Visual Communications Techniques

Visual Communication Techniques We live in a world of visual communication and images which promote, enhance, and inspire our perceptions in making decisions which affect every aspect of our daily lives. There are many different ways in which an author can communicate his ideas and intentions utilizing visual mediums such as television, newspapers, magazines, and now the computer. With the introduction of the computer, the digital techniques in visual communication can create even more inspiring images. In this paper, I will illustrate through typographical images how using text, shapes and colors, and particular typefaces of design can produce similar effects in different settings, thus enhancing the message that is intended. “Images are something of a mystery to us, even though they pervade our lives. We find them on billboards; in newspapers and magazines; on film screens and television screens; in our snapshots of children, friends, and relatives; in the paintings on our walls. They both enrich our lives and convey to others something about our aesthetic sensibilities, socioeconomic class, and taste” (Berger, 2008, p. 1). Typography is defined as the art of selecting and arranging type to obtain particular effects (p. 97). Each particular typeface has its own distinctive personality which is the means of managing impressions in the minds of the readers. In the case of promotional literature such as “The Serenity Prayer,” the typeface must fit the image that is to be created (p. 104). As Berger explains, “typefaces play an important role in transmitting information, and the way a message is presented has a great deal of significance (p. 102). Typefaces vary and have different looks and different meanings, so decisions must be made on which elements are to be used in conveying the message intended. Some of these elements are the basic shape, dimension, size, width, stance, and quality of line. Once the design of the letters is established, their

References: Berger, A. A. (2008). Introduction. In E. Barrosse (Ed.), Seeing is Believing: An Introduction to Visual Communication (3rd ed., p Berger, A. A. (2008). Elements of Visual Communication. In E. Barrosse (Ed.), Seeing is Believing: An Introduction to Visual Communication (3rd ed., p Berger, A. A. (2008). Typography and Graphic Design. In E. Barrosse (Ed.), Seeing Is Believing: An Introduction to Visual Communication (3rd ed., pp Posner, Michael. (2003). Image world. Queen’s Quarterly, 110(2), 228-241. Retrieved November 5, 2011 from CBCA Complete. (Document ID: 506065981)