Importance Of Visual Communication Design

Attractive and relevant images do a better job at communicating or relaying information than the spoken or the written word. For this reason, multimedia has taken the communication industry by storm. Multimedia is a multi-billion dollar business and viscom professionals are always in high demand. That's why, as a career option, viscom is a great choice with multifarious visual communications jobs available on the job market. So, obviously, if your child has a creative bent of mind and is keen on a visual communication career, don't hesitate to give her all your support.

History of visual communication

Although viscom jobs are in demand now, the idea and history of visual communication began much earlier. You may have seen exhibits of cavemen's drawings and chiselled scripts from ancient Egyptian and Indian civilisations. Incredibly, that's how viscom began!

Definition of visual communication

Visual communication caters for the sight or visual reception of a piece of information. It uses visual aids or elements to convey information or ideas. These elements of visual communication design include pictures and technology which together form the most appealing medium of communication. The elements may or may not be accompanied by a written script or the spoken word. In a nut-shell, the importance of visual communication lies in the ability to communicate information to a large number of people in a short time.

Means of visual communication

Overhead projectors, photography, videos, and PowerPoint presentations are some common ones.

Types of visual communication

Advertising, printing and publication, film and television production, media and animation are a few types of visual communication. So, if your teen is interested in pursuing a career in this creative field, he should enrol for visual communication courses.

Elements of a visual communication course

Some key elements of popular viscom courses in India:

1. Principles of drawing: This comprises education on basic concepts of art such as balance, proportion, emphasis, harmony and rhythm.
2. Graphic Design: It focusses on Web and Advertising design that form the backbone of the multimedia industry.
3. Visual Communication Techniques: It is all about using 3-D and 2-D visual aids to educate the target audience. These techniques vary in their complexity and popularity.
4. Interaction Design: This is a more recent inclusion in viscom courses. This refers to multimedia that is interactive in nature, that is, the audience gets to choose and contribute to the communication through media.
5. VFX or Visual Effects: It involves the use of technology to create or modify images to make the images more appealing and memorable.
6. Multimedia Communication: This refers to communication through various forms of text, video and audio.

Types of visual communication courses

There are different types of visual communications courses that your child may like to pursue. Listed below are the different kinds:

1. BSc in Visual Communication
2. BSc in Visual Media
3. BA in Visual Communication
4. Diploma in Visual Communication
5. Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication
6. Certificate course in Visual Communication
7. BVC (Bachelor of Visual Communication)
8. Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Media

Alternative visual communication courses

In case your child is not interested in the above options, here are some other courses in visual communication he can look at:

• Visual literacy: Courses in Visual Literacy are based on understanding the various human sensory perceptions, including seeing. Concepts like the discrimination, assessment and interpretation of visual aids for communication form the backbone of these courses.
• Mass Communication: This is another popular alternative to viscom studies. It encompasses serious theoretical topics like sociology, economics, advertising theories, political and cultural sciences.

Visual communication entrance examinations

The country's most prominent entrance exams are given below:

1. Undergraduate Common Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED)
2. Srishti Entrance and Aptitude Test (SEAT)
3. Pearl Academy Entrance Exam
4. National Institute of Fashion Technology Entrance Exam (NIFT Entrance Exam)
5. National Institute of Design Entrance Exam (NID Entrance Exam)
6. GD Goenka Design Aptitude Test (GD Goenka DAT)
7. Footwear Design and Development Institute All India Selection Test (FDDI AIST)
8. Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED)

Visual communication skills

1. Creative and artistic aptitude
2. Communication skills
3. Sketching skills
4. Observation
5. Knowledge of colours, shades and tones
6. Innovation
7. Visual imagination
8. Knowledge of market requirements
9. Goal-setting acumen

Top colleges offering visual communication courses

Regardless of the kind of course your child wants to opt for, the institute he plans to enroll in is of the utmost importance. To make the most of the study, let him choose the place that ranks among one of the best and suits his economical and location priorities.

Have a look at the top ten institutes from where your child can get a visual communication degree:

1. NID (National Institute of Design), Ahmedabad
2. Industrial Design Centre, IIT Mumbai
3. Pearl Academy, (Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur)
4. NIFT, Delhi
5. MAEER'S MIT Institute of Design, Pune
6. Srishti School of Art Design and Technology (Bengaluru, Pune, Trivandrum)
7. Indian School of Design and Innovation (Mumbai)
8. GD Goenka School of Fashion & Design (Mumbai)
9. Sir J J Institute of Applied Art (Mumbai)
10. Delhi College of Art Delhi

Visual communication jobs

In order to make the right choice, scrutinise the possible career options in the field of viscom. Cross-check with departments concerned about the availability of equipment, resources and expertise to help make the best choice regarding your child's career. The following are some of the many viscom job opportunities:

1. Production Designer
2. Pre-press Technician
3. Multimedia Designer
4. Graphics Designer
5. Design Artist / Illustrator
6. Communications Officer / Manager
7. Art Director

Invest time in deciding which course is the best for your child. It will make all the difference to his education and career. Consider the information in this write-up and help him find the correct path.

Looking for expert tips and interesting articles on parenting? Subscribe now to our magazine. Connect with us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube