Visual
Communication
Visual Communication
is the practice of representing and delivering
information effectively using graphic elements, symbols,
and images.Today people rely most on visual
communication for their news, information, and
entertainment; these includes signs, graphic designs,
films, games, typography, and countless others
Basic Principles
of Visual
Communicatio
Aesthetics and Tone
Aesthetics are the “look and feel” and the tone
is the “voice” of a visual communication. It is a
combination of your choices and incorporation
of the different Elements and Principles of Art &
Design
Aesthetics and Tone
Look at the three posters before, all of them were produced by the
same organization for the same purpose: to promote handwashing
for hygiene and COVID prevention. (A) is designed for the general
public, usually an adult audience, (B) was designed for teens and
young adults, and (C) was designed for younger children. Compare
and contrast their differences with Aesthetics: notice the use of
words, the type of images or photos that they use, even the choices of
colors. How does each poster “feel”?
Type & Typography
Type refers to a set of letterforms (e.g. the alphabet,
numbers, symbols); it carries the meaning of the word
you want to use, and it also is part of the aesthetic and
tone of the work. Typography, on the other hand, is the
arrangement of those letterforms on a page or screen;
this includes the size of letters, arrangement,
paragraphs, and even line spacing
Type & Typography
“Typeface” and “font” may be synonymous,
but they are not the same! A typeface is made
up of fonts and is the name of a family of
related fonts. On the other hand, fonts refer
to the weight and style that constitute a
typeface.
Typography tips that work!
1. Combine a serif typeface with a sans serif
typeface, or other way around.
2. Use two typefaces only, or three if you must. Do
not use four or five fonts.
3. Do not mix typefaces with different moods,
otherwise it will confuse your audience
Typography tips that work!
4. Keep it simple, try to use different weights
of fonts first or different fonts in the same
family. Minimalism is key.
5. Contrast is still important. We will learn
hierarchy next, use it to your advantage
Typography tips that work!
6. Respect the font’s integrity, do not
distort it. Always resize proportionally.
7. Practice makes perfect. Typography is
beautiful. Use it creatively
Typography tips that work!
8. There are thousands of free fonts on the internet,
explore and find the perfect font for your
communication.
9. Lastly, avoid Comic Sans, Lucida Calligraphy,
Brush Script, and Papyrus. They are already
overused and make your layouts look “baduy”.
Grid
The grid are invisible lines that divide your visual
communication into sections. Each section contains
a part of the total information you want to give your
audiences. You can use the grid to organize
information so that the most important is seen first,
followed by the next important, and lastly by the
least important
Visual Hierarchy
is arranging elements to show their order of
importance so users can understand
information easily. By arranging elements on a
page or screen, designers influence users’
perceptions and guide them to desired actions.
Basic techniques in visual hierarchy include
Size – bigger is seen first and usually “more
important”; headlines, titles, and important
phrases are usually bigger and bolder. Less
important or support information such as text
and instructions, are usually smaller
Basic techniques in visual hierarchy include
Position – Center and Above are usually positions
of importance, Below and To-The-Side are less
important. The right side of the page or screen
also gets more attention because most people
read in a “Z” formation, starting at the top, and
going to the bottom right corner.
Basic techniques in visual hierarchy include
Emphasis – using boxes, shapes, or
frames allows you to emphasize more
important elements against less
important.
Basic techniques in visual hierarchy include
White Space – also known as “negative
space”, these are empty spaces in the
layout that allow the eyes to “rest”.
Having white spaces also allows pieces of
information to stand out against other
elements
Color
contributes a large part of the overall tone of
a visual communication. Color can be used to
differentiate elements from one another, it can
give certain meanings or emotions, or can also
be related to something about the viewer’s
culture
Color
contributes a large part of the overall tone of
a visual communication. Color can be used to
differentiate elements from one another, it can
give certain meanings or emotions, or can also
be related to something about the viewer’s
culture
Color Harmonies
Complementary - are opposite colors in
the color wheel that are located across
from one another and can give you a
high contrast of color schemes.
Color Harmonies
Analogous - consist of three colors
that are next to each other and
create a harmonious combination
Color Harmonies
Split complementary – is like
analogous colors but uses two colors
near each other, and one
complementary color across the circle
Color Harmonies
Triadic – colors that are evenly
spaced around the color wheel,
creating a perfect triangle. This color
harmony can be vibrant so you should
use this with care.
Color Psychology
Images
Images (or pictures, sketches, graphics,
etc.) can serve so many different purposes:
give a mood, explain or show a concept,
demonstrate a process, or contribute to
the Tone of your visual communication.
Primary image of hotel on the upper portion
captures viewer’s attention (yellow-orange color)
and communicates what the poster is about (the
hotel).
Larger font size immediately communicates the message in
2 words. Support text below is smaller and adds information,
but the main text already sent a clear message
Hotel name is clear and prominent; colors are yellow (looks
like gold!) and black (class, luxury). If the viewer does not
read the rest of the poster, the message is still clear: The
Palace Hotel is Super Comfortable
Support images reinforce the message of “comfort” and
“luxury” that what the hotel is communicating. The viewer’s
reaction to the bedroom image is “wow! I want to stay
there!”, and their reaction to the swimming pool image
would be “that could be me relaxing!”
Secondary image is the logo of
the restaurant, it is smaller, Primary image is
less visible so focus is on the beautiful and
food and text.
makes viewer
hungry.
Curved line graphics help
divide the flyer into
sections
Clock icon helps
communicate business
Circular text box
hours
emphasizes message
of “visit us” and
restaurant address
and contact
information
Support or secondary images
should only be used when additional visual
information is necessary; they can also be
used to emphasize the main concept or
communication you are trying to make.
Text boxes
can be used to separate text away from images
so that one does not interfere with the other.
Text boxes and other graphic images can also
bring emphasis to your message by telling your
viewer “look at this, it is important!”
