How Communication Design Works: Principles, Inspirations & Challenges

Reflections and practical action for the rapidly evolving discipline of visual communication.

The professional field of communication design is undergoing radical changes: An excessive flood of information, artificial intelligence, social media, easily accessible graphics tools, efficiency and cost pressure – all of this is putting pressure on communication designers, as a result of which they hardly have any time to think about their own actions. But more than ever before, the circumstances warrant a broad education and require us to think beyond the confines of our own profession.

This manual responds to the current situation in order to reconcile the discipline’s societal relevance with professional practice. Using examples and implementable suggestions, the authors worked out what really matters in visual communication today. They describe the interlinking of a wide range of fields along with their far-reaching consequences and take a close look at the current challenges. In addition, they examine the criteria that make up good design in great detail. The theme that runs through the entire book is as follows: Communication design is always the result of the mindset of the people who operate within it. They decide how their actions influence communication, what values it conveys, and how we experience the world around us.

_Analysis of the state of the profession
_Depiction of what is important in visual communication
_Reflection on mindset and attitude
_Packed with know-how, examples and impulses

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Communication design is undergoing radical changes: an overabundant flood of information, fake news, bots, AI, social media, crude graphic tools on the Internet as well as the speed of processes and increasing pressure to be efficient, coupled with increased competition in the design sector and sometimes precarious working conditions. All of these factors put creatives in the field under pressure, leaving them little time to reflect on their own work. This handbook responds to the current situation by shedding new light on the societal relevance of the discipline in the context of professional practice.

The authors use their extensive expertise, practical work examples, and actionable suggestions to identify what really matters in visual communication. They describe the far-reaching interconnectedness of design with a wide range of issues and deal intensively with the current challenges. The overarching leitmotif is that communication design is always the result of the attitude of its protagonists – this compendium makes clear how their actions influence communication, what values are conveyed, and what our visual world looks like as a result.

About the Authors:

Ulysses Voelker initially trained as a deckhand and completed an apprenticeship as a carpenter and worked in these professions before beginning his studies in communication design. After working as an art director, Voelker set up his own design studio. At the same time, he taught as a lecturer in typography and was appointed to Mainz University of Applied Sciences in 2000, where he taught until his retirement in 2019.
Communication designer Michael Schmitz worked at the Designlabor Gutenberg in Mainz for several years during his studies and beyond. He has been running his own studio in Cologne since 2017.