different project partners. Besides qualified faculty, visiting practitioners share their hands-on experiences of working in the world of design.

We foresee exciting vocational possibilities in the field of Visual Communication Design in Pakistan such as typographers, copywriters, illustrators, web and media designers, design historians, critics, researchers and consultants. The School of Visual Arts expects that graduates of this programme will pioneer design in Pakistan and will be instrumental in charting its future course.