Master of Arts in  Visual Communication - IED Roma

Language

English

Start date

October 2026

Frequency

Full time

Fruition

On campus

Duration

2 Years

Credits

120 CFA / ECTS

Course Coordination

Matteo Modena, Francesco Lapo Ceccherelli

How does visual communication help interpret information and understand the increasingly complex world in which we live?

We live in an age of extraordinary transformations, marked by an overabundance of information, rapid changes, and urgent global challenges associated with environmental and social sustainability. As a result, visual communication becomes an essential tool for decoding and making accessible the complexity of the present by providing new and necessary keys to be able to interpret it.

Master of Arts in Visual Communication. Data Ecologies for Decoding Complexity positions itself in this scenario by training conscious designers capable of using visual design as a tool to interpret reality and translate it into stories that facilitate a collective understanding of the world. This is in line with DesignXCommons vision, i.e., design applied to the integration of common resources and planetary regeneration. 

Through the acquisition of analytical skills, design competencies, and mastery of digital tools, students will learn to develop visual communication projects and apply them to complex fields. They will be able to translate data and information into engaging and accessible narratives.

The curriculum includes theoretical explorations regarding the dynamics of visual perception, the evolution of media and languages, and communication ethics. All these are essential for fostering a critical perspective and awareness of how design decisions impact the understanding of reality.

These competencies are integrated into a design approach that combines design thinking, digital tools, and emerging technologies (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Generative AI and Machine Learning). All this is applied to increasingly relevant fields such as data visualisation and information design through collaborations with prominent institutions and cultural organisations in Rome.

Upon completion of the course in Visual Communication graduates will have the ability to build projects of digital communication, brand design, data visualisation, sustainability communication, visual journalism and storytelling. They will also be able to explore new languages and use visual design as a tool to understand and narrate the changing world.

They may pursue careers as independent professionals or within design teams across diverse sectors: communication agencies, design studios, innovative startups, corporations, traditional and digital newsrooms, publishing houses, non-profit organisations, and cultural institutions. They will also be eligible to continue their studies in doctoral programs at both Italian and international universities.

 

Faculty

Course Coordinator

Matteo Modena

Graphic Designer and Art Director

Course Coordinator

Francesco Lapo Ceccherelli

Chief Creative Officer

Lorenzo Terragna

Founder and Creative Director of The Teachers    

Maria Alicata

Art Historian and Curator    

Francesco Mancuso

Marketing Manager

Jacopo Benci

Artist and Researcher

Serafino Murri

Media Critic

Daria Scolamacchia

Photo Editor and Curator

Tommaso D'Angelosante

Motion Graphic Designer

Leo Colalillo

Graphic and Type Designer

Melissa Blasi

Copywriter, Digital Strategist, and Screenwriter

Anastasia Martino

Anthropologist, Independent Researcher

What people say

IED Students' POV

“It takes a second to express a concept through images, while, explaining it through words, a text, takes much longer. Visual identity is one of the World's most powerful things.”

Visual Communication IED Students

News

17 July 2026

Priscilla Fois brings her art to Urban Break Korea

IED Roma alumna Priscilla Fois has been selected to participate in Urban Break Korea, one of the leading international festivals dedicated to urban art.

16 July 2026

This Is What the Future of Visual Arts Looks Like

Recent graduates from the IED Barcelona's Graphic Design, Advertising, and Motion Graphics and Video programmes presented their final projects at Barcelona XR Lab. Data, text, image and sound come together to explore the global order and reframe systems for navigating the world.

10 July 2026

Degree Show 2026 opens IED Kunsthal Bilbao to talent, design and the city

Once again, the Papelera Building opened its doors to the public, showcasing the work developed by students over four years of study and turning the school into a meeting point for design, culture, industry and institutions.

03 July 2026

July: Exhibitions, Installations and New Horizons for IED.60 Public Program

With the arrival of July, IED Graduation Days enter their busiest phase across IED’s Italian campuses, bringing with them a series of public events designed to showcase the ideas, projects and research developed by students.

01 July 2026

Forbes Next Leaders: the July cover by Elisabeth Arana

The collaboration between IED and Forbes Next Leaders continues through the project that engages students and alumni in the creation of the magazine’s monthly covers.

30 June 2026

This Was IED Madrid's Graduation Shows 2026: Two Days of Designing the Future

Under the concept Times New, IED Madrid's campuses hosted the final project exhibitions for Graphic Design, Product Design, Interior Design and Fashion Design, culminating in the traditional Avant-défilé.

23 June 2026

Best Thesis Awards 2026 – IED Barcelona

Fashion that evokes nostalgia through layered fabrics; a reinterpretation of retail as a living biological interface; an exploration of how Korean Wave (Hallyu) cultural products generate value within the luxury fashion sector; and an interactive digital experience that makes a previously hidden financial language visible.

15 June 2026

Eight ADG Laus Awards for IED Spain Students

IED Madrid, IED Barcelona and IED Kunsthal Bilbao won two Gold, four Silver and two Bronze awards at the 56th ADG Laus Awards, reaffirming the creative talent driving the next generation of designers.

15 June 2026

Three IED alumni among the winners of the iF Design Student Award 2026

Three alumni from IED Kunsthal Bilbao and IED Madrid have been recognised in the iF Design Student Award 2026, one of the world's leading international competitions for emerging design talent.