Digital Visualization Bundle

The Digital Visualization bundle takes complex ideas and makes them accessible, both in terms of their visual clarity and their availability on the Web.

Offered through the Department of  Communication and Media with input from the Digital Journalism program, it’s the most design-oriented of all the bundles.

You will learn how to:

  • Animate using code and compositing software
  • Experiment applying design theory to web and visualization projects
  • Build interactive websites
  • Develop photography skills
  • Create works for your portfolio

Visualization sets you up to be part of the creative process, for collaborative work with a team of web developers, and for experimentation with the latest visual technology tools. 

Communication and Media

The Digital Visualization bundle pairs well with: 

Web Development or Computation

Code is behind every interactive graphic or digital visual experience. Leaning more deeply into HTML and CSS animation skills can give you an important foundation to express your visual ideas on the web. Learning programming languages, like C, C++, Java, or Processing can help you generate art unique experiences with code. 

Imaging or Graphic Design

Students who want a career working with images often successfully pair Visualization with Imaging bundle. Consider developing even more concrete design skills through the Graphic Design program in the UNI Department of Art. If you are majoring in Art/Graphic Design, consider an IDS/ Visualization bundle minor to get solid experience in code and animation, a growing area of graphic design.

Writing, Video, or Digital Journalism

All of these bundles (and the Digital Journalism major in the Department of Communication and Media) concern storytelling, and if you are interested in visual storytelling, any one of them could be a good companion to Visualization. News organizations have a growing need to visualize data and stories through interactive charts and animated content, often controlled by parallax scrolling.

student with a laptop

Making data easier to understand is important.

This bundle gives you the skills to digitally visualize any idea, whether it’s driven by your artistic vision, data, research, AI, data mapping, light projections, augmented reality, or storytelling.

Take a subject like a virus, which is difficult to see and understand. But when you deliver the information visually, with animation and a memorable story, then  understanding what a virus is and how it works becomes much more accessible. Your work can help the public navigate the many different categories, allowing them to interactively make sense of complicated social trends. 

student in digital visualization

Career Possibilities

  • Visual Designer
  • Web Designer
  • Digital Project Manager
  • Photo Editor
  • Photo Researcher
  • Digital Media Coordinator
  • Interactive Art Developer
  • Digital Media Designer
  • Digital Content Specialist
  • Digital Designer
  • Data Visualization Specialist
  • Tableau Expert
  • Digital Ad Engineer
  • Interactive Graphic Specialist
  • Interactive Digital Studies Professor
  • Digital Visual Artist
  • Multimedia Designer
  • Digital Asset Administrator
  • Interactive Designer
  • Multimedia Journalist
  • Animator
  • Data Engineer & Visualization Specialist
  • Wheat Paste Artist
  • Augmented Reality Designer
  • Projection Mapper
  • AI Specialist

Associated Student Organizations

Digital Collective

Geared towards student collaboration, creativity, experimentation, and job preparation, this organization helps creative and tech-savvy students meet each other across disciplines and learn about the professional expectations of digital industry jobs. The Digital Collective supports speakers, industry hops, and general networking. 

AAF-UNI

The UNI chapter of the American Advertising Federation is an organization for students who are passionate about the future of the advertising industry. The group invites marketers, designers, writers, researchers, creatives, analysts,thinkers, producers, coders, strategists, and anyone thinking about a professional career in advertising, communications, media, or design.

The Northern Iowan

The Northern Iowan is the University of Northern Iowa's independent student newspaper, established in 1892. The NI publishes twice a week during the academic year, and regularly at northerniowan.com. At the NI, students of all majors can find opportunities to gain knowledge and practical experience in a variety of areas. For opportunities in writing, editing, newspaper design, data visualization, photography, ad design, web design, and circulation management see northerniowan.com to contact the Executive Editor or academic advisors.

 

Digital Visualization contacts

Bettina Fabos

Contact Bettina Fabos, professor of Communication and Media, at fabos@uni.edu

Dana Potter

Contact Dana Potter, assistant professor of Communication and Media, at dana.potter@uni.edu