Visual Communication

I respond to all types of communication, including visual, verbal, audio, and written. Visual communication is helpful because the viewer never has to picture what the intent of the media is, because it’s ready to be consumed visually. The viewer has no problem cultivating the image in their head with visual communication.  Verbal communication works well because listening to a message directly can help with memorization of the message. Especially hearing the message directly from the source. Audio communication is usually very satisfying, all music is audio communication and it’s hard to name a single person who doesn’t enjoy music. Written communication can be helpful to respond to because some people prefer the written word and like to read books. 

            The most necessary tool for visual communication is the image. Without the image then it isn’t visual communication. The image is the main component of visual communication. Type, symbols, colors, etc are just supplemental tools for the image. Without the image, visual communication cannot function properly. Of course, the image alone does not make an effective product of visual communication. For a product of visual communication to be truly effective it has to have at least a couple tools incorporated in it. Including proximity, alignment, repetition, and contrast. Proximity is the state of being near or grouping related elements. Alignment is the placement of text and graphics so they line up on the page. Repetition is to repeat or do again. Contrast is placing two different or opposite elements together. 

            The first company that has strong visual communication is Nike. Arguably the most iconic logo, the swoosh, in sports apparel. There isn’t a single person that doesn’t live under a rock that won’t recognize the Nike logo. Nike has done a great job of blasting this logo on all of their apparel. It’s on their shoes, socks, shirts, shorts, pants, etc. It’s also a very simple and pleasing image. There’s a simplicity to the logo that makes it a great logo to base a whole brand around. 

            Next, is the New York Yankees logo. There are a lot of people who wear a Yankee’s hat just because it’s such a popular logo, not even because they are fans. Of course, it helps that New York is the best franchise in MLB history. But the combined “N” and “Y” is such an iconic symbol that is also extremely aesthetically pleasing. Though most baseball fans hate the Yankees, it’s hard to disagree that they have one of the best and most iconic in not only baseball, but all of professional sports. 

            Finally, is the CBS logo. CBS does a great job of advertising their shows and making them symbiotic with their logo. The “eye” logo for CBS works well because they are a television broadcasting company, and they make shows for the viewer, to quite literally watch. When anyone sees that blue eye, even if they can’t name CBS, they will think of TV and the shows associated with that infamous company.