The Professional Academy for Creative Enterprise (PACE) is proud to play a key role in reimagining Visible Language, the world’s longest-running peer-reviewed design journal. As the journal enters a bold new phase under a consortium model, the PACE Creative Team will provide ongoing design support, helping shape everything from visual identity to digital presence, ensuring the journal is accessible to global audiences. 

In 2025, Visible Language entered a transformative phase by adopting an innovative consortium model involving three leading academic institutions: the University of Leeds, the University of Cincinnati, and North Carolina State University. This strategic evolution secured the journal’s long-term sustainability and magnified its focus on the vital integration of design research and professional practice; a mission strongly aligned with the Professional Academy for Creative Enterprise (PACE).  

The three institutions share editorial leadership, rotating the Editor-in-Chief role every three years to ensure fresh perspectives and maintain rigorous standards. The University of Leeds will lead Visible Language for the first 3 years, with Professor Maria Lonsdale serving as Editor-in-Chief, supported by Dr. Jeanne-Louise Moys as Associate Editor, Dr Arjun Khara as Assistant Director, and Dr Matthew Baxter as Editorial Manager. This editorial structure will be mirrored by the other two universities during their term, which guarantees a diversity of perspectives and enables the journal to tap into research and design practices across various disciplines. 

Now operating under a diamond open-access model, Visible Language is free for readers and contributors. This marks a transformative step in academic publishing, removing financial barriers and enabling universal access to cutting-edge design research. Whether you’re in industry, academia, or education, Visible Language is now a shared resource for learning, collaboration, and innovation.

“Visible Language will continue to evolve and adapt as the field of design grows and changes. After various and careful discussions, our consensus and decision are that Visible Language is the journal of research in interface, experience, and communication design. It impacts academic professionals, industry professionals, and students by supporting knowledge generation in and adjacent to design.” 

“The journal advocates the teaching, research, and practice of visual communication design to enhance the human experience. Visible Language balances artfulness with science, innovation with respect for human patterns of use, evidence-based research with intuitive exploration, and technology with humanity.” 

Professor Maria Lonsdale

Director of PACE

Editor-in-Chief of Visible Language

The journal is a source for interdisciplinary, cross-sector collaboration and insight in this new phase. Through the design lens, Visible Language explores how we interact, communicate, and create, making space for both intuitive creativity and rigorous research. 

Through this partnership, PACE in the School of Design at the University of Leeds underscores its mission to integrate industry practice and academic research. Visible Language is now more than a journal, it’s a global resource, open to all, and a vital part of the evolving conversation around communication and design. 

Read the latest volume here.