This study investigates the ecological civilization literacy of Visual Communication Design majors in Zhejiang Province. It develops a competency-based online curriculum to strengthen students’ knowledge, skills, and values related to sustainable design. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the research was conducted in five stages: diagnostic analysis, needs assessment, competency modeling, curriculum development, and expert-guided iterative optimization. Quantitative data were collected from 336 students and 307 graduates, revealing a structurally imbalanced profile characterized by strong ecological attitudes, moderate conceptual understanding, and weak behavioral competence. Qualitative data from faculty (n = 24), employers (n = 25), and experts (n = 24) further indicated fragmentation in current ecological instruction, misalignment between educational supply and industry requirements, and a strong demand for project-based and context-relevant learning experiences. Based on Delphi consultation and content analysis, the study constructed the “Three Dimensions–Nine Competencies” ecological civilization literacy model, which integrates ecological knowledge, sustainable design skills, and value-oriented professional ethics. Guided by Competency-Based Education (CBE) and backward design principles, an online course titled Ecology and Vision: Integrating Sustainable Design Competencies was developed. The curriculum comprises 64 hours across four modules, incorporating localized Zhejiang case studies, interdisciplinary resources, PBL-driven rural revitalization projects, learning analytics, and diversified assessment aligned with the K–S–V competency framework. Expert review demonstrated the curriculum's high validity and feasibility (IOC averages 0.89–0.95; satisfaction scores 4.3–4.6/5). Through iterative refinement, the final model presents a scalable pathway for integrating ecological civilization education into design disciplines. The study contributes a theoretical framework, a methodological model, and a practical solution to advancing sustainability-oriented design education in Chinese higher education institutions. It also provides a transferable curriculum development paradigm for other regions and disciplines seeking to integrate ecological civilization into professional training.

As inclusive and accessible tourism continues to expand, communication barriers remain a major obstacle for travelers with diverse needs. This study examines how infographics can function as a strategic communication tool to enhance accessibility, inclusivity and comprehension in tourism marketing. A quantitative survey with 187 tourism businesses in Kefalonia, Greece, assessed perceptions of infographic use through constructs adapted from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) & Usefulness, Satisfaction and Ease of use (USE) frameworks. Findings show that perceived usefulness and ease of learning directly influence intention to adopt infographics, while ease of use and perceived efficiency affect adoption indirectly through satisfaction. The study advances tourism and marketing literature by linking accessibility with visual communication strategies and offers practical guidance for Destination Management Organizations (DMOs), Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and policymakers on using infographics to promote clarity and equitable information access.

This study proposes a comprehensive framework for evaluating and optimizing laboratory warning sign systems, grounded in the principles of visual communication design, cognitive psychology, and safety management. A mixed-methods experimental design involving 120 participants was employed, integrating eye-tracking analysis, comprehension and memory assessments, and behavioral response evaluations. The results identified key factors contributing to the effectiveness of warning signs, including color contrast ratio, symbol standardization, and information hierarchy. A validated optimization procedure was developed, emphasizing visual detectability, information organization, and contextual relevance. It led to significant improvements in attention capture (35.9%), hazard detection accuracy (42.3%), and procedural compliance (37.8%). Evidence-based design specifications for laboratory warning signs were established to balance standardization requirements with the need for contextual adaptation across diverse laboratory environments. These specifications were further validated through a case study conducted at Fujian University of Technology, demonstrating the effective translation of theoretical frameworks into enhanced safety communication practices.

The rapid development of information technology demands continuous adaptation in the field of education, including at the Early Childhood Education (PAUD) level. One of the main challenges today is how to utilize engaging, effective learning media that align with the developmental characteristics of young children. At PAUD Dadali, challenges are still found in the use of infographics as learning media, primarily due to teachers’ limited understanding of visual communication design principles and their lack of skills in using graphic design software. This community service activity aims to provide training and assistance to PAUD Dadali teachers in creating infographics as learning media using the Canva application. Canva was chosen because it offers advantages over other graphic design tools, such as an easy-to-use interface and a wide selection of templates relevant to educational needs. These strengths make Canva a practical solution for teachers without a design background. The implementation methods included field interviews to identify partner needs, training planning and execution, and outcome evaluation. The training began with theoretical material on the basic principles of visual communication design, followed by a practical session using Canva. The results of the training show that participants acquired new skills in using Canva to create teaching materials. This is expected to enhance the quality of teaching at PAUD Dadali and support a more interactive and easily understandable learning process for young children.

Research on fusion generation algorithm of visual communication and product design based on AIGC technology

The development of batik in the modern era shows a significant transformation, from a traditional heritage to a medium for aesthetic expression and cultural identity. Batik now serves not only as a symbol of tradition, but also as a means of design innovation that can to adapt to global fashion trends. This research focuses on the exploration of Trenggalek’s local culture as a source of inspiration in the creation of contemporary batik motifs. By combining a visual communication approach and the shape grammar method, the design process is carried out through the Panca Siti Ngawi Sani stages, which include exploration, reflection, idea processing, visualization, and finalization. This research produces contemporary batik motif designs that represent Trenggalek's cultural heritage, focusing on traditional dance cultural objects and natural symbols. Each motif theme is combined with classical batik motif elements that have relevant philosophies and are arranged with a contemporary visual style composition and a combination of traditional techniques, namely canting tulis (hand-drawn canting) with contemporary brush and splash techniques and banana stem stamps to create harmony between tradition and aesthetic innovation. The results of this study indicate that the process of cultural transformation through contemporary batik motif designs can be an effective approach in strengthening local identity while increasing the existence of batik in a global context. Conceptually, this research contributes to the development of a creative approach based on local culture and emphasizes the position of batik as a medium of visual communication between cultures, and is relevant to current developments.

This invited forum explores the complexity and power of visual framing in the field of journalism and mass communication. The forum brings together leading visual communication scholars who offer insights into how images continue to shape meaning and audience interpretations in an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven social media landscape. Contributions discuss framing as a constructive act of power, the interpretive agency of audiences, the interplay between text and visuals, adaptive framing strategies, and image creation and accountability challenges introduced by AI technologies. The forum calls for renewed theoretical rigor, transparency, and interdisciplinary collaboration to advance visual framing research in the digital era.

Postage stamps serve as essential representations of the state, acting as miniature ambassadors that embody a nation’s identity, values, and socio-political evolution. In Malaysia, National Day-themed stamps commemorate Malaysia’s Independence Day, showcasing rich visual narratives of its cultural, social, and political identity since 1957. This research conducts a visual analysis of Malaysia’s National Day stamps issued from 2002 to 2018. This research aims to explore how these stamps contribute to the formation of national identity. Employing a semiotic framework, the research examines how these stamps act as visual symbols, influencing and reflecting collective memories and national narratives. The analysis focuses on 31 selected stamps from seven distinct National Day-themed stamps, obtained from philatelic collections. This research addresses a gap in the visual examination of these stamps’ contribution to nation-building discourse by identifying symbols, design elements, and thematic patterns within the chosen artefacts. The findings reveal that 15 categories of visual elements were identified and analysed. The aim is to elucidate their intended messages, underlying meanings, and their contribution to the visual constructions of nationhood. This research underscores the significance of these stamps as potent cultural artefacts that actively participate in the ongoing formation of Malaysia’s national identity, communicate national values and aspirations to domestic and international audiences, and thus contribute to visual communication and cultural studies.

This article discusses the transformation of visual communication design paradigms in the era of the 5.0 Industrial Revolution, characterized by the integration of intelligent technologies such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and big data with human values and empathy in creative practice. This study uses a qualitative literature review method to identify trends, concepts, and changes in creative strategies occurring in the field of visual communication design as a result of human-machine collaboration. The main findings indicate a shift in the designer's role from merely creating visuals to managing experiences that prioritize personalization, adaptation, and social and cultural sustainability. Technology acts as a catalyst in expanding the boundaries of creative expression and enabling the presence of designs that are more inclusive and responsive to the audience's emotional context. However, ethical challenges, such as algorithmic bias and data privacy protection, must remain a primary concern. This study also highlights the importance of developing a holistic and collaborative design education curriculum to produce adaptive designers in an era of high digitalization. An important conclusion of this study is that the future of visual communication design will heavily depend on how the synergy between humans and technology is managed ethically and innovatively in creating meaningful and sustainable visual works

Typography functions as both a visual communication system and a cultural expression that shapes how identities are perceived within urban environments. In Kuala Lumpur’s café culture, particularly within the Golden Triangle, a dense urban district shaped by tourism, commerce, and cultural convergence where signage contributes to atmosphere and place identity. Yet, limited research has examined how typographic choices construct these associations. This study investigates 82 local cafés and 111 typefaces to identify typographic trends and interpret their cultural significance. Using qualitative visual observation and systematic typographic classification, five type categories were analysed: serif, sans serif, monospaced, script, and display. To further understand how viewers perceive signage, the analysis applies six Gestalt principles which include Figure Ground, Similarity, Proximity, Continuation, Closure, and Symmetry examining how contrast, stroke consistency, spacing, visual flow, implied form, and structural balance contribute to legibility and recognition. The findings reveal a strong preference for sans serif typefaces associated with clarity, neutrality, and global minimalist aesthetics. In contrast, serif and script typefaces are employed selectively to evoke heritage, intimacy, and handcrafted identity, particularly in historically layered areas such as Chinatown. These patterns indicate that café signage visually negotiates between modernity and cultural continuity, reflecting broader urban tensions between global branding influences and local identity expression. Overall, typography operates not only as stylistic decoration, but as a medium shaping visual branding, emotional atmosphere, and streetscape identity within Kuala Lumpur’s evolving city culture.

This article comparatively explores two distinct cases of children’s health communication on tuberculosis in the interwar period, and COVID-19, to trace the development of biopolitical governance in Turkey. Biopolitical visuality encompasses affective sensibilities and imaginations about the nation by conveying multilayered discourses. Public health discourse aims to ensure the health and optimal development of adult-to-be citizens and to provide strategies for improving parents’ and communities’ awareness of children’s health. Our critical multimodal discourse analysis, based on our TÜBİTAK 3005 (Scientific & Technological Research Council of Türkiye)-funded project, ‘Analysis of Public Health Visual Communication Methods’, demonstrates traits of biopolitical extension through contextual emphasis. We compare the imagery of children through a specific section of the Yaşamak Yolu journal to official visual health communication materials addressing child health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. We contend that visual discourse on the consideration of medical science, the relation of mental health to the physical and the gender roles of parents, progressively supports an individuation of biopolitics. We conclude that while early Republican visuals allowed some interpretive freedom through enabling a reformulative agency for the citizen subject in pursuit of well-being, the neoliberal era’s COVID-19 materials intensified pedagogical control and individualized responsibility, especially within the family, which expanded biopolitical governance into the routines of everyday life.

This study investigates non-Muslim attitudes and behaviour toward the concept of halal brand image and their intention to purchase the products, utilizing semi-structured interviews of eight informants for in-depth insights into halal brand image issues. The findings indicate that non-Muslims are willing to buy halal brands if Islamic visual elements are not overtly emphasized on packaging. This suggests that the current narrow perception of halal brand image needs correction to better appeal to non-Muslim consumers. Effective visual communication design is crucial for establishing a significant brand image and meaning, thereby increasing non-Muslim purchase intention.

Character education is a key pillar in fostering sustainable academic motivation amidst the challenges of moral degradation and low student engagement in vocational schools. This study aims to analyze the influence of character education on the academic motivation of students at State Vocational High School (SMK) 15 Bandung, focusing on the dimensions of responsibility, integrity, and discipline in the context of vocational learning. A quantitative approach was employed, utilizing an explanatory survey method with 397 student respondents from four expertise programs: Social Work, Hospitality, Culinary, and Visual Communication Design. Data were collected through a Likert-scale-based questionnaire and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with SmartPLS 4 software. The results showed that character education had a positive and significant effect on students' academic motivation. Character values ​​were proven to strengthen students' self-efficacy, learning persistence, and goal orientation through increased self-regulation and perceptions of educational responsibility. These findings confirm the principles of self-determination theory and social-cognitive theory, which suggest that character-based learning can increase intrinsic motivation through the interaction between personal, social, and cognitive factors. This research makes theoretical contributions to the development of an integrative character-motivation model and offers practical implications for teachers and policymakers in designing learning experiences that foster student responsibility, independence, and overall well-being.

In the digital age, the widespread use of social media and instant messaging applications has prompted Generation Z to adopt increasingly diverse and visually oriented modes of communication. As a uniquely Chinese form of visual language, Biaoqingbao has not only transcended the limitations of textual expression on platforms like WeChat but also plays a central role in emotional expression, identity formation, and cultural affiliation. While previous studies have examined the cross-cultural use and linguistic functions of emojis, empirical research on the psychological motivations and usage patterns of Biaoqingbao among China’s Generation Z remains limited. This study employs Self-Determination Theory as a theoretical framework to investigate the practices of nine Chinese Gen Z users on WeChat, using (1) participant observation, (2) semi-structured interviews, and (3) focus group discussions. The findings reveal that Biaoqingbao serves not only as a tool for emotional expression but also as a strategy for fulfilling users’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Moreover, Biaoqingbao facilitates identity performance, social bonding, and subcultural affiliation, functioning as a key medium of symbolic interaction and cultural participation in the digital era. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of visual communication and offers practical insights for platform designers, communication professionals, and social psychologists working with digitally native youth.

This study explored how advanced artificial intelligence technologies, particularly convolutional neural networks (CNNs), can be applied to visual communication design, especially for automated poster layout generation. The study innovatively combined CNN technology with design practices, proposing an object detection model to identify and locate poster elements. This approach improved classification and localization accuracy in complex scenarios, laying the foundation for more efficient and precise automated design tools. The research covered experiment design, CNN application, layout model construction, and optimization processes. Aesthetic principles like the golden ratio and rule of thirds were applied to enhance visual appeal. By integrating these strategies, the study achieved a transition from design logic to computational logic, generating diverse design solutions. It offers new perspectives for artificial-intelligence-assisted visual communication design.

Objectives : Design students who work long hours in desk-based positions may be in the at-risk group for spinal problems. Physical activity levels of students may be a factor associated with spinal problems. The aim of this study was to investigate spinal pain and functionality and physical activity levels in design students and to determine the relationship between these variables. Methods: The study was carried out with 125 students studying in the Department of Architecture and Department of Visual Communication Design. The location and time of the spinal pain were questioned and the pain severity was determined with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Spine Functional Index (SFI) was used to determine the effects of spinal symptoms on functional level. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF) was used to determine the physical activity level. Results: It was determined that the students with longer daily drawing time had higher pain intensity (p<0.05) and the spinal functionality of the students with a high daily drawing time was found to be adversely affected (p<0.05). Spinal functions were found to be worse in students with high spinal pain level (p<0.05). It was found that there was no relationship between pain levels, SFI results and physical activity levels (p>0.05). Conclusion: In order to reduce the spine pain of the design students and increase their functionality postural awareness trainings to be given, providing expert support to students with spinal pain complaints when necessary, and suggestions to increase their physical activity levels would be beneficial.

The rapid development of digital technology in the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 has compelled the education sector, particularly vocational schools (SMK), to produce graduates who are creative, adaptive, and competent in the creative industry. One crucial competency is graphic design skills, which play an essential role in digital content production and visual communication. This community service activity was conducted at SMK Ki Hajar Dewantoro, Tangerang City, aiming to enhance the competence of students majoring in Visual Communication Design (DKV) in mastering graphic design and creating interactive social media content. This program is an implementation of the 2025 Community-Based Empowerment Funding Program, approved by the Directorate General of Research and Development, Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology. The method employed was Project-Based Learning (PBL), which focuses on improving students’ technical, creative, and collaborative skills through real project-based learning. The activity consisted of five stage socialization, training in design software (Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator), mentoring in digital content creation, evaluation of outcomes, and program sustainability planning. The results indicated a significant improvement in students’ technical abilities and creativity in producing visual designs, resulting in attractive and functional products such as posters and die-cut packaging. This program contributes to the achievement of SDGs 4 (Quality Education) and SDGs 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and aligns with Asta Cita 7 and Asta Cita 8 in strengthening digital skills and national self-reliance. This activity serves as a best-practice model of community service that effectively enhances vocational competence in the modern learning era.

In order to solve the problems of homogenization in visual communication design and shallow cultural exploration in urban cultural, sports and tourism integration projects, this study explores from the perspective of immersive experience. After defining the core concepts and clarifying the mechanism of visual communication design, analyzing the current situation and problems of project practice, proposing a four-dimensional innovation path of "technology empowerment cultural rooting interactive efficiency system integration", that is, using VR/AR and other technologies to build virtual and real visual spaces, transform regional cultural symbols, create participatory experiences, and construct a full process visual system. Research has shown that visual communication design needs to integrate culture, technology, interaction, and planning, which can provide support for enhancing project immersion and competitiveness.

This study examines the symbolic and cultural meanings of the Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea window-paper cutting from Penglai, Shandong. As a representative work of Shandong folk art, it reflects the region’s integration of myth, belief, and visual expression. The research aims to explore how the visual form, compositional language, and symbolic imagery of this paper-cutting transform a traditional Taoist myth into a meaningful system of visual communication. Using semiotic and iconographic methods, the study analyzes the work’s symbolic structure and semantic content. The eight immortals and related motifs—such as phoenix, cloud, willow, and longevity peach—construct a rich network of visual symbols that express moral virtue, cosmic harmony, and collective blessing. The circular composition and rhythmic arrangement embody the Shandong aesthetic of fullness and balance, translating mythological transcendence into familiar cultural signs. The findings show that this folk paper-cutting converts myth into visual communication through three main processes: symbolic simplification, compositional harmony, and cultural recontextualization. It functions not only as decoration but also as a living medium of belief and moral education. The research highlights how Shandong folk art transforms intangible spiritual heritage into enduring visual language, contributing to the preservation and revitalization of local culture.

Purpose: This article describes practical strategies for enhancing swallow assessments for individuals with intellectual or cognitive disabilities through the inclusion of visual communication supports (known as augmentative and alternative communication [AAC]). These strategies were developed to support understanding and self-expression during the swallow assessments for individuals with Down syndrome, as part of a large research study. Over the last 2 years, these supports have been integrated into swallow assessments with 14 adults with Down syndrome. Method: Clinicians and researchers with expertise in swallowing and AAC collaboratively designed and refined visual communication aids to enhance understanding and task completion of swallowing-related assessments, including the Mann Assessment of Swallowing Ability, Iowa Oral Performance Instrument, spontaneous swallowing frequency, food avoidance inquiries, and lingual somatosensation testing. A summary table of assessments and suggested strategies is provided. All study procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB #00022372) at The Pennsylvania State University. Results: Our observations suggest the integration of AAC enhances the accessibility of swallow assessments for individuals with intellectual disabilities, supporting their participation in these assessments. Many participants referenced the visual aids, such as videos, as key to their understanding of what to expect and what to do during assessments. These observations are consistent with research showing that multisensory modalities and adaptations can improve functional outcomes for people with Down syndrome. Conclusions: Incorporation of visual supports may be useful for clinicians and researchers seeking to improve accessibility in swallow assessments for diverse populations. Clearly, dedicated research is necessary to examine these observations systematically.