What is Visual Communication?

I think the way we define visual communication depends on the context in which it is being discussed. In general, I feel that visual communication is the transmission of messages through visuals. Therefore, films, television, advertisements, photography, logos, graphic design, body language, personal appearance, non-verbal communication could all be described as visual communication.

However, I feel that if were discussing visual communication in relation to interpersonal or group communication it would be more about how we communicate with others using only our person. This would include non-verbal cues, body language and facial expression, which are used to convey messages visually. Non-verbal communication is a way of communicating without using words, thus it relies heavily on your audience being able to interpret visual messages. Along, with non-verbal cues, such as body language and facial expressions, I also feel that our personal appearance is a form of visual communication. We express who we are by the way we dress. Therefore, others who are looking at us can interpret these visual cues.

In addition, if we were discussing visual communication in terms of professional or technical communication I feel the focus would be on visual created by a person for the audience. Here, we would discuss the different products of visual communication, such as film, photography, advertisements, graphic design, etc. Visual communication here would be more concerned the elements used in creating visuals and how those visuals affect the intended audience.