Communication is a fundamental element of conveying intended meanings from a given group or entity to another using mutually understood semiotic rules and signs. Communication entails numerous frameworks. The main aim of this research paper is to critically analyze the aspect of communication as a design. Communication design refers to a mixed concept between information-development and the overall design concerned with the way media interventions, for instance; crafted messages, printed media, presentations, or electronic media enhance communication between individuals ( Aakhus & Laureij, 2012). A comprehensive communication design framework is concerned with the formulation of messages and media aesthetics, as well as the establishment of new media channels for ensuring the target audience receives the intended messages. The overlapping skills have often led to an interchangeable use communication design and graphic design.
Critical Analysis of Communication as Design
Apart from other significant elements of communication, communication design entails a comprehensive framework that places greater focus on crucial design and creativity skills. It entails the act of devising successful communication approaches based on digital and analog media. In this case, communication design is deemed as a basic tool that improves the content approach and makes it more convincing, effective, and understandable. The primary focus is on the aspect of graphic design, typography, and editorial design ( Barnard, 2013). This depicts the communication design’s ability to act as a systems-based approach whereby the totality of messages and media within a given organization or culture are designed as integrated processes instead of a series of disjointed efforts. The platform is accomplished through the use of relevant communication channels with the objective of informing and attracting the people’s attention. The design skills should be tailored to fit various cultural settings, while at the same time maintaining pleasant visual design. They comprise essential pieces of info incorporated into the media communications kit in order to obtain significant results.
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Communication as Design is considered as a component of communication that focuses on shaping communication affordances and redesigning interactivity. Software and many other appropriate applications are used to either place constraints or create opportunities for communication. The recent focus is inclined to the way ideologies compete in a crowd-sourcing platform, hence providing a significant model on the relationships between communication, design ideas, and platform ( Aakhus, 2007). There has also been a critical analysis of the democratic ideals infused into the digital communication designs such as e-government applications. Thus, there has been a growing concern and interest amongst the researchers on the aspect of communication as design.
The main essence of communication design is to attract, create desires, motivate, and inspire people to converse or to respond to subsequent messages. It is a primary framework that can be used to establish brands, used for humanitarian purposes, or to move sales. It is also useful for enhancing business strategies, market research, problem-solving, and creativity skills ( Barnard, 2013). The communications designers often translate information and ideas through various media platforms. Their specific talents not only lies in the traditional methodologies but also their capability of thinking strategically based on marketing and design terms so as to establish reliability through communication.
Interrelations between Communication Design and Visual Communication
Apart from the graphic design, communication design is also closely interrelated to visual communication. The only thing is that visual communication can be broadened to include vocal, auditory, smell, and sense of touch. In this case; communication design can be taken to include editing, information architecture, illustration, typography, web design, advertising, animation, visual identity design, ambient media, copywriting, performing arts, as well as the professional writing techniques used in creative industries ( Frascara, 2004). Visual Communication Design encompasses the aspects of graphic design, instructional design, information design, visual storytelling, as well as the products of visual and cultural information ( Aakhus, 2007). In the current information-rich and competitive world, it is critical to incorporate visual communication design as a primary communication framework.
The communication design tends to inform and control individual's experiences, perceptions, decisions, and actions. They are utilized in daily basis through the clock faces, the street signs, books, magazines, posters, package labels, advertisements, branding and logos, ATM interfaces, television, websites, and films. These are the basic mediums that assist human beings to help to access the most vital information with regards to the surrounding. With the main feature on the broad range of formats and media, every visual message is usually designed keeping in mind specific function, audience, and purpose. This depicts a point in which communication designers enhance effective communication using significant visual arts.
The communication designer also plays a significant role in arranging typography and sorting images on relevant communication and media platforms. A good communication designer is recognized based on their abilities to incorporate and align excellent visual features. Communication designers execute their skills in tasks such as environmental graphics, branding, way-finding systems, catalogs, editorial design (magazines, books, newspapers), and museum displays, among many other aspects visual landscape necessitating effective communication ( Frascara, 2004). On the other hand, communication designers can also work in digital mediums.
The Academic Point of View of Communication as Design
As a field of study, communication entails a wide range of essential concepts. Most of all, the students often get a good opportunity of studying communication as design. It is a comprehensive field that instills knowledge on how to formulate visual messages and how to broadcast them across the entire globe to the target audience using meaningful mediums. The basic need for doing so is due to the fact that the complexity associated with the contemporary digital environment necessitates the incorporation of communication design. It has emerged as one of the powerful tools for ensuring that information reaches intended audience with ease. Students are capable of learning various ways of combining communication with technology and visual arts. The field of communication design also teaches how to design the web pages, animations, video games, and motion graphics, among other significant design frameworks.
Communication Design obtains its ultimate purpose in the content base. The main aim of a communication designer is to send a clear and captivating message that attracts the reactions and caption of the target audience ( Frascara, 2004). This is the reason it is greatly utilized in the business field to attract potential customers. Therefore, the students have imparted knowledge that enables them to be effective Illustrators, Web designers, Graphic Designers, Advertising artists, Motion graphic artists or Video Editors, Animators, or even conceptual artists and printmakers ( Aakhus & Laureij, 2012). As much as communications design framework is regarded as a fairly general concept, the practitioners are obliged to utilize communication mechanisms that ease transmission of messages from one medium or group to the other.
Distinct areas of Specialization in Communication Design
As highlighted above, communication as the design is one of the essential facets of communication. It is a distinct framework that enables the contemporary organizations and individuals to realize their objective. This is because communication is generally considered as the most appropriate tool for enhancing co-operation and co-existence among the team members. The concept has primarily been enhanced the current technological advancements that necessitate high-end communication frameworks. The digital technology provides a multimedia and multi-layered opportunities through distinct concepts such as Graphic Design, Photography, and Illustration. Communication designers or students are currently endowed with the ability to incorporate the customary skills of printing, drawing, photography and many other graphics with sound, animation, video, and other elements of multimedia and image designs ( Agrawala & Berthouzoz, 2011). They are no longer viewed based on their specialism, but rather their articulation and creativity levels.
The communication designers are usually compelled to develop their visions by focusing critically on the past mediums. This enables them to devise excellent communications frameworks that gather for the overall communication needs. The fields of study encourage an acute engagement with contemporary and historic practices interrelating the political and social-cultural contexts ( Agrawala & Berthouzoz, 2011). This enhances specialties in the most significant concepts of graphic design, Photography, and Illustration.
Graphic Design
Graphic design is a very critical aspect of communication design. The graphic designers are problem-solvers and communicators who engage in brief and captivating communication perspective. They are endowed with the abilities to communicate the message, conveying ideologies, and engaging in speculative practices that investigate various forms of oral, written, and visual language ( Jackson & Aakhus, 2014). Moreover, the graphic designers have the abilities to create change, persuading the audience, explaining concepts, presenting experiences, demonstrating, imposing meanings, amusing, interpreting, announcing, eliciting emotions, changing moods, and providing relevant information ( Barnard, 2013). The concept of graphic design tends to promote an extensive and ambitious application and interrogation of a critical subject with great emphasis on critical thinking. The projects usually explore various forms of visual communication including narratives and books, letterforms and typography, branding and advertising, print media, digital interaction, and moving image.
Illustration
Illustration involves a process in which communication designers make use of imagination and their exceptional visual languages for interpreting any given content based on the essence of communicating it and enriching it. The illustration is accessible and democratic since it prevails in the public sphere and is primarily centered on the tension between problem-solving and self-expression. There has often been a close linkage of illustration with advertising campaigns and publishing industry. Recently, illustrators are engaged in the establishment of various bodies incorporating the notions of modern visual arts and hybrid forms. The designers are therefore encouraged to establish a personal and an original visual language that can be applied in the communication of worldviews. Projects explore information design, drawing, lettering, publishing, animation, and print ( Reinard, 2001).
Photography
As one of the aspects of communication design, photography plays critical roles of enhancing transmission of visual messages to the intended audience. It is applicable to individuals with strong interest in using various time-based media for framing, questioning, recording, and communicating ideologies with regards to the surrounding ( Jackson & Aakhus, 2014). The main focus is inclined to development of inventive and conceptual approach. It is a pathway that encourages the practitioners to explore various possibilities of extensive media appropriate for developing significant visual language. The results can be dramatic, poetic, playful, or humorous; and such projects often explore sound, studio photography, images, animation, texts and images, performance, book forms, as well as installation.
How Communication or Graphic Design assist in Achievement of Communication Objectives
Communication and graphic designs play significant roles in the achievement of communication objectives. This is enhanced through utilization of significant frameworks aimed at formulating captivating messages. The entire mechanism is put forth through nominal visualization of various communication concepts, through electronic and print media. It is useful in the context of technology and business, socio-political, educational and cultural environments, transmission of institutional and government information, as well as visual explanation and exploration of scientific and medical processes and data ( Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001). The most initial task is to determine the essence of any project necessitating efficient communication. In this case, the communication designers accomplish the communication objectives through critical analysis, planning, structuring, and creation of texts and images that enhance specific visual communication. The designers often act as consultants in one way or the other.
As a discipline, communication and graphic design achieve the intended goals based on its broad conceptual array. For instance; the concepts of fashion communication, photography, advertising, typography, filmmaking, illustration, animation, interactive design, printmaking, and creative utilization of digital platforms are very imperative ( Lester, 2013). The most significant thing is that its context is based on the public domain whereby the designer's main role is to persuade, entertain, inform, provoke, and entertain the target audience. The main focus in communication design framework is inclined to an individual's willingness to take experimental risks, as well as cultivation of an attitude of inquiry and adventure. A great emphasis is often placed on the formulation and effective communication of ideologies and creative thoughts.
When anybody thinks of any successful organization, there are often higher chances of focusing on their logos. Regardless of such first glance, it should be noted that an innovative communication or graphic design usually supersedes such memorable logo. This is because great designs have the ability to display the emotional and subtle contexts without using even a single word ( Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001). It hence depicts the manner in which communication designs are integral for enhancing overall coexistence and organizational performance by shaping individual attitudes towards certain products or brands.
The certified professionals are endowed with significant skills of using technology and visual arts to communicate ideas. There capabilities of controlling the colors, images, types, and ideas enables them to design materials that express explicit messages to the target audiences. Communication design has been highly sophisticated over the past few decades ( Lester, 2013). As much as the pioneering designers used to hand-craft their designs on paper, the contemporary situation necessitates them to utilize technology. They are obliged to craft and communicate their ideologies using sophisticated computer software and modern printing techniques ( Kress & Van Leeuwen, 2001). Moreover, the modern-day communication designers require greater limits of versatility, intelligence, and comprehensive marketing techniques. Recognition of the need of employing competent communication designers has enabled successful organizations to maintain their high productivity levels.
Excellent communication designs are appropriate for enhancing expansion of performance of various business premises. The basic reason is that it motivates the potential customers, fosters brand recognition, and tends to influence the public perception of the company’s products and services. Experienced graphic or communication designers have the expertise of assisting business venture to achieve their full potential. Certified designers are individuals with the capability of overseeing the entire project all the way from planning stage, conceptual development, budgeting stages, production stages, quality control, as well as the end result ( Reinard, 2001). Therefore, hiring a professional of such caliber means that an organization is fully equipped with expertise in the communication strategies, specialized design proficiency, and effective problem-solving. This is because a communication designer can assist in the articulation of business goals and crystallization of organizational ideologies. Basically, it is essential to embrace thoughtful and visual communication frameworks.
Conclusion
The future of communication expected to be characterized by more efficiencies and effectiveness due to the complexity brought about by current technological advancements. Unlike the past scenarios, the communication frameworks have indeed been transformed to greater heights. The competency levels of various organizations are largely determined by their abilities to source out services from highly competent communication designers. It can hence be ascertained that communication as the design is one of the essential communication elements that should be taken into consideration.
References
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