Table of Contents:

1. What is Communication Design?
2. Types of Communication Design
3. Courses in Communication Design
4. Skills Required for A Communication Designer
5. Careers in Communication Design
6. How Can Atria University Help?
7. Conclusion

What is Communication Design?

Good design has a universal capacity to transform the mundane using an unparalleled blend of wit and superb art direction. It is the centripetal force of culture that elevates and enhances the quality of life.

Communication Design is a specialised field of Design that involves strategically conceiving, visually communicating, and effectively disseminating information, ideas, and products through various mediums such as print, digital etc. It has rapidly evolved into a global industry.

Paola Antonelli, the Director of R&D at the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, says:

“The bond between people and things has always been filled with powerful and unspoken sentiments going well beyond functional expectations and including attachment, love, possessiveness, jealousy, pride, curiosity, anger, even friendship and partnership.”

Thus, the ultimate goal of communication design is to effectively convey the intended message, evokie a desired response and create a lasting impact on the target audience.

Types of Communication Design

1. Graphic design

It originates from Communication Design and uses visual elements to convey a message in various mediums, such as advertising, marketing, and web design. It involves the skilful composition of layouts, symbols, images, and text to create impactful visual communication.

2. Advertising

Advertising is a powerful medium for communication – from print ads to high-budget videos – used to promote products and spread social messages. It is a multi-billion dollar industry with ample opportunities for communication designers. Advertising allows for effective targeting of specific audiences, and a well-crafted ad can drive sales and leave a lasting impression on viewers.

3. Data Visualization

Data visualization uses graphical representations, such as charts and maps, to effectively communicate data and information. It combines elements of information design and communication design to make complex and large amounts of data understandable and accessible to audiences. It is both a technical and creative field, as it involves finding ways to convey information intuitively and in a visually engaging manner.

4. Art and Illustrations

Art and illustrations are visual communication forms used to convey ideas or explain processes. They take the form of animations, illustrations, or other types of visual explanations. They are often considered the most effective method of communication because they are easy to understand, and they allow for creative expression while ensuring the message is delivered clearly to the audience. Examples of this are TED videos known for their illustration and animation.

5. Interaction Design

Interaction design involves creating digital products, systems, services, and environments that are easy, useful, and enjoyable for users to interact with. This includes designing apps and websites, and it is focused on making the interaction between the user and the product as seamless as possible. Interaction design overlaps with visual communication design because both are concerned with the user’s experience. However, interaction design is more focused on the functionality and ease of use of the interface, while visual communication design focuses on aesthetics.

6. Information Architecture

Information architecture is a complex communication design that organises and structures shared information environments. This includes creating a system for collecting, labelling, and structuring information to make it easily accessible to users. Examples of this include designing the layout and navigation of websites, organising information within online communities, and structuring online databases in a user-friendly and sustainable way to help users quickly find the information they need.

7. Writing and Editing

It is one of the most critical components of communication design and is both artful and technical. It requires the ability to craft and convey information and ideas through written language in a clear, concise, and engaging manner. This includes various forms such as promotional materials, blogs, articles, novels, journals, informational documents, and copy used in advertising.

Courses in Communication Design

Depending on your level of study, you can opt for degree, diploma or certificate-level courses in Communication Design. You can pursue undergraduate (BDes in Communication Design) or postgraduate level (MDes in Communication Design) in full-time, part-time or online modes.

Skills Required for a Communication Designer

In the era of digital ephemera, a good design is exceptional and enduring. You need a specific set of skills to produce designs that become a part of a culture’s visual lexicon rather than mere commercial decoration. Some of these include:

• Written and Verbal Communication
• Multilingual Communication
• Branding
• Storytelling and Creativity
• Time Management

Careers in Communication Design

When someone pursues communications design, they have a degree that can get them hired in several different industries, including media, publishing, public relations, communications, education, entertainment and business. The degree prepares them for varied job duties, including:

• Developing and implementing visually appealing and user-friendly designs for websites and mobile apps, and wireframes.
• Creating effective marketing materials such as brochures, pamphlets, fliers, infomercials, direct mail campaigns, and advertisements for both print and broadcast media to promote products or services and drive sales.
• Developing and executing visually unique concepts that align with the overall message and goals of public relations campaigns, including corporate identity packages, brochures, annual reports, and signage. This helps to enhance the public perception and reputation of the organisation’s brand being represented.

• Gathering and analysing data on target audiences to determine the most effective strategies for a campaign or project to reach and engage with the intended audience.

The salary package drawn depends on the sector, job profile, skill level, and candidate’s academic record. Take a look at the table below to know the average base salary for some of the most sought-after communication design jobs in India:

Source : AmbitionBox

How Can Atria University Help?

If you are someone who asks the ‘big questions’ about disruptive technologies, Atria University is the place for you. Our 4-year BDes degree incorporates design practice, design thinking and design research to develop transferable skills for employability and lifelong learning.

There are a number of BDes colleges in Bangalore. What makes us unique is our focus on interdisciplinary, project-led learning. You get a chance to collaborate with world-renowned professionals to address real-world challenges through design-led interventions.

You have the flexibility to pursue BDes in any of the five industry-driven majors we offer:

BDes in Interactive Technologies

If you aspire to work at the intersection of human-centred iterative processes and computer science.

BDes in Digital Transformation

If you aspire to work at the intersection of digital-based innovation and resource-intensive manual processes.

BDes in Life Sciences

If you aspire to design spaces, machines, and structure the interactions that are necessary for effective systems used in the biological sciences.

BDes in Energy Sciences

If you aspire to be the designer of renewable energy plants and energy-efficient utilities for buildings.

BDes in E-Mobility

If you aspire to design functional and aesthetically pleasing products for mobility solutions.

Also read :The importance of E-mobility and clean energy in today’s world

Our final thoughts

To keep up with the evolving digital landscape of the 21st century, creative practitioners need to have cross-disciplinary expertise. They must develop critical and conceptual tools to foster communication and connections across disciplinary boundaries. To address future challenges, it is crucial to invest in a good education that equips you with a robust set of transferable skills for designing new possibilities with empathy, insight, collaboration, agility, and ethics.