Calls & Submissions
Submissions for Volume 60 issues 2 and 3
Volume 60 | Issues 2 and 3
Visible Language invites submissions about research into interface, experience, and communication design for Volume 60 issues 2 and 3 to be published in 2026. This is an open call for scholarly papers aligned with the journal’s remit here.
Visible Language accepts submissions throughout the year. However, to allow sufficient time for review processes, we encourage authors who are hoping to publish with us in 2026 to submit their manuscripts before 1 April 2026 (volume 2) or 1 July 2026 (volume 3).
Visible Language is the oldest peer–reviewed design journal, first published in 1967. It is now published open access, and Scopus-indexed, to ensure wide access to design research. Our latest issue Visible Language 59.3 is available here.
Please Read the Submission Guidelines Below
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Submission Guidelines
Authors are invited to make a submission to this journal. All submissions will be assessed by an editor to determine whether they meet the aims and scope of this journal. Those considered to be a good fit will be sent for peer review before determining whether they will be accepted or rejected.
Before making a submission, authors are responsible for obtaining permission to publish any material included with the submission, such as photos, documents and datasets. All authors identified on the submission must consent to be identified as an author. Where appropriate, research should be approved by an appropriate ethics committee in accordance with the legal requirements of the study’s country.
An editor may desk reject a submission if it does not meet minimum standards of quality. Before submitting, please ensure that the study design and research argument are structured and articulated properly. The title should be concise and the abstract should be able to stand on its own. This will increase the likelihood of reviewers agreeing to review the paper. When you’re satisfied that your submission meets this standard, please follow the checklist below to prepare your submission.
The names and email addresses entered in this journal site will be used exclusively for the stated purposes of this journal and will not be made available for any other purpose or to any other party.
Submission Preparation Checklist
All submissions must meet the following requirements:
This submission meets the requirements outlined in the Author Guidelines
This submission has not been previously published, nor is it before another journal for consideration
All references have been checked for accuracy and completeness
All tables and figures have been numbered and labeled
Permission has been obtained to publish all photos, datasets and other material provided with this submission
Download Author Guidelines in PDF
Manuscript guidance for authors
Anonymization for peer review
Please submit TWO versions of your manuscript, one full version and one with all identifying authors and institutional information omitted/redacted.
Please check that the author and institutional identifiers for the anonymized version are also omitted from the document/file properties and the manuscript file names.
Use [ANON] as a placeholder for any identifying author or institutional information that is omitted.
Please redact any identifying information from images
Please include the following at the start of your manuscript:
Category
Select one: Research article | Visual essay | Dispatches from industry | Book review | Invited article
Article title
Please use sentence case
Author names (full manuscript only)
Please include author names with a link to each author’s ORCID ID (optional)
Please include the author’s/authors’ institutional affiliations
Please include the email address for the corresponding author (using [at] instead of @)
Abstract
Word count – between 200 and 300 words
Should be unstructured—a single paragraph
Avoid using italics if possible
Written to avoid citations, as far as possible
Implications for practice (for research articles)
The implications for practice is a reflection on the content of the article that can be applied in real-world design contexts, outlining specific recommendations, practical strategies, or considerations that practitioners can use to improve design processes, decision-making, or outcomes.
Word count (between 100 and 200 words)
Keywords
Minimum 3, Maximum 6
List in alphabetical order
Lowercase (except proper nouns)
Begin with “Keywords:” (including the colon)
Separated by semicolons
Style notes and examples for your manuscript:
Headings
Please use sentence case for headings
Numbered headings for Level 1 (1.) and Level 2 (1.1.), unnumbered for Level 3
Footnotes/endnotes
Footnotes are discouraged and should be kept to an absolute minimum.
Use * rather than numbering where a footnote is essential.
Endnotes are not used.
In-text citations
Use APA 7th referencing style: (Please see this page [+])
Single citation: Waller (2007) or (Waller, 2007)
Multiple citations in alphabetical of author surname (Beier, 2016; Waller, 2007)
Where a page number is required, please include in the bracket using the following formatting:
– – Example 1: (Dyson, 2017, p. 442–468)
– – Example 2: Smith et al. (2020) found that “students benefit from spaced practice” (p. 14).
Numerals
In prose text: numbers up to ten are written in full, digits apply to numbers 11 and over. This applies to centuries too (e.g.20th-century not twentieth-century).
In tables, use numerals for all numbers.
Spelling and grammar
US spelling
Dashes: unspaced em dash when used as a grammatical device, unspaced en dash for number ranges, unspaced en dash for connections (e.g. text–image integration)
Do not italicize: et al.
Italicize: major publication titles, volume number
Double quotes for quotations, single quotes for colloquialisms or quotes within quotes
Images and tables
Indicate figure placement immediately after the paragraph in which the figure or table cross-reference is first mentioned. Use square bracket e.g. [insert Figure 1]. We will do our best to keep figures and tables in close proximity to the relevant text but please bear in mind that figures and tables will be placed at the top and bottom of pages.
Caption example:
Figure 1. Caption starts with initial capital and ends with a full stop regardless of whether it is a full or partial sentence.
Always provide a cross reference in the text: e.g. Figure 1 shows … or, if at the end of a sentence (Figure 1).
The same formatting and cross referencing guidance applies to tables e.g. Table 1.
Quotations
Use blockquotes for quotations that are longer than 40 words.
Please include the following at the end of your manuscript:
References
Heading: References (unnumbered level 1 heading)
Use APA 7th referencing style: (Please see this page [+])
Author bio
Please include an author bio (of fewer than 100 words) for each author under the heading Author (sole author) or Authors (co-authored).
Please include the following at the end of your manuscript, when applicable:
Acknowledgements, funding and conflicts of interest:
These sub-sections should be omitted from the anonymized version.
Acknowledgements: Authors are welcome to include a short statement of acknowledgements, if appropriate.
Funding: If you are reporting on funded research, please disclose all sources of funding that supported the research, including grant numbers and sponsoring organizations.
Conflicts of interest: If applicable, please provide a statement outlining any potential conflicts of interest—financial, personal, or professional—that could have influenced the work.
If your submission is accepted for publication, you’ll be asked to upload images as separate files:
Image specifications
Figures must be uploaded as separate images (not combined in PDF) in PNG or TIFF formats.
Figures to be named with their order in the article (Figure 01, Figure 02.etc.).
Labels in images must be capitalized (sentence case).
All figures must be 300ppi resolution.
Figures should be delivered in both RGB and CMYK colour modes.
Download Author Guidelines in PDF
Submissions for Volume 60 issue 1
Volume 60 | Issue 1
Visible Language invites submissions for Volume 60 issue 1 to be published in April 2026. This is an open call for scholarly papers aligned with the journal’s remit, which can be viewed here. Manuscripts that are submitted by Wednesday 5 November 2025 will be best positioned for inclusion into the April issue through regular peer review. Some articles are released as early views in advance of indexing. Manuscripts should follow the submission guidelines of Visible Language and should be submitted online by 5 November 2025.
Visible Language is the oldest peer–reviewed design journal, first published in 1967. It is now published open access, and Scopus-indexed, to ensure wide access to design research. Our latest issue Visible Language 59.2 is available here.