Adonis Durado

Adonis Durado
Assistant Professor
Schoonover 257
Visual Communication
durado@ohio.edu
740-593-4896
Portfolio

Adonis Durado is a seasoned visual journalist, award-winning art director, and design educator with more than two decades of international experience in advertising, editorial design, and visual communication. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising from the University of San Carlos (Philippines) and a Master of Fine Arts in Communication Media Arts from Ohio University. He is currently pursuing doctoral studies in Instructional Technology at Ohio University, where his research centers on generative AI, design-based research, and technology-enhanced pedagogy. His scholarly and creative interests span book and publication design, immersive media and generative AI, UX/UI and interactive design, and infographics and data visualization.

Durado previously served as Design Director at Muscat Media Group, publisher of Times of Oman and Al Shabiba. Under his leadership, these newspapers became the most decorated in the Middle East, earning more than 500 international honors from the Society for News Design, the Society of Publication Designers, the World Association of Newspapers, and the European Newspaper Award. As a freelance consultant, he has launched and redesigned magazines and newspapers across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.

His professional achievements include awards from the Malofiej Infographic Awards, Society of Illustrators, Type Directors Club, Communication Arts magazine, HOW magazine, Creative Quarterly Journal, and Graphis Annual. In 2017, he received the President’s Award from the Society for News Design, one of the organization’s highest distinctions, and was named a Knight Fellow by Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication.

At Ohio University, Durado teaches undergraduate and graduate courses that integrate design theory, hands-on practice, and critical reflection. A hallmark of his pedagogy is the incorporation of experiential learning, where students work on client-driven projects, community partnerships, and real-world design challenges that synthesize theory and practice. This approach not only cultivates professional readiness but also encourages students to critically engage with the ethical and cultural dimensions of visual communication in a rapidly changing media landscape.

He authored a chapter in Virtual Reality Cinema: Narrative Tips and Techniques (Focal Press/Routledge), and his design work has been profiled in The Newspaper Designer’s Handbook (McGraw-Hill), All About Mags (Sendpoints Publishing), Creative Anarchy: How to Break the Rules of Graphic Design for Creative Success (HOW Books), and Mastering Type (Bloomsbury).

Durado is deeply invested in student mentorship and co-curricular learning. He chairs the VisCom Focus Gallery committee and advises several pioneering student organizations:

  • NEXT – Co-founded with Prof. Craig Davis, Next is a student-run creative agency where interdisciplinary teams develop branding, campaigns, and digital strategies for real clients. Students gain agency-like experience and build portfolio-ready work.
  • Vivid – A multimedia consulting student organization that collaborates with external partners on live projects, providing students with client communication, creative production, and project management experience.
  • Society of AI Learners and Designers (SAILD) – Ohio University’s first student organization dedicated to the creative exploration of artificial intelligence. SAILD provides a collaborative space for students to experiment with generative AI, create design and storytelling projects, and critically evaluate the ethical, cultural, and pedagogical implications of AI in media.

In addition to his design career, Durado is an accomplished poet with six published collections of poetry. His works explore themes of memory, displacement, cultural identity, and the intersections of language and image. He has received multiple literary awards, including the Lumbera Prize, Faigao Prize, Vicente Ranudo Literary Excellence Award, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Writers’ Prize. His fifth collection, Who Steps Upon is Stepped Upon, was awarded the 2023 Philippine National Book Award.

Courses Taught
  • Capstone in Visual Communication Design (VICO 4112 + VICO 5112) A culminating course guiding students through client-driven projects that synthesize design, research, and communication strategies.
  • Generative AI for Visual Communication (VICO 3465 + VICO 5465) Explores the role of generative AI in design and storytelling through hands-on projects, critical reflection, and collaborative inquiry.
  • Art Direction (VICO 3141 + VICO 5141) Develops conceptual and practical approaches to art direction, including branding, editorial design, and client-based creative strategy.
  • Information Graphics & Data Visualization (VICO 3111 + VICO 5111) Focuses on the principles and practice of infographic design, blending data literacy with visual storytelling.
  • Advanced Publication Design (VICO 3115 + VICO 5115) Emphasizes advanced publication design, typography, conceptual thinking, and visual pacing in editorial contexts.
  • Introduction to Visual Communication (VICO 1014) Introduces design theory and foundational skills, emphasizing typography, layout, branding, and proficiency with industry-standard software such as InDesign.
Peer-Reviewed Publications