Visual Communication Research Articles

Students’ Conceptualisations of “Peace” and “War” in Drawing–Text Combinations: A Metapragmatic Multimodal Analysis

In this article, we investigate (partly guided) conceptualisations of “peace” (and “war”) in children’s school drawings and their accompanying textual framings. We draw on a transdisciplinary framework grounded in ethnography and metapragmatics, combining tools from socio‐pragmatic (critical) approaches to multimodal discourse. Our data consists of authentically generated, photographed image‐text worksheets that were publicly displayed on the fence of a primary school in a small town in Northern Italy in April 2022. Combining qualitative and quantitative analytical procedures, the (textual and multimodal) conceptualisations range from peace as a very concrete mode of secure‐relaxed experience of basic relationships, of home and togetherness, and of self, to peace as care and unity on a more (global‐)political scale. Contrary to ideologies on children’s drawings as naïve‐unmediated “windows” to inner states, our analysis shows how the trans‐/locally re‐/produced repertoire(s) of multimodal frozen mediated actions (including emblematic patterns such as emojis, peace‐flags, comics‐speech bubbles, etc.) are deployed ranging from realistic scenes to abstract and complex visual designs. Thereby, children show themselves as literate and often humorous‐creative practitioners of visual communication.

Studying Factors Influencing Intention to Use Hybrid Education: A Case Study of Visual Communication Design Major Students at Chengdu Vocational University of Art

Background and Aim: Hybrid teaching follows the reform trend of China's vigorous development of online education and hybrid education. The Chengdu Vocational University of Art is the earliest art vocational university in China, and the visual communication major is the advantageous major of the university. The program of this major adopts a hybrid education model combining MOOC online courses and offline education. This study uses TAM, ASCI, UTAUT, and ECM theories to construct a model to analyze the factors affecting the hybrid education learning satisfaction of visual communication students, whose variables include virtual classroom quality, instructor characteristics, student expectations, course design quality, and course content quality. Materials and Methods: A purposive sampling method was used to distribute questionnaires to 571 students. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the reliability, validity, goodness of fit, and hypothesis testing of the model. Results: Student satisfaction was found to greatly influence intention to use through the study. In addition, instructor characteristics and classroom quality had a supportive relationship on perceived usefulness, student expectations, course content, and perceived usefulness had a supportive relationship on satisfaction, while course design quality had no significant effect on satisfaction. Conclusion: School management and teaching teams should pay attention to the key influences on the intention of hybrid education and design programs based on research findings to help students understand the effectiveness of hybrid education and improve the quality of education.

Exploring the role of Microsoft’s Copilot in visual communication: Current use and considerations through science communicators’ lens

Exploring the role of Microsoft’s Copilot in visual communication: Current use and considerations through science communicators’ lens

A Proposed Framework for integrating IVR Technology in Architectural Design courses; Application on architectural schools in Egypt

Abstract Visual communication has a vital role in the architecture. Virtual reality (VR) is one of the various methods of visual communication and interaction, especially during pandemics. Although it has many benefits such as improved space perception and dimension visualization etc., it’s not commonly used in Egyptian architectural schools. This research aims to investigate the integration of Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) into the design curriculums in Egyptian architectural schools and to propose a framework for its integration. A mixed method approach was used in this study along with the literature data that was reviewed to identify the benefits, limitations and different IVR setups. First, an interview was conducted with one of the VRCAVE founders in an Egyptian private university to understand the effect of IVR and whether it has affected the students’ outcome. This was followed by conducting an experiment including an IVR setup along with a 3D Virtual model, to conduct semi-structured interview with the participants to analyse the use of IVR in the design modules and whether its integration in the architecture schools design curriculum would be beneficial

"Being Simple on Complex Issues" - Accounts on Visual Data Communication About Climate Change.

Data visualizations play a critical role in both communicating scientific evidence about climate change and in stimulating engagement and action. To investigate how visualizations can be better utilized to communicate the complexities of climate change to different audiences, we conducted interviews with 17 experts in the fields of climate change, data visualization, and science communication, as well as with 12 laypersons. Besides questions about climate change communication and various aspects of data visualizations, we also asked participants to share what they think is the main takeaway message for two exemplary climate change data visualizations. Through a thematic analysis, we observe differences regarding the included contents, the length and abstraction of messages, and the sensemaking process between and among the participant groups. On average, experts formulated shorter and more abstract messages, often referring to higher-level conclusions rather than specific details. We use our findings to reflect on design decisions for creating more effective visualizations, particularly in news media sources geared toward lay audiences. We hereby discuss the adaption of contents according to the needs of the audience, the trade-off between simplification and accuracy, as well as techniques to make a visualization attractive.

Communication in implant treatment planning, placement and reconstruction in the digital age: a technician's perspective.

Effective communication between clinicians and the dental laboratory is paramount in the realm of dental implant restorations, where precision and meticulous planning are key for success. This article explores the transformative shift towards digital workflows, highlighting the collaborative dance between the clinician and the dental laboratory. The power of visual communication is emphasised, with examples illustrating its impact on the precision of treatment plans. Celebrating these digital tools, this article envisions a new era of collaboration, transcending traditional communication methods for more predictable and successful implant restorations.

The synergistic effect of artificial intelligence technology in the evolution of visual communication of new media art

This study aims to clarify the synergistic effect of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the evolution of visual communication of new media art, thereby exploring an AI layout design method based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) in the practice of visual communication design. Firstly, this study designs an AI layout design model based on CNN, and trains and optimizes it with training data. Secondly, the automatic generation of layout design is realized by constantly adjusting the model parameters and network structure. Finally, various AI layout design algorithms are compared, and their effects and performances in layout design generation are analyzed. To verify the layout and composition matching model's performance, traditional layout design methods are selected for comparison (layout, comparison, harmonic composition, etc.). This study involved 20 design students as participants, evaluating them across three dimensions: overall comprehensive assessment, readability of text information, and rationality of visual path using a Likert 7-point scale. The results reveal that the proposed method's evaluation outcomes in these three aspects are 5.95, 5.68, and 5.74, respectively, higher than the traditional layout design methods. To sum up, the generative AI discussed here can automatically generate design elements and schemes through deep learning and big data analysis, thus providing a reference for the innovation of visual communication design.

Digital Representation of Dulong Community’s Culture in Gongshan County, China

Before 1999, the Dulong community, China's most secluded ethnic minority, remained inaccessible and underdeveloped. The Dulong River region, the sole minority area unreachable by road, endured prolonged isolation (Cheng et al., 2022a, 2022b). Nevertheless, unique cultural heritages, the Dulong community faces extinction and Sinicization threats. Psychologist Mehrabian (1968) asserts that 93% of communication impact is non-verbal, emojis, as non-verbal cues that belong to the visual communication system, gained immense popularity on a global scale. This study explores the imperative need of the Dulong community on its culturally specific emoji set through semi-structured interviews. The first of its kind, the emoji collection features culturally specific elements like Dulong blanket and the ‘Suolaqiao’ ritual. In aboriginals' perception, Emoji's pictorial nature facilitates effortless cultural knowledge acquisition, and its property of shuttling through cyberspace contributes to fostering rapid global dissemination and preserving Dulong culture in a digital world.

Revolutionizing Visual Communication and Digital Creative Engagement: The Game-Changing Impact of TikTok

TikTok, a swiftly expanding social media platform, has emerged as a potent catalyst in transforming the realm of visual communication and digital interaction. This paper explores the evolving landscape of TikTok, focusing on its technological advancements, emerging forms of expression, and distinctive features in reshaping visual communication. It delves into the platform’s unique capabilities for audiovisual messages, highlighting its transformative impact on digital culture. Through its unique blend of short-form videos, innovative build-in editing tools, and algorithmic recommendation system, TikTok has democratized content creation and consumption, enabling users worldwide to engage in creative expression and community-building. The aim of this paper is to qualitatively and exploratively delve into the structures of TikTok messages and the forms of visual communication that appear on it. The author employed deep observation and multimodal analysis for this purpose.

Exploration of Art Digital Design Technology Guided by Visual Communication Elements

From the perspective of visual communication elements, this paper proposes a digital design composite model based on style migration, trying to explore and innovate art digital design technology. In the image recognition and style migration model, the attention mechanism is added on the basis of ResNet50 network model to enhance the image recognition effect, and on the basis of VGG19 deep convolutional network model and optimization algorithm to realize the image style migration technology and digital redesign. On the basis of the proposed style migration model, a graphic rendering model is further proposed by combining the GrabCut algorithm and the VGG16 neural network, so as to realize the local style migration of patterns. In the application analysis of the artistic digitization of Zhuang brocade lamps, for example, the total percentage of “very approved” and “more approved” in the assessment of the style migration effect is more than 30%, and the style migration effect is better. The average scores of the art design effect evaluation of layers, elements and color richness are 4.02, 4.15 and 4.31, which are all higher than 4 points, and the performance is good. It is also recognized by experts and ordinary respondents in the satisfaction evaluation of art design.

A DEVELOPMENT OF WEB-BASED INSTRUCTION ON PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SECOND YEAR PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENTS STIONING

This research was to develop of the web-based instruction on Portraits photography for second-year photography students of Visual Communication, Photography major, Faculty of Architecture, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang in total of 25 people using a one group pretest-posttest design with measurements before and after using the experiment. The results showed that web-based instruction had overall quality in good level (x̄= 4.39, SD = 0.40). The quality of content was at a very good level ( = 4.50, SD = 0.35). The quality of media production techniques was good ( x̄= 4.27, SD = 0.47). Web-based instruction about portraits photography has an efficiency of 89.75/85.70, which is higher than the 80/80 as set criterion, second-year photography students, Faculty of Architecture, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang with higher learning achievement after studying than before. It has a statistical significance level of 0.05. The results could be concluded that the web-based instruction about taking portraits developed for second-year photography students, Faculty of Architecture, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, can be used in teaching, resulting in higher learning and achievements.

Research on visual communication form of Shenyang subway advertisement

In the context of the background of new media development, the speed of information transmission increases. Subway advertising, as an important form of advertising, has distinct characteristics in the level of visual communication. Subway advertising plays a role in shaping urban cultural image and releasing information, and has its own unique features compared with traditional forms of advertising. The development of subway also creates a favorable space for the innovative development of advertising, and forms a unique way of visual communication of advertising. This paper mainly expounds the main forms and contents of the visual communication of subway advertising from the theoretical level, and then explores in detail the existing problems of Shenyang subway advertising and the direction and development measures of visual communication. Through in-depth research from the theoretical level, it can provide beneficial reference for the development of Shenyang subway advertising visual communication.

The Problem of Visual Complexity: Criteria for Analysis and Evaluation

The article analyses the concept of visual complexity, highlighted by different researchers as a significant characteristic of contemporary visual communication and culture. The problem of ambiguity of the concept and its dependence on different objective and subjective factors and perception variables is posed. Formal categories and criteria for assessing visual complexity are defined, its stable patterns in the subject area of corporate identity —logo, are revealed. With the help of the identified categories visual complexity is analyzed through specific formal universal attributes that can be systematized, which makes it possible to answer the question of what makes a logo complex. The concept of complexity of corporate identity is meaningfully revealed from the point of view of designers — its direct developers, who determine the visual-graphic, constructive and plastic character of the brand logo. For the first time in the Russian-speaking scientific space, an empirical study of the position of professional designers regarding the significance of the proposed criteria was conducted. The quantitative survey method allowed objectifying the point of view of the professional audience: the data is characterized by stability in comparison with the data obtained from the general audience. Visual complexity is thus conceptualized and empirically operationalized without a gap between the theory and practice of visual communication. It is concluded that, as an expressive design tool, visual complexity is a positive characteristic in contemporary media communication.

Vivifying Outbreaks: Investigating the Influence of a Forecast Visual on Risk Perceptions, Time-Urgency, and Behavioral Intentions

ABSTRACT Although visual depictions of epidemiological data are not new in public health, the US public saw more of them during the COVID-19 pandemic than ever before. In this study, we considered visualizations of forecasts (i.e. predictions of how a disaster will unfold over time) formatted as line charts. We investigated how two choices scientists make when creating a forecast visual – the outcome of focus (cases or deaths) and the amount of data provided (more or less data) about the past or the potential future – shape behavioral intentions via risk-related appraisals (e.g. threat and efficacy). In an online experiment, participants (N = 236) viewed a written health alert about a novel airborne virus, with one of the eight versions of a forecast visual or no visual (text only). The results of the experiment showed that exposing people to a health alert with a forecast visual in it may be less effective than anticipated. Reading a written health alert with a forecast visual was, at best, equal to outcomes from reading an alert without it, and sometimes it performed worse: participants appraised the novel virus as a less urgent threat and the recommended solutions as less efficacious. Implications of the findings for theories of risk and visual health communication and practical considerations for future health communicators were discussed.

Layout Optimization of Visual Communication Design Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Layout Optimization of Visual Communication Design Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

The effectiveness of using visual communication in teaching vocabulary to non-English majors students at the Foreign Languages Center of Nguyen Tat Thanh University

Due to the essence of English vocabulary learning and its challenges, teachers tend to be in search of effective pedagogical techniques. The current case study aims to explore the usefulness of visual media in teaching vocabulary at Nguyen Tat Thanh University. A total of 240 non-English majors completed an online survey to express their opinions on using visual media in vocabulary class. Findings revealed the benefits, such as interesting learning conditions, stronger word memorization, improved learning strategies, high contexts for word practice, and convenient word meaning presentation. The perceived reasons were interesting, memorable content, different kinds of visualizations, interactive and extensive exercises, and the use of many senses. The results have a few applications to EFL vocabulary teaching and learning at the university. This study could make contributions to future studies as its findings delineated that visual media adapted from the coursebook can facilitate students’ vocabulary learning and foster their learning motivation. ® 2024 Journal of Science and Technology - NTTU

Investigation of Secondary School Science Textbooks in Terms of Daily Life Assosiactions

The aim of this study is to determine the daily life associations (DLA) of secondary school science textbooks for the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. For this purpose, seven association codes related to daily life were determined. DLA codes are Analogy, visual, news, history, problem situations, information for society and applications. The document analysis method among qualitative research methods was used in the study. The results show that visual associations are the most frequent in science textbooks. It was also found that associations in terms of problem situations were mostly presented to students visually. DLA codes related to news, stories and analogies were less preferred than other association codes. The results showed that visual communications are preferred because they are easier to remember, more remarkable, more appropriate to the level of students and more effective.

Moderating Effects of Visual Order in Graphical Symbol Complexity: The Practical Implications for Design

In the field of visual graphic design, complexity plays a crucial role in visual information processing, and it is assumed to be an absolute quantity based on the number of the presenting features and components. However, it remains unclear whether the visual order of the constituent elements in graphical symbol complexity affects cognitive processing, especially memory processing. Our research innovatively generated four groups of novel, meaningless graphical symbols (complex and ordered, complex and disordered, simple and ordered, and simple and disordered) and experimentally manipulated the level of complexity and order in these stimuli. Before the formal experiment, a five-point scale was used to further rule out differences between objective and subjective definitions of these graphical symbols on ratings of complexity, order, concreteness, and familiarity. Then, we used a cue-recall task to compare subjects’ memory performance of those four graphical symbol groups. The analytical results showed a significant interaction between visual order and graphical symbol complexity, with the complexity effect appearing only when the stimuli were in disordered condition and disappearing once the stimuli were ordered. In addition, this study conducted a practical application validation to confirm that increasing the level of visual order is an effective way to improve user experience while maintaining the same level of complexity. The findings can serve as a reference for graphical symbol design, graphic design, and visual communication design.

Personalising climate change—how activists from Fridays for Future visualise climate action on Instagram

The visual communication of climate change by social movements has become an emerging subject of research in recent years. Much of the existing literature on visual climate change communication focuses on how environmental movements and protests are depicted by mainstream media outlets. This exploratory study examines the visual climate change communication by social movements themselves. Its focus is on one ‘new narrator’ in the mediated politics of climate change: Fridays for Future (FFF), arguably one of the most significant communicators of climate change. The research question seeks to understand how FFF activists narrate climate action through images posted on Instagram. I discuss examples from major branches of FFF and contribute to existing research by emphasising personalisation as a powerful tool in climate storytelling. The paper’s visual thematic analysis presents three themes that illustrate the personalisation of climate storytelling by FFF activists: localising the effects of global climate change, using performances to convey climate messages, and visualising contentious politics. The implications of this research further underpin the need to recognise climate activists as important actors in the visual communication of climate change.

Light Image Enhancement Application in Visual Communication Art Based on Wireless Network Sensing and Image Segmentation Method

Light Image Enhancement Application in Visual Communication Art Based on Wireless Network Sensing and Image Segmentation Method