The development of a visual literacy facility, the Creative Visual Lab, at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University (New York) is described. The facility was designed to provide students with the instruction that would develop their computer proficiency and visual sensitivity without being, in itself, completely computer-driven. Paradoxically, the computer, a tool that has become a practical necessity in industry, can be an impediment to educating students in its own use. The laboratory was designed to put more gratification into analysis and critical thinking. A conference table, a studio area, and a computer cluster were established as learning areas and are complemented by an audio-visual booth. The Creative Visual Lab has been shown to help build visual literacy through (1) process, (2) research, (3) creativity, (4) drafting practice, (5) critique, (6) execution, and (7) teamwork. The laboratory provides the benefits of having computers without the administrative burdens. One figure illustrates the laboratory floor plan. (Contains 9 references.) (SLD)