Assistant Professor of Visual Communication Design (Multiple) - The Design School

The Design School

Job description:

The Design School at Arizona State University seeks applications for multiple full-time tenure-track appointments at the rank of Assistant Professor in Visual Communication Design beginning August 2023. These appointments are for the ASU Tempe Campus.

Successful candidates will further the mission of ASU and The Design School and are expected to actively participate in the Bachelor of Science in Design in Graphic Design, the Master of Visual Communication Design, and other research/interdisciplinary programs in The Design School. Appointees will be expected to teach undergraduate and graduate-level studio courses and lecture/seminar courses, and mentor graduate student projects and theses, and should be prepared to teach through in person, online, and hybrid formats. Appointees will pursue a research/creative activity agenda in an area of interest related to visual communication design and to current developments in topics such as technology, health, humanities, social sciences, sustainability, and justice. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate the potential to develop and sustain research/creative activity capable of achieving national and international recognition and attracting external funding. Successful candidates will also participate in service to the program, The Design School, the Herberger Institute and the University, and to student organizations such as AIGA.

About ASU:

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 80,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions intellectual and cultural diversity, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

About the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts:

Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts is the largest comprehensive design and arts school in the country, located within a dynamic research university focused on transformative change. Built on a unique combination of disciplines, the Herberger Institute comprises the Schools of Art; Arts, Media and Engineering; Music, Dance and Theatre; The Design School; The Sidney Poitier New American Film School, and the ASU Art Museum. The Herberger Institute is committed to redefining the 21st-century design and arts school through developing and scaling ideas that strengthen the role of designers and artists across all areas of society and culture, increasing the capacity of artists to make a difference in their communities. For more information on the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, visit herbergerinstitute.asu.edu.

About The Design School

The Design School in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts at Arizona State University is the largest and most comprehensive school for design education, with programs ranked top 20 in the nation. From programs in architecture, landscape architecture and industrial design to interior design, urban design and visual communication, our students master the skills and research techniques needed for their future design professions through innovative, transdisciplinary methods. Our mission is to educate future designers to shape collaborations, synthesize complexity and catalyze transformation for public good. By engaging in dynamic and ongoing discourse about the future of design education, we aim to create a school that is more relevant, collaborative and equitable. Join us at Arizona State University and be part of creating the next generation of design. For more information on The Design School, visit design.asu.edu.

The Design School is committed to creating inclusive spaces that welcome and celebrate cultural diversity and decolonizing design education. In the next several years, we are conducting faculty searches to help us achieve this goal. We seek colleagues that can contribute, within their design field, to justice, health, and sustainability, and work across our school’s disciplines to support ASU’s design aspirations and mission of inclusion.

https://newamericanuniversity.asu.edu/about/asu-charter-mission-and-goals

The Design School offers two Visual Communication Design programs: the Bachelor of Science in Design: Graphic Design (BSD:GD), and the Master of Visual Communication Design (MVCD). The BSD:GD and the MVCD are accredited by the National Association of the Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The BSD:GD program educates well-rounded designers with a balance of form-making and critical thinking skills. Students analyze problems, conduct research, and apply their design expertise using all relevant analogue, digital, and emerging media. The aim of the MVCD program is to equip designers with knowledge of contemporary design issues and emergent practices to become leaders in areas of visual communication, human interaction with technologies, service design, community-engaged practices, and speculative futures. The BSD:GD program launched its popular online program in 2020. Visual Communication Design faculty are also active in the Master of Science in Design, the PhD in Design, Environment, and the Arts, and other interdisciplinary programs including Extended Realities (XR), Innovation and Venture Development, and Futures and Design.

Required qualifications:

The successful candidate must possess:

  • A terminal degree MFA, MDes (or equivalent), or PhD in visual communication, graphic design, or related discipline;
  • One year of experience teaching visual communication, graphic design, or related courses at the university level;
  • Demonstrated commitment to excellence in teaching and scholarship and/or creative practice as appropriate for the discipline;
  • Demonstrated potential to develop and sustain a research agenda capable of achieving national or international recognition in visual communication design (including transdisciplinary practices related to VCD) and/or emergent practices of design;
  • Evidence of a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

Desired qualifications:

Preference will be given to individuals with:

  • A record of publication in top journals or conferences in an area of interest related to visual communication design;
  • A record of creative practice with national and international recognition through exhibition, awards, or media mentions;
  • Five years of experience teaching visual communication, graphic design, or related courses at the university level and with demonstrated teaching excellence;
  • Demonstrated ability to instruct in multiple modalities, including online, in-person and hybrid, to both undergraduate and graduate audiences;
  • Demonstrated expertise in current or emergent design practices such as visual sensemaking, user experience design, service design, speculative design, online design education, participatory design, design history, design ethics, virtual reality, design of artificial intelligence, design for behavior change, inclusive design, design justice, design for sustainability, design for health, community-engaged design, and design management;
  • Commitment to exploring the current and future roles of visual communication design in environmentally and socially responsible design practices.
  • A Ph.D. in a discipline relevant to visual communication and design.

Application deadline:

Application deadline is December 15, 2022. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis for a reserve pool. Applications in the reserve pool may then be reviewed in the order in which they were received until the position is filled.

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions, which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses and certifications.

Arizona State University is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor and an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. (See https://www.asu.edu/aad/manuals/acd/acd401.html and https://www.asu.edu/titleIX/.)

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources.  ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf  You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

COVID-19 Vaccination Arizona State University is a federal contractor and subject to federal regulations which may require you to produce a record of a COVID-19 vaccination. For questions about medical or religious accommodations, please visit the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion’s webpage.

Instruction to apply:

Please submit:

  • C.V.
  • Letter of Interest
  • Diversity Statement
  • List of 3 references (Name, Affiliation, Email, Phone)
  • A portfolio of no more than five examples of research or creative work.
  • Two examples of either syllabi or sample assignments.

All applications must be submitted electronically via http://apply.interfolio.com/115809

Apply now