Visual Language: final movie

In this final project I have learnt to dissect an existing communication model and reinterpret into a new one that has meaning for me and meaning for the viewer. The process of that has helped me learn about communication.

Breaking down the existing model by Shannon/Weaver into my own model was a good process. I went through several iterations of this and ended up with something quite nice (below) which really gave me something to build the video around. When I drew the final version of my communication model I said, "oh yeah, this makes sense now, to me, and this is how it affects the communication back and forth from sender to receiver and now I can build the video around it." The model became to me like a kind of storyline.

The communication exercise between me and the student in Ohio also gave a lot of understanding to how communication works. Boiling some of the things that happened between us down to their simplest form (is he listening? did he see the message? why hasn't he responded etc) gave content to my model and the production of the video. The idea of the paper plane really came out of that simple back and forth process.

User testing was also helpful on this project, to really make sure I end up with something that works and is useful and meaningful. It was great to be able to watch people make the plane and learn from that.

The Visual Language Studio at KCAI
The semester here in Visual Language and Communication has really changed my point of view about design. Just before I came to KCAI I knew I was tired of 'flat' design that had no depth or personality or ability to persuade or convert the viewer. Something had to change. This particular class in the design program has given me the understanding to become a more effective communicator.

Design is not about just things that look good on the page. Nor is it about just stringing nice sounding words or graphics together in a way that seem pleasing. Design is much more than that. It's about creating meaning. As designers we have a responsibility to communicate in a way that people will understand. Now I'm better understanding the way people process information and how we as artists can create design that will make sense to the those people. To ignore things like the use of rhetoric in design (the art of persuasive speeking/image making), emotional, ethical and logical modes of appeal and the use of signs, symbols and icons, is to ignore a whole world of image making technique that can serve to make 100% impact upon a viewer. What power is this that we have as designers? We had better use it well.