Visual Communication and Approaches
Deondra Richardson
CGD218: Visual Literacy in Business (BNC1111A)
Mr. Tony Sgarlatti
April 11, 2011

Visual Communication and Approaches

“Visual communication is a central aspect of our lives, and much of this communication is done indirectly, through symbolic means: by words, signs, and symbols of all kinds” (Berger, 2008a, p.2). Utilizing communication is an important part of advertising or expressing ideas without actually saying them. I recently finished a visual project in which I was required to reflect on the effectiveness of visual communication using at least three different approaches to convey my message. The different approaches I used in my visual project to demonstrate the effectiveness of visual communication are as follows: images, typography, color, signs, and symbols. In this paper, I will explain why each approach will pose as an effective tool in communicating my message. In conclusion, I will also explain why I feel signs and symbols is the most effective approach in my visual project of effective visual communication. As the old saying goes, “a picture says a thousand words?” In my opinion, this phrase exemplifies the power of images. I believe this saying is true because images can be used to persuade and to perpetuate ideas that words alone cannot (Lester, 2006).
We see images every day, and they often contain more information than we imagine. The world has become flooded with images: some selling products, communicating messages, some selling ideas. Can you see how images have impacted the world? The images used in my visual project are effective in communicating my message, because the images displayed in my visual project have symbolic meaning, which will help the viewer interpret my message. Signs and symbols will also prove to be an effective approach to visual communication because the signs and symbols in this project corresponded well with the images. For example, a religious image of a cross and a clock is displayed in my visual project. The cross is portrayed as a sign of Jesus’s crucifixion, and His promise to return someday. The clock symbolizes time, and is displayed to let the viewer’s know that time is running out. Typography is a critical tool to utilize in visual communication because we generally see information before we read it, and often we see instead of read. Since we see before we read, we should utilize good typography at all times to persuade viewers to read the printed material. In my visual project, I used different typefaces, and different sizes of type; I utilized color as well, to aid in the communication of my message. Typefaces have distinctive personalities in which they manage to leave impressions in the minds of readers (Berger, 2008b). In this visual project, I used bold typefaces because I wanted the words to stand out to the viewer and capture his/her attention. The size of type matters as well, because it affects how viewers respond to printed material. For example, I used a larger font, when I wanted the viewers to really pay attention to the words. I used other fonts to create style and to embrace the overall appearance of the printed work. Typography is an effective approach in communicating my message because it brings a sense of clarity, and it provides an open look which allows the viewers to easily interpret the communicated message, when used correctly. Colors send messages as well. I did not go overboard with color, because too much color can distract the viewer, and allow them to misinterpret the message. For example, I utilized the color red, because red is a compelling color, it captures the viewer’s attention right away. In my opinion, if you are going to use color in a visual project, besides black or white, use red or grey. Those are good choices. I feel signs and symbols are the most effective approaches in my visual project because, all throughout my visual project there is some type of sign or symbol demonstrated. The images used, are signs and symbols. The colors I used are symbols. The different typefaces used are signs, and the list goes on. Signs are most effective because the world is most influenced by them. According to Berger, “the universe is perfused with signs, if not made up entirely of them,” which means that everything can be seen as a sign of something else and that human beings are sign-producing and sign-analyzing beings (Berger, 2008c, p.50). Every concept in my visual project can be seen as a sign in some way, which is what makes signs an effective approach in my project. Like signs, symbols are the most effective approach in my visual project because the symbols alone connect the viewers. For example, the cross is among the oldest and most universal symbol, no matter where the cross is, it will allows be a sign of Christianity. There are many signs and symbols throughout this world, they have different meanings and represent different images, yet, they still manage to correlate with one another. Together signs and symbols are very effective in communicating messages. Signs and symbols are the epitome of effective visual communication. Images, typography, color, signs, and symbols are very powerful tools of visual communication. Each approach has distinctive characteristics that make them unique. Together they create visual communication, and are very effective in communicating messages. Signs and symbols were most effective in my visual project, and above all, they are the epitome of visual communication in my opinion.

References:
Berger, A. A. (2008a). Seeing is believing: An introduction to visual communication. (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Lester, P. M. (2006). Visual communication: Images with messages. (4th ed.). California: Thomson.