 Communication design 

is a mixed discipline between design and information-

development which is concerned with how media communicate with people.
 A communication design approach is not only concerned with developing the 
message in addition to the aesthetics in media, but also with creating new
media channels to ensure the message reaches the target audience.
 Some designers use graphic design and communication design interchangeably
due to overlapping skills.
 Communication design can also refer to a systems-based approach, in which
the totality of media and messages within a culture or organization are
designed as a single integrated process rather than a series of discrete
efforts. This is done through communication channels that aim to inform and
attract the attention of the people one is focusing one's skills on.
 Design skills must be tailored to fit to different cultures of people, while
maintaining pleasurable visual design. These are all important pieces of
information to add to a media communications kit to get the best results.
 If a graphic designer is a person who creates specific graphic or visual
elements, a communication designer uses those elements in designing a
strategic plan to communicate a broader message to an audience.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
 Nowadays, graphic design typically refers to a specialized field, narrowly
focused on creating specific graphic or visual elements for use in a campaign,
on a website, or in print. Graphic designers do not typically learn about
processes such as animation or photography, for instance. Nor do they deliver
a completely finished visual product for clients. Instead, they focus on
creating key visual elements which play a role within a broader visual
communication process or campaign.
 Because their skillset is so specialized, graphic design graduates are set up for
critical roles as expert advisers to visual communicators, whose expertise on
subjects such as graphic design standards doesn’t run as deep.
 So, graphic design can be understood to mean the practice of creating visual
content, rather than handling the more general work of a modern
communication designer.
COMMUNICATION DESIGN
 If a graphic designer is a person who creates specific graphic or visual
elements, a communication designer uses those elements in designing a
strategic plan to communicate a broader message to an audience.
 Alongside graphic elements, a communication designer’s plan might also
involve identifying key words or phrases for a campaign, choosing specific
pieces of information to include, and decisions around where, when and how
a message should appear to have maximum impact on a desired audience. A
communication designer would design and produce the entire scope of a
messaging campaign, from start to finish.
 Communication designers may work in advertising, web or app design,
branding, or product design, among many other fields.
VISUAL COMMUNICATION DESIGN

 Visual communication design is related to both communication design and

graphic design. Where graphic design is a highly specialized discipline
focusing on creating key visual elements, and communication design is a more
generalized field focusing on developing broader messaging campaigns or
strategies, visual communication design can be thought of as existing
somewhere in between the two: it is the practice of creating strategic visuals
to express a specific message or tell a specific story to an audience.

 Visual communication can involve the use of colour theory, typography,

drawing, design software, data visualization, design for web and print,
branding and identity design, and intersects closely with other disciplines
including user experience, photography and illustration. Career paths are as
diverse as graphic design, professional digital photography and retouching,
digital or analogue illustration and publication, professional digital animation,
advertising, website design, and marketing.
 When someone studies communications design, they come away with a
degree that has them ready for a wide range of jobs.
 A communication designer is ready with the creative and technical skills to
create visually arresting graphics and the professional skills to handle large,
complex projects.
Corporate Design and Branding
 Communication designers who understand the nuances of successfully
branding a business are in high demand. Every company wants to establish a
unique identity in their respective field and stand out from their competitors
in order to develop strong relationships with their audience base. A
company’s ability to get noticed by more people leads to a more profitable
business, so if a communication designer can showcase how they understand
the relationship between design and branding — visuals and storytelling —
they become an asset to a company wanting to expand.
Book Cover Design
 Yes, people do judge books by their covers. It’s important that a book cover
design appeals to a certain audience, exemplifies a specific genre, and can
communicate plot details all at the same time. Every design should reflect
the book’s purpose. Dark Horse Comics, Inc. won an award for their colorful,
chaotic design of Fight Club 2 (Library Edition), an homage to the
dysfunctional characters featured in the book. Whereas the award-winning
design for A Vicious Example featured dark, sinister, and ghostly depictions
of buildings to give reference to the author’s time spent as a nocturnal
security guard.
 At Shillington, we task our students to think outside the box (so, literally
outside of their computers) to create handmade designs for books, albums,
and movie posters. This is a great twist on creating cover art, as handmade
designs require more creative thought and energy
Photojournalist
 While many may assume that a photojournalist would study photography, a
degree in communications design would be useful as a photojournalist today.
When you publish photos in major publications, you need to both understand
the technical elements of visual design and the story you are conveying to
your audience, which are the basis of what communication design is all
about. 
Web Design
 The internet has become an essential part of many people’s lives, and as
such, new websites are created every day. Designers are needed to build
effective sites that flow well, have visuals that communicate specific
messages, and function on many different devices. As is true for most
 graphic design fields today, web design changes rapidly and is an exciting
and competitive field. You could be hired to work as the designer for one
company, be part of a design agency, or work independently and take on
clients as a freelancer. 
Mobile App Design

 We continue to see a steady increase in the number of people who rely on

their smartphones as part of their everyday lives, whether it’s for social
connection, news, shopping, or work. Technology isn’t going anywhere, so it’s
important that mobile web and app design continues to evolve. Mobile app
designers may be hired by a company to create and manage their app, or they
may create their own products and sell them through their own company.

 This type of design work requires a lot of technical skills and an

understanding of how visuals appear on various screens, paying close
attention to user experience. An app must be visually appealing, but also easy
to use. Shillington Education student Theodora Lamprinaki designed a cycling
app called Cymplify as part of her coursework where residents of Oxford city
could combine cycling with sight-seeing.
Packaging and Label Creation

 People shop with their eyes. A great designer knows this and will carefully design
packages and labels to stand out, either on the shelves of a store or on an online
store. You may be hired to design a label for a bottle of wine, the information tag
for a new clothing line, or the packaging materials for an online retailer. When it
comes to packaging and label creation, there are so many opportunities for
designers.

 A communication designer needs to think about the visual presence of the package
or label, but they must also think about how to make it practical as well. If you
were creating a design that wraps around a bottle, you’ll need to think about the
space and movement of the package and how it will need to change for a wine
bottle versus a soda can. If you were designing the packaging for an online
retailer, you would want to think about the customer experience from the
moment it arrives in the mail to when they open it to what’s inside the box.
Shillington student Majo Crespo uses color to tell a story for this new (pretend)
candle brand, drawing on botanical elements to create a unique product. Majo
describes it is: “A brand inspired by nature for the empowerment of women.
career in Communication Design
 In this digital time, visual storytelling and communication are achieved through the use of
computers to produce interesting graphics, realistic special effects, and animated characters.
Today, graphics designing and animation have tremendous scope for those who love creating
magic. Notwithstanding the current global economic crises, the graphic and animation industry
across the world has continued to grow at an accelerated pace. In India despite its late entry,
these two industries are on the route of development and ready to experience an extended
period of boom.

 Sometimes, the domain of animation is misinterpreted with cartooning. Cartooning is drawing

caricatures of characters with some distinct delicacies to make the character evoke a sense of
comedy. Moreover, the animation is the art of breathing life into these characters. Animation is
the art with which dead objects are brought to life with the help of various advanced computer-
based sequencing techniques.

 A Graphic Designer is the one in charge of the visual communications of any service or product.
Graphics designer works with images as well as text to design and create visually appealing
elements including logos, brochures, advertisements, and websites. To generate these, a graphic
designer will work with a variety of images including images, paintings, and digital media. A
graphics designer’s work rotates around meeting with clients to understand the scope of the
assigned project. They may also need to work on the brief of the art director, also work upon the
various aspects of achieving the desired design.