Lecture 1: What is Visual Communication

In the lecture today, the lecturer spoke about ‘visual communication’ as a concept. A way of sending and receiving messages through type and image. The first thing that he spoke about, which makes visual communication possible was our shared understanding and visual literacy, us bing the most visually literate generation. It is possible to construct meaning within an image through our accumulated knowledge of symbols. For example, we all know the male and female symbols for the toilet. Even if we went to the loo in Korea we would be able to recognise the symbols and read the sign for the loo. The fact that we re so aware of these symbols allows designers to manipulate and have fun with them, yet they are still recognisable and readable to us.

He also talked about the significance of context, something which he made really clear by using this cross symbol as an example. If we look at it alone we can interperate it as a plus sign, a pharmacy sign, the christian cross, the swiss cross etc. However, as soon as you place it next to a divide sign everyone would say it was an addition symbol. 

Another thing that the lecturer talked about was that a visual language requires an understanding of the relationship between syntax (the structure and organisation of elements within an image, i.e. cool, shape, texture etc.) and semantics (how an image fits into its context). Even though I had never heard the words syntax and semantics before I know this statement to be true. These are all elements that I am constantly aware of and try to balance in my own work. Looking at other illustrator's work there is also almost always a focus on context in addition to the aesthetics of an image. 

                     

He used lots of words, which I was unfamiliar with when defining ‘visual communication’ He used New York City as an example to explain the difference between a visual synecdoche, a visual metonym and a visual metaphor. A visual synecdoche is when you use a part to represent a whole, an example would be using the Statue of Liberty to represent NYC. Whereas, a visual metonym is when you use something which is associated with something to describe it. An example would be using a yellow cab represent NYC, even though yellow cabs are found in cities across the world. In contrast, a visual metaphor is when you use something to describe something which may have no relationship at all with what you are describing but it is what we have been told. An example would be using an apple to describe NYC or 'the Big Apple'. These are all things that I have seen within illustration but have never been able to define. I will now be able to identify these different means of representation more easily. The lecturer really made something quite complex really easy to understand by using NYC as an example. This worked really well for me as a visual learner.