Graphic Design is Visual Communication

On our next part of what I want to share from the book 'The Complete Graphic Designer" by Ryan Hembree, I learned that graphic design is visual communication. That reminded me of the Communication Skills module I had in semester one.

 "Communication is a process involving the sorting, selecting and sending of symbols (or encoding) in such a way as to help a listener (or receiver) perceive in his own mind (or decode) the meaning (or message) contained in the mind of the communicator (or sender)."
Raymond Ross,
“Speech Communication”, 6th Edition

If that is too hard to understand, maybe this will help to illustrate the idea better.

What graphic designer seeks to do is usually to "identifies, informs, instructs, interprets, and even persuades" the target audience to do something. Examples of visual message could be a map, an instruction booklet on how to use a camera, or a diagram to explain tough concept, such as the one I just showed you on this report.

When creating visual message, graphic designers will make use of design such as semiotics (icons and symbols), color, shape, image and applying culture and psychology to make their visual message clear and easy to understand.