By Michela Tjan
Recently, I had the chance to read a powerful reflection from Yestin Arvin Gochuico, one of OVA’s newsletter writers and a senior at the University of Miami, about his week at the Visual Discovery Conference (VDC) 2025 in Augsburg, Germany. His experience, as part of a group of Miami students led by professor Alberto Cairo, is a reminder of why gatherings like VDC exist: to create a space where students and practitioners immerse themselves in design, history, collaboration, and the craft of communicating with clarity. And the lessons that came out of it are worth sharing more widely.
Read Yestin’s full article here: Lessons from Attending the Visual Discovery Conference 2025
Remembering the Lineage We Inherit
One of the strongest threads from Yestin’s reflection is that information design and data visualization didn’t start with modern tools; it began centuries ago with ink, paper, and necessity.
From Galileo sketching sunspots, to William Playfair inventing visual grammar, to Ernst Haeckel’s organic illustrations, VDC’s archival sessions (led by Prof. Michael Stoll) reminded participants that information design has always been a dialogue between creativity and curiosity. We stand on the shoulders of people who experimented fearlessly long before visualization had a name.
This historical grounding matters. It reminds us that innovation isn’t about chasing trends, but it’s about extending the work of those who came before us.
Tools Change. Craft Does Not.
John Grimwade’s talk about tracing the evolution of infographics from metal type to digital software reinforced something many of us forget: the medium has shifted, but the craft hasn’t.
We now design with software that our predecessors could never have imagined. But they built clarity with nothing more than pens, rulers, and an uncompromising eye for detail. It’s humbling to realize how much excellence was produced before convenience existed.
And it’s a good reminder for all of us: the skill isn’t in the tool. It’s in the decisions, the process, and the intention behind those decisions.
AI Is a Force… But It’s Not a Compass
One of the most timely conversations at the conference came from Terence Oliver, who demonstrated how generative AI can inject movement and immersion into illustrated infographics.
But as Yestin noted, AI’s usefulness has limits. In contexts where accuracy, precision, and nuance are non-negotiable—such as statistical charts, geospatial data, bespoke visual systems—automation can easily introduce distortion.
The message wasn’t anti-AI. It was a call for discernment.
AI may accelerate parts of the workflow, but it does not replace authorship. It cannot replace intentionality. It should never dictate the story.
The Room You’re In Matters
What moved me most about Yestin’s reflection wasn’t the tools or the history; it was the human part. The reminder that you know you’re in the right space when:
the people around you inspire you,
they see potential in you before you see it in yourself, and
you leave wishing you had just a little more time with them.
For many attendees, including the University of Miami group, VDC became a turning point— a catalyst, a validation that they’re pursuing something meaningful.
Those moments matter. And our field needs more of them.
A Final Word
If you’re part of the Open Visualization Academy community, or simply care about the craft of visual communication, I can’t recommend enough that you read Yestin’s full reflection. It’s thoughtful and full of the kind of insight we don’t often pause to articulate.
Read Yestin’s full article here: Lessons from Attending the Visual Discovery Conference 2025
(It’s worth every minute.)
And if his experience inspires you, consider attending a visualization conference next year or sharing your own reflections with the community. These stories help all of us grow.
