Communication By Design

Where do design principles come from? Are they abstract "rules" established by professionals or do they have roots in human experience? And if we encounter these visual phenomena in our everyday lives, how do designers use them to attract our attention, orient our behavior, and create compelling and memorable communication that stands out among the thousands of messages we confront each day? Today's work in visual communication design shifts emphasis from simply designing objects to designing experiences; to crafting form that acknowledges cognitive and cultural influences on interpretation. In response, Meredith Davis and Jamer Hunt provide a new slant on design basics from the perspective of audiences and users. Chapters break down our interactions with communication as a sequence of meaningful episodes, each with related visual concepts that shape the interpretive experience. Explanatory illustrations and professional design examples support definitions of visual concepts and discussions of context. Work spans print, screen, and environmental applications from around the world. This introduction to visual communication design demystifies the foundational concepts that underpin professional design decisions and shape our experiences in a complex visual world.

Based on the approach laid out in the 1950s by Nobel laureate Nikolaas Tinbergen, this book looks at animal communication from the four perspectives of mechanisms, ontogeny, function, and phylogeny.

This unique, comprehensive work will give students a firm grasp of the theory and practice of communication design. It will inspire them to look beyond aesthetic concerns and develop an integrated, multidimensional understanding of this everchanging field. Complete with practical examples, case studies, and cutting-edge research, this eloquent primer is a springboard to integrated, contemporary communication design. Book jacket.

Real critique has become a lost skill among collaborative teams today. Critique is intended to help teams strengthen their designs, products, and services, rather than be used to assert authority or push agendas under the guise of "feedback." In this practical guide, authors Adam Connor and Aaron Irizarry teach you techniques, tools, and a framework for helping members of your design team give and receive critique. Using firsthand stories and lessons from prominent figures in the design community, this book examines the good, the bad, and the ugly of feedback. You’ll come away with tips, actionable insights, activities, and a cheat sheet for practicing critique as a part of your collaborative process. This book covers: Best practices (and anti-patterns) for giving and receiving critique Cultural aspects that influence your ability to critique constructively When, how much, and how often to use critique in the creative process Facilitation techniques for making critiques timely and more effective Strategies for dealing with difficult people and challenging situations

Web Site Design is Communication Design is written for practitioners, trainers, and students of Communication, Business, Information Science and Media Design. This book is based on a series of case studies of web-site design processes in smaller and larger organizations, including Amazon and Microsoft. It offers a well-researched, reflective and thorough analysis of the activities undertaken, in combination with practical, real-life experiences of web-site designers and producers. It pays attention to the often complicated organizational context that web designers and producers have to work in, while they serve both bosses and target groups to their best intents. The importance of careful evaluation is stressed throughout the book and in the concluding checklists, which guide the practitioner through the design process, from initial idea through site maintenance and re-design.

The success of a piece of communication has always been dependent on the connection between content, form, audience and context – what the message is, who it's aimed at, what it looks like, and how and where it's communicated. In recent years the balance between these elements has shifted. This book bridges the gap between education and emerging practices to provide students and practitioners with the information they need to understand the new skillsets required to succeed in this changing communication environment. Organized into themes of brand, experience, conversation, participation, navigation, advocacy and critique, it explores the core ideas shaping contemporary practice. Alongside case studies of game changing projects, it uses analysis of historical context and interviews with key thinkers and practitioners to provide a relevant and contemporary guide to the creative employment landscape.

Complete coverage of basic design principles illustrated by student examples Design for Communication offers a unique approach to mastering the basic design principles, conceptual problem-solving methods, and critical-thinking skills that distinguish graphic designers from desktop technicians. This book presents forty-two basic to advanced graphic design and typography assignments collaboratively written by college educators to teach the fundamental processes, concepts, and techniques through hands-on applications. Each assignment is illustrated with actual student solutions, and each includes a process narrative and an educator's critical analysis revealing the reasoning behind the creative strategies employed by each individual student solution. Assignments are organized from basic to advanced within six sections: * The elements and principles of design * Typography as image * Creative word play * Word and image * Grid and visual hierarchy * Visual advocacy Design for Communication is a highly visual resource of instruction, information, ideas, and inspiration for students and professionals.