Solving Communication Design Problems

How can visual language communicate to audiences and shape behaviours?

In this outcome, you will apply your understanding of good design and human-centred design problems to develop a visual language for a school event intended to increase engagement and attendance at school events.

The visual identity should be applied to various presentation formats, include a signature colour palette, graphic icons and specific typography.

You will apply the Develop and Deliver stages of the VCD design process in response to your written brief. Your visual identity should manipulate type and imagery to visually communicate the art department you have selected. through a clear visual language and voice.

Students begin by reviewing the needs of stakeholders identified in the given brief, while adopting conventions to acknowledge sources of inspiration. They learn about the copyright and intellectual property obligations faced by designers working in brand strategy. Using divergent thinking strategies, conceptions of good design and an iterative process, students seek inspiration, brainstorm ideas and use ideation sketching to document potential design concepts. They experiment with the design elements and principles, typographic conventions and Gestalt principles of visual perception, while exploring a range of manual and digital methods, media and materials. Annotations using descriptive and analytical design terminology are used to explain design decisions, and to evaluate the strengths and limitations of ideas.

Students present design ideas for critique, using this feedback together with convergent thinking strategies to guide the selection and refinement of concepts. Students present a resolved design solution that addresses the brief and its design criteria.

Tasks for Creating a Distinctive Visual Language

Task 1: Brief Analysis: Keywords:

Paste a copy of your brief into your folio, printed on a single A4 page. Read your brief carefully, and have a peer read it, to identify a set of keywords that encapsulate the needs of the client, target audience, and deliverables. Seek out descriptive keywords or term that hint at the visual language you want to create in response to the brief.

Circle or highlight each key term in the brief.

Annotate to explain how it may be useful in the development of a distinctive visual language.

Explore Design Movements: 1 folio page.
Study historical design movements and contemporary trends. Identify elements that appeal to you and consider how you can integrate or reinterpret them in your work.

Create a single folio page, divided into thirds, that includes your chosen design styles.
Write 1 short paragraph each about the distinctive aesthetic aspects of your chosen styles, and what you find more inspiring about the aesthetic. Include at least 1 image & it's source (URL) on your folio page.

Forced Associations: 1 folio page

Create a large mindmap of potential directions for your Visual Identity using language associations.

On a new folio page add a mind-map centre bubble 'Visual Identity'. For each highlighted term in your folio add a stem to your central 'Visual Identity' bubble. For each of these terms, create at least 3 word stems, with words you associate with those terms. Extend each out three times. See how far & random you can get with your word associations.
Use a colour to highlight or circle all the words that are most interesting to you, and have a strong link back to the brief.

Create a Visual Mood Board: With your brief, design movements, and word association in mind, develop a mood board that reflects your design inspirations. Include colours, textures, patterns, and imagery that resonate with your vision. Referencing this board can help maintain consistency across projects.

Use a PPT slide or A3 blank Canva document to collate this. Include URLs for all images found online.
Print & glue into folio. Write 5 keywords that refer to the aesthetic qualities you see throughout the designs you have chosen.

Create Sketches & Colour Palettes by Responding to Your Mood Board: 1 folio page

Use your mood board as a starting point for some loose sketches.

On a folio page, change the media, methods, and materials you use to create variety.

Swap hands and draw with your less dominant hand.

Use coloured paper and tear or cut to collage in interesting ways.

Experiment with different Media, methods, & materials in your folio to achieve different effects: Minimum 4 pages, including digital

Create a set of icons, symbols, or illustrations that represent key attributes or values of the brand. Experiment with simplicity, scalability, and visual impact as you vary your use of media, methods, materials, and elements & principles.

SELECTING MEDIA METHODS & MATERIALS

Diversify Your Skills: Explore various design disciplines, such as graphic design, web design, illustration, or 3D modeling. Experimenting with different mediums can help you discover where your strengths and passions lie.

Drawing inspiration from different design disciplines can lead to innovative and cross-disciplinary approaches, contributing to the development of a distinctive visual language.

Consider how various types of media used in visual communication design, such as digital, print, interactive, and environmental media might impact the aesthetics of design. Experiment with different media, materials, ranging from traditional (paper, fabric) to unconventional (found objects, recycled materials).

Logo Design Iterations: Minimum 1 page.

Develop multiple versions of a logo using different design principles: symmetry, balance, and contrast. Experiment with shapes, icons, and typography to create a unique mark.

At the top of your logo ideas page, make note of the key constraints & aesthetics that relate to the logo design in your brief. If you are required to use a reference or specific image, paste this at the top of your page.

Experiment with Gestalt Principles of Perception with your logo concept.

Start by filling your page with simple shapes that explore different formats and arrangements for your logo ideas to fill in a variety of ways.

Research Typefaces: Minimum 1 page
Research a range (5 to 10) of typefaces that align with your design aesthetic. Consistent typography can contribute significantly to your visual identity. Use resources on the Type page to find typefaces that have open licences for ethical and legal typeface use.

Select 2 key display typefaces from your research to compare in annotation. Compare these using a PMI table format. Refer to the brief & your research to consider appropriate typefaces to communicate the aesthetic mood that is ideal for you.

Develop Potential Colour Palettes: Minimum 1 page
Refer to your brief & sources of inspiration to create a range (4-8) of potential colour palettes. Colour palettes should:

Use 3-6 key colours
Use contrast effectively
Take into account the requirements of the brief

Visit the Colour page of our Design Elements & Principles page here for more information, inspiration, and tools

Digitise illustrated elements & select logo designs: Minimum 1 page

Create a draft brand board that includes all of your preferred ideas: Minimum 1 folio page - logo, typefaces, colour palette, and illustrations. Screen shot & print as you make significant design changes.

Use this tutorial link to create a layout for your brand board.

Create an application (deliverable) of your design identity for print - poster, flyer, drum cover, sticker, t-shirt design: Minimum 1 page

Use this tutorial to see how you might apply your design identity to a flyer or a poster.

Extension: create a realistic mockup of your print design: Add to Brand board

Critique: Share your work with fellow designers and seek constructive feedback. External perspectives can provide valuable insights and help you refine your visual language.

Develop a Signature Style: Identify design elements that will consistently appear in your work. This could be a specific colour palette, a type of illustration, or a unique approach to layout and composition.
Experiment with different media, methods, and materials.

Select & digitise preferred design ideas to refine.
In your folio, annotate your experimentations. In your annotations, use PMI to reflect on your preferred concepts. Use a star or circle to identify your strongest work as you go. Select your best ideas to refine digitally. Print and annotate to reflect on what are the strongest aspects of each.

CREATING A VISUAL IDENTITY BRAND BOARD

Choose 1 deliverable (design that is not the logo) to produce by applying your visual identity:
Follow the Loom Tutorial here to create your own draft brand board to present in critique.

Document your drafts in screenshots to show the work in progress & annotate to demonstrate your design thinking in your folio. Minimum 3 progress screenshots.

This must be created in Illustrator or Photoshop - the study design does not allow the use of templates, so whilst you may like to look at examples of brand board layouts on Canva, you may not use Canva to create your brand board.

Source

APPLYING BRANDING TO DELIVERABLES

When an effective Visual Identity has been established, it should then flow so that a client can apply the identity to a wide range of deliverables. These may include; Posters, flyers, merchandise, business cards, letterheads, and packaging.

Consistent design across collateral materials helps maintain a cohesive visual identity.

Choose 1 deliverable (design that is not the logo) to produce by applying your visual identity: Document your drafts in screen shots to show the work in progress & annotate to demonstrate your design thinking in your folio. Minimum 3 progress screen shots.

View this Loom tutorial video to see how to apply visual identity to a poster & flyer design.

GIVING & RECEIVING CRITIQUE

Read the article 'Design Critiques - Unleashing the Power of Feedback'
Answer the following questions in your theory folio
Critique Questions:
What is the fundamental purpose of a design critique?
What kind of feedback do designers seek from design critiques?
Why is feedback important in the design process?
What does the “I like, I wish, I wonder” framework encourage during a critique?
What are the benefits of a design critique?

Prepare for critique

Below are the forms you will use to give and receive feedback in the critique.

You will have 5 minutes to present your work to your peers showing:

the areas of your brief you were responding to

the key design decisions you made to solve your design problem

the decisions you arrived at

draft visual identity board

draft print document

You will need to plan for three questions to ask your audience about specific areas of your design work after they provide feedback in the I like, I wish, I wonder form.

Each student will have 10 minutes to present their work and receive feedback.

AFTER THE CRITIQUE

Reflect: 1-2 folio pages

Once you have completed the crit you will document the feedback in your folio & annotate the responses to feedback, reflecting on how you will apply the feedback to improve your design work.

Annotate your printed examples in the folio to reflect the changes you will make.

Resolve: 2-3 folio pages. Return to your digital files to resolve the issues that were identified in the feedback. Print your visual identity brand board & deliverable again for your final presentation in the folio.

Deliver: Digital Folder - Zipped. Save a copy of all the assets required for your visual identity to a folder to be collected on a flash drive.

This includes

The font files downloaded (otf or tff files),
Your logo as a PNG (transparent background) & SVG files,
your illustrative assets as individual PNGs (transparent background)
Any poster or flyer templates as .ai files, ensuring that all the fonts have been provided, and PNG files, adding 'preview' to the title so it's clear that they cannot be edited.
swatches for brand patterns - Use this tutorial, with your brand board file open, to export your patterns as swatches for use by others. Title file - Pattern name swatch project - with bolded text specific to your design.

File Management Tips:

Learn to use the 'Export As', 'Export for Screens', and 'Export Selection' tools for different functions.
Export Assets (Illustrations & logos) as PNG files with transparent backgrounds. If your artboard is A3 size, the size you export them as is the maximum they can be printed without pixelation. When exporting Assetts you can edit the scale to 2-4x to increase the printable scale, or you can scale up the objects in the file.
Transparent setting: Look for the cog symbol above the file types & change your settings for PNG to transparent background.
Title all your files so they are clear and functional for others to use.

BRANDING - VISUAL IDENTITY

Branding and visual identity are integral components of a company's overall marketing strategy, playing a crucial role in shaping how an organization is perceived by its target audience. These terms encompass the visual language and conceptual elements that distinguish a brand, fostering recognition, trust, and loyalty.

Having an effective visual identity is important for:
Recognition and Recall, Trust and Credibility, Market Differentiation, Brand Loyalty, Adaptability & growth

Case Studies: See below and find many more at https://brandarchive.xyz/

NBC

Food Nation

Tomato Bank, Japan

Philidelphia Museum of Art

THE LOGO

A well-designed logo is a visual representation of the brand's values and identity. It should be scalable, versatile, and memorable. Futher examples of logo types & further reading can be found here.

Designers conceptualize and refine a logo that encapsulates the brand's core values and identity. Every element in the logo, from shapes to colors, contributes to conveying the brand's message. A well-designed logo is versatile, appearing equally impactful on different platforms and mediums. Designers consider how the logo will be used across various contexts to ensure consistency.

Word Mark

A word mark logo consists solely of the brand's name or a distinctive word rendered in a unique and stylised typographic methodology. It often focuses on typography as the primary visual element. The primary purpose of a word mark is to emphasize the brand name, making it easily recognizable and memorable. It helps establish a clear brand identity through the chosen font, style, and arrangement of letters. Word marks are commonly used when the brand name itself holds significant value or when the brand wants to establish a strong textual identity. Examples include the Coca-Cola logo and the Google logo.

Image Mark

An image mark, also known as a pictorial mark, is a logo that consists of a distinctive graphic or symbol that represents the brand. It does not include any text or typography. The purpose of an image mark is to create a visual symbol that encapsulates the essence of the brand. It aims to establish immediate brand recognition without relying on words. Image marks are often used when a brand wants a strong visual representation that can stand alone. Examples include the Apple logo, Nike swoosh, and Twitter bird.

Communication Design - The 7 main types of logo.MP4

7 Types of Logo

Abstract Mark

An abstract mark is a logo that uses a unique, non-representational visual element to convey the brand's identity. It doesn't directly depict a specific object or concept but instead creates a distinctive, often symbolic, shape. The purpose of an abstract mark is to evoke a specific feeling, mood, or concept without relying on literal imagery. It allows for a more creative and open interpretation of the brand. Abstract marks are employed when a brand wants a visually unique and versatile symbol that transcends literal representation. Examples include the Adidas logo and the Pepsi globe.

TYPOGRAPHY

Fonts are selected to complement the brand's voice. Whether it's a classic serif font for a traditional feel or a modern sans-serif for a contemporary edge, typography contributes to the overall visual language. Consistent use of typography reinforces brand recognition.

Designers typically choose 1-3 fonts to work with for a visual identity. A display font might only be used for the logo design, or may be carried into other designs, where desirable.

Creating a font palette is important for:

Consistency: Maintaining a consistent typeface family throughout the design creates visual cohesion. Designers may use variations (bold, italic) within the same font family to denote differences in importance.

Brand Personality: Typefaces should align with the brand's personality and the intended emotional response. Playful and quirky fonts might suit a creative brand, while a sleek, modern font may be more suitable for a tech-oriented brand.

Contrast: A balance of contrasting fonts helps create visual interest. For instance, pairing a bold display font with a simple sans-serif body font can enhance the overall design aesthetic.

By carefully selecting fonts for display, title, and body text, designers create a visual hierarchy that guides the viewer through the content while maintaining an aesthetically pleasing and cohesive design.

Learn more about Type & find some great links to free-for-use typefaces on the Design Elements: Type Page

Display Typefaces

Purpose: Display typefaces are the largest and most attention-grabbing text in a design, typically used for headlines, banners, or any text that needs to stand out prominently.

Characteristics: Designers often opt for bold, expressive, or decorative fonts for display text. These fonts make a bold statement and capture the viewer's attention quickly. It's an opportunity to infuse personality and set the tone for the overall design.

Considerations: Legibility is still crucial, so designers ensure that the chosen display type remains clear and easily readable, even at larger sizes.

Title Typefaces

Purpose: Title typefaces serve as an intermediary between display and body text. It's slightly larger than the body text but not as attention-grabbing as the display text. Titles are often used for section headers, subheadings, or any text that requires emphasis.

Characteristics: Designers may choose bold or semi-bold fonts for the title fonts, striking a balance between prominence and readability. The goal is to make titles easily scannable while maintaining a cohesive visual hierarchy.

Considerations: Consistency in font style throughout titles helps in establishing a harmonious design. The readability of the title text should be sufficient for viewers to quickly grasp the content hierarchy.

Body Typefaces

Purpose: Body text is the smallest and most abundant text in a design, used for paragraphs, articles, or any substantial written content.

Characteristics: Designers prioritise readability for body text, opting for clean, legible, and often serif or sans-serif fonts. Serif fonts can convey a more traditional and formal feel, while sans-serif fonts provide a modern and clean aesthetic.

Considerations: Line spacing, also known as leading, is crucial for body text to ensure comfortable reading. Font size and line length are adjusted to strike a balance between readability and visual appeal.

COLOUR PALETTES - THE POWER OF COLOUR

Designers strategically choose colours based on their psychological impact and their alignment with the brand's personality. The selected palette evokes specific emotions and associations.

Learn more on the Design Elements: Colour Page

Colour Psychology

Brand recognise that colour choice can influence human emotions, perceptions, and behaviors. In creating a visual identity, it involves selecting colours strategically to evoke specific feelings or associations in the audience. For example, warm colours like red and orange might evoke feelings of energy and excitement, while cool colors like blue and green can convey calmness and trust. The chosen colour palette communicates subtle messages that align with the brand's personality and values, influencing how consumers perceive and interact with the brand.

Colour Contrast

This refers to the deliberate use of different colors to create visual interest, highlight specific elements, or enhance readability. It involves considering the relationships between colors in a design to achieve a balanced and impactful composition. In creating a colour palette for a Visual Identity, it's important to consider how you will apply contrast to guide the viewer's attention and emphasise key information.
This can involve using complementary colors to make elements stand out, adjusting the saturation for emphasis, or employing light and dark contrasts for readability. Well-executed colour contrast enhances the visual hierarchy of a design, ensuring that important elements are noticed first and fostering a positive user experience.

Colour Accessibility

Creating an effective contrasting palette enhances the accessibility of your designs, considering the diverse needs of users, including those with visual impairments, when selecting colours in design. It increases the likelihood that designs can be easily perceived by a wide range of people. This may involve providing sufficient colour contrast, using patterns or textures alongside colour to distinguish areas of the design, and adhering to web accessibility standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). By considering accessibility, brands demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and provide a positive experience for all users.

CREATIVE & EFFECTIVE IMAGERY

The visual language employed in promotional materials, websites, and advertising contributes to the brand's overall aesthetic.

Photography

Illustrations

Shapes & Symbols

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