Fundamentals of visual communication unit ii

FUNDAMENTALS OF
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
BY RANGARAJAN N
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPT. OF VISUAL
COMMUNICATION
Unit II

Visual Communication
Visual communication is all around the world. It
is survival skills that tend to take for granted. It
is not necessary to visit an art gallery or read a
design book to experience the visual
communication. The visual communication is
used to navigate and understand the world.
Packaging, signs, logos, bills, receipts,
leaflets, books, mobile phones, appliances,
advertisements and etc are all examples of
visual communication.

Visual communication transmits information to
others through shape, colour and movement or
body language. Animals can both send and decode
visual messages, using colour and behavioural
displays for messages as varied as threat,
invitations to mate and identification of what
species they are.
Though plants can't themselves see, they use
visual cues such as colour to attract animals to their
flowers and fruits. Visual perception completely
differs among various groups of 24 Animals, from
the ability to see in low light, to detection of the
slightest movement.

Historical development of Visual
Communication
The history of visual communication began with
man communicating with others like him, using
visual communication that was understandable
to the listener. Hand signs and body language
played important roles while the ancestors
communicated with themselves. Man then
developed a sense of what surrounded him, by
trying to represent all that he saw and
experienced, using mud and sharpened tools,
to draw and carve on walls.

1.Pictograms:
Pictograms are forms of images that portray a
single object, situations, or other forms of
image depiction. Words don't have to be
spelled Out, but denoted by certain symbolic
representations that give the meaning all at
once. Pictograms were common during the
stone ages, where cavemen used two Kinds
of imagery to communicate with one another,
namely petroglyphs and petro graphs.

o Petroglyph: It is a method
that involves carving or
incising or picking rocks, using
a sharp instrument to produce
works of art.
o Petrograph: It is an
imagery painting on rocks,
without the use of carving
instruments. Both are forms of
pictograms that depict certain
objects or situations that tell a
story, or are random
Interpretations of what man
wanted to put down on rock, of

2.Cuneiform:
The Sumerians came up with a system that involved the
use of clay tokens, which were placed in containers
(bullae), and then sealed, Popularly known as, cuneiform.
Engraving tablets with logographic representations (images
of objects), Was heavily practiced by the Sumerians. When
the Phoenician alphabet took over, there were no records
made of cuneiform still being a practiced system of
communication.

3.Hieroglyphs:
Egyptian hieroglyphs heavily relied on
a logographic system that represented
a grapheme (the translation of a
grapheme is called a morpheme).
o Morpheme: The term is the
smallest unit of language that holds
meaning. They stand for words that
represent symbols, rather than the
sounds that make up the core of that
particular word.
o Phonemes: The term is the unit of
language that holds sound. They
stand for sounds that represent

4.Greek & Roman
Alphabets:
The Greeks adopted their
alphabetical system from the
Phoenician alphabet, which
later served as the basis for
scripts in the Middle East
and Europe. The Romans
then tweaked the Etruscan
alphabet, further modifying it
and turning it into Latin
script.

5.Smoke Signals:
Smoke signals were an
important form of
communication between
parties of impending danger
or 26 Important messages
that needed to be encoded
via the signal. The Chinese
used smoke signals before
enemies attacked; where two
towers across from each
other could view the smoke
and act accordingly on what
was interpreted.

6.Pigeon Post:
The highlight of using pigeon post is recorded during
1870s, when Paris used pigeons to send messages to
neighboring areas. The Germans would train hawks to
attack these pigeons, being a common means of
communication during wartime. The Greeks, Persians,
and even Romans, made use of this age-old means,
which at the height of its popularity, survived a good many
years before the telegram revolutionized communication.

7.Telegraph:
Telegraphy is the long-distance
transmission of messages
where the sender uses
symbolic codes, known to the
recipient, rather than a physical
exchange of an object bearing
the message. The French
engineer Claude Chappe, is the
first man to successfully
construct optical telegraph. It
was used for military purposes
along with other forms of
national communication.

8.Wireless Telegraph (Radio):
While the telegraph was a significant discovery of its time,
wireless telegraphy was slowly emerging because of its
extremely sharp construct of not using wires between two
connecting points, which was later came to known as Radio.
Public broadcasting found its roots in radiotelephony, which
was a successor of radio telegraphy as we know it today.
Heinrich Hertz was the first to prove that electric waves could
be wirelessly transmitted.

9.Telephone:
The telephone was a radical invention of its time, with many
inventors contributing to the efforts behind the acoustic
telegraph. It was an invention that Telephone: The telephone
was a radical invention of its time, with many inventors
contributing to the efforts behind the acoustic telegraph. It was
an invention that

10. Television:
There were many inventors that contributed to the making of
the television, with the most prolific inventors. The major
invention that turned the television into a working mechanism
was the amplification tube technology. Modern TV sets have
cathode ray tubes which were modified over the years, with
cathode ray tube.

11.Computers:
The first model that may have possibly led to the birth of the
computer was the Complex Number Calculator (CNC),
created in 1939 by Bell Telephone Laboratories under the
leadership of designer George Stibitz. The first known
computer was the Z3, built by German engineer Konrad
Zuse. Later, we see how computers evolved through leaps
and bounds, with multiple inventions taking a spot in the
limelight.

Nature of Visual Communication:
The nature of Visual Communication can be a structural adaptation called
‘badge’ or it can be a behavioral adaptation called ‘display’.
Badge:
Animals often communicate using structural adaptations that used to
communicate is called a badge. For example, the white-tailed male deer has
antlers; the size of the antlers is a badge that can tell another male deer how
powerful the other deer is. Badges can also help females pick a mate.
Sometimes, the color or pattern of an Animal is a badge that serves as a
warning to other animals to stay away.
Display:
When an animal exhibits a behavior that can be seen by other animals, it is
called a display. Displays can be used to attract a mate or to warn others.
For example, dogs put their tails between their legs and lie on their backs to
show submission to another dog and to let them know they are not a threat.
Similarly, when the dogs want to show dominance they stare at each other,
raise their fur and bare their teeth, which lets the other dog know that they
want to be the dominant, animal.

Functions of Visual Communication:
The basic functions of visual communication are
Expressive Function:
Expressive is one of the basic functions of visual
communication, which consist the ability to express the
emotional state and subjective attitude toward selected objects
and experience of reality. Expression can be conveyed through
the use of various elements such as conveying surprise, pain,
sadness, gasping, moaning and etc. Another means of
expressive function is the use of the imperative and subjunctive
moods of verbs.

Innovative Function:
Another important of visual function is innovative function,
which translate an idea into a good service that creates a
value. Innovation involves focused application of information,
imagination and initiative in getting greater values from
resources That includes all process by which new ideas are
generated and converted into useful products.
Aesthetic Function:
The important function of visual communication is aesthetic
function, which may be defined as the theory of beauty or
philosophy of art. ‘Sublime’ and ‘beautiful’ are the two many
terms which may be used to describe the aesthetic
experiences.

Characteristics of Visual Communication:
Some of common characteristics of Visual communications
are;
Visual messages are surrounded everywhere around us.
Visual communication has many benefits and advantages in
both personal and professional situations.
The primary characteristic of visual communication is
immediacy over verbal, which is much quicker.
Visual communication can bring a thing, location and even
idea to life in dynamic ways.
Another characteristic of visual communication is simplicity,
which simplify the information or ideas.
Visual communication can also demonstrate the relationship
between two entities or ideas in accessible ways.
Visual communication can also be more flexible in many ways
than verbal communication.
Visual communication not only can bridge geographic
distance, it also can span cultural differences.

Types of visual communication:
Visual communication uses creative license to communicate
thoughts and ideas through display. People skilled in visual
communications use simple and advanced techniques to get
their message across from pencils to computers.
Graphic design:
Graphic designers plan and create marketing materials that
communicate visually. They work in a variety of settings,
including publishing companies, advertising firms and
corporations where they assist with advertising campaigns
and business promotions. Graphic designers also develop
brochures, press packets and fundraising programs. Some
choose to work alone and freelance for clients.

Art:
Artists work in many creative fields, such as advertising, public
relations and set design. Others are employed as cartoonists,
illustrators, art directors and interior decorators. Artists often
specialize in sculpture, illustration, watercolor, and oil colour
and computer animation.

Photography:
Photographers tell stories with their pictures to capture and to
record major events for future generations. Photographers
typically earn a college degree or complete specialized
training at a photography school or art institute. Many are self-
employed and others work as photojournalists.

Multimedia:
Professionals skilled in multimedia have solid knowledge and
understanding of all forms of visual communication in order to
produce cutting-edge Communication pieces for a client or
business. For example, in order to put together an engaging
company website to attract page hits and customers, a Web
page must contain high quality photography, attractive graphic
design, original artwork and an attention-grabbing video.
Like all forms of communication, visual communication too has
its own pros and cons. It is therefore recommended that to get
out the maximum impact by the message, combine several
modes of communication, like aiding a speech with a few
graphs, or a powerful image with a small sentence, to further
drive home the point.

Advantages of Visual Communication:
•Visual communication is very fast as far as conveying a
message is concerned.
•A picture is retained in our memory longer than words or
quotes. Research shows that people remember visuals the
best, followed by speech, accompanied by reading.
•The image will move people emotionally and be more
effective.
•It is a much more efficient way of communicating.
•Ambiguities are more common with oral communication, on
other hand the visual makes everything very clear.
•When visuals are used instead of a simple speech, it makes a
person more involved and connected.

Disadvantages of Visual Communication:
•The major drawback for using visuals is their higher cost.
•High quality images, pictures and graphics require additional
resources to procure and make, driving up the cost.
•Besides, using lower quality visuals has been proven to
reduce credibility, having the opposite effect of that intended.
•Only a small amount of information can be conveyed via
visuals.
• A very detailed visual will look jumbled, overcome the reader
and reduce its impact.
•Visuals can be mocking, shifting the focus from the
presentation itself.
•A visual can also close up the viewer, if it is too disturbing or
controversial.
•When using visuals, many concepts lose their depth.

Visual Communication Techniques:
Though it is easy to base the communication methods
primarily on the content and delivery of the words, the majority
of communication is done through non-verbal methods. Visual
communication techniques should be utilized in every
interaction, especially when trying to convince a listener or
audience of something.
Eye Contact:
Generally, listeners will keep their eyes focused on the
speaker’s eyes makes majority of the time on listening.
Maintaining eye contact with the audience While
communicating gives the confident and authoritative presence.
In contrast, if the eyes have a habit of shying away from the
eyes of the audience, they will perceive the speaker as vague
or artificial, which will make the content of the speech much
less effective.

Hand Gesture:
The use of hand gestures while communicating allows
emphasizing certain points and helps to convey emotion along
with the words. Instead, use natural hand gestures that go
along with the mood or emotion of what we are trying to
communicate.
Body Language:
It is easy to forget about the body language while engaged in
communication with an audience. But, the audience will be
recognizing every movement made during the speech.
Developing authoritative body language such as standing
upright and relatively still will strengthen the communication.

Elements of Visual Communication:
The various elements of visual communication are;
Line:
Line is a direct link between two points. Line may be real or
indirect arrangement of two or more objects in a row. The
edge line of a mountain, the banks of a river or the trunk of a
tree are examples of Line and manmade lines includes
landscape, roads, fences, bridges and the outlines of
structures.
Form:
The term Form is closely related to the ‘Mass’. The bulk that
comprises an object or mass is arranged to create shape or
form. Form exists in nature, as mountains, Trees, rocks,
pebbles or etc., and manmade form are buildings, cars and
structures of any type.

Colour:
Colour is the breakdown of light into different visual elements.
Each colour has a separate reaction and is recorded in such a
way. Colour reaction is automatic and sensitive in most
humans and occurs without the conscious awareness, since
all got educated were taught to identify the reaction with a
name as red, yellow and blue, and pure white is the absence
of colour.
Contrast:
Contrast is a visible difference, usually associated with colour.
The degree of contrast is the amount of noticeable difference
between two or more objects, colours, surfaces or units being
compared. The natural environment is mostly of low to
medium contrast and manmade objects in the environment
are often of high contrast compared to their surroundings. For
example, road signs or pavement markings employ

Sequence:
Sequence may be considered as a development or the visible
experience of movement or change. Sequence is a series of
events visual sense that leads the eye in a specific direction or
exhibits in a logical order. A line of trees becomes a sequence
if the eye automatically follows from one tree to another.
Axis:
Axis is a visible or invisible line that divides a view. Axis is
likely to focus attention on itself or isolate elements to form
axis. Most axes divide a view into balanced parts. The
principles of the axis can be used by the designer to create
powerful visual effects through Balance achieved in a
symmetrical or asymmetrical manner.

Scale:
Scale is the relationship between two or more objects being
compared in terms of visible size. Objects that are in scale
appear to belong together. Objects that are out of scale exhibit
a visual imbalance. Scale is often considered to be the
relationship between the human figure and other objects. The
size of a human is roughly constant; objects that fit well with
human size and physical capabilities likely to be in scale.
Proportion:
Proportion is the relationship between components of a single
object or composition, such as the ratio between height and
width. Components are in proportion to one another when they
exhibit a visually balanced attitude; objects not in proportion
do not appear to be well-matched. Many other laws of
proportion have been developed and are of use to the
designer in creating visually balanced, aesthetically pleasing

Distance:
Distance influences the detail of colour, texture and scale.
Objects at close range likely to be observed and even small
differences become most noticeable and the greater distance
loose the details and the observer depends on colour
variations or textual differences to distinguish one object from
another.
Observer Position:
Observer position determines how much of a total object is
seen at one time. Objects are most visible from a position
above the object; similarly, most detail may be seen at a
position near to eye level And objects that are above the
observer likely to be dominant.

Atmospheric Conditions:
Atmospheric conditions influence the opinion of objects by
increasing or decreasing visibility. Bright, sunny days
maximize colour variations that help to distinguish between
objects in the landscape. On cloudy days likely to reduce the
contrast of objects that helps to combine one with another.
Rain, fog, smog, and falling snow also reduce the visibility and
combine colours together.
Light:
Light plays an important role in the viewing of objects. Bright
light supports the colour reflection and general visibility. The
direction in which the light source strikes the object
determines what to see. Objects that are back lighted are
distinguished by their form and details of the object are lost.
The front lighted objects likely to appear twodimensional or flat
and side light creates dramatic effects in nature.

Seasons:
Seasons influence the visual insight due to the wide variation
in colour of the surrounding environment. Spring flowers and
fall leaf colours likely to dominate in the environment and undo
other features. In summer, green or brown colours
predominate in the landscape and in the winter, predominant
colours likely to be browns or shades of gray and white in
snow country. In snow, much of the landscape and colours are
worthless except for major structures.
Motion:
Motion influences the views in detail. When the observer is in
motion, the details in the texture are lost And the observer
depends on colour and form as a support to identify the
objects. Similarly, when the observer is stationary, the motion
attracts interest and the eye likely to follow the motion or to
determine what is moving. Slow motion attracts attention to

Fundamentals of visual communication unit ii

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Fundamentals of visual communication unit ii