Kyushu Institute of Design was established (Faculty of Design: the Departments of Environmental, Industrial, Visual Communication, and Acoustic Design) in 1968. The Department of Art and Information Design was established, composed of three groups: Media Art and Culture; Media Design; and Information Environment Sciences. The Department of Visual Communication Design carries out research and education in design. The Department trains its students to be creative designers and provides them with the skills to process information effectively and to plan optimal visual information environments. It teaches a variation of subjects that include Image Media Art, Optical Image Display and Computer Art.