Class Visual Communication

The main goal of the Visual Communication CU is to increase the ability for the students to critically analyze and create graphic pieces (presentations, posters, documents) through the basic knowledge of graphic design principles, namely the text-image dynamics. By exploring themes that build a collective visual culture – such as advertising, the physical and digital press, the universes of cinema/television/music and pop culture – we seek to incite the students’ consciousness towards the intrinsic between content (message) and form (execution), developing skills at the graphic/editorial design level, so that the materialization of concepts and ideas can be done in a more tangible and professional way. It is expected, above else, to expand the students’ visual culture and show them how an image can (or not) be worth a thousand words.

Not applicable

1. Visual Communication of Brands - Branding and graphic design elements - Ethics and/vs Aesthetics - Visual Narratives - Brand analysis and visual creativity (WP01) 2. Visual Communication in the press (printed and online) - Covers, layouts and construction grids - Editorial line and editorial design - Analysis of printed and digital publications from different segments - Theme analysis and visual creativity (WP02) 3. Visual Communication within a Company/Institution - Analysis of visual communication in the context of a company/institution - Strategy outline and visual creativity (WP03)  

The Curricular Unit of Visual Communication distinguishes itself in its experimental approach towards the analysis of visual contents present in our everyday lives, through exercises such as the gathering of several printed publications, the study of their editorial and graphic line and the search for graphic contents of interest, carried out by each student and later discussing together the discoveries of the class, in a round table/workshop dynamic. By crossing over with the discipline of Design, the students are challenged to put themselves in the position of possible collaborators of the brands and media outlets that they researched and create simple graphic pieces – such as advertising posters or newspaper/magazine covers dedicated to specific themes and subjects of contemporary media coverage – while respecting as much as possible the official editorial and graphic lines; but also exploring a creative aspect of art direction, combining image production and the copy.

Landa, Robin – Advertising by Design: Generating and Designing Creative Ideas Across Media. Londres: Wiley, 2021. Rodriguez, Miri – Brand Storytelling. Londres: Kogan Page, 2020. Shaw, Mark – Copywriting: Successful Writing for Design, Advertising and Marketing. Londres: Lawrence King Publishing, 2012. Slade-Brooking, Catharine – Creating a Brand Identity: A Guide for Designers. Londres: Lawrence King Publishing, 2016. White, Alex W. – The Elements of Graphic Design: Space, Unity, Page Architecture and Type. Londres: Allworth, 2022. White, Alex W. – Advertising Design and Typography. Londres: Allworth, 2015.