Communication Design Fundamentals
Introduction
My name is Daisy Gollis and I’m a Junior from Southern California (Orange County). I’m studying Behavioral Economics and HCI and am really interested in the crossover of behavioral sciences and design. I have recently discovered a desire to pursue more of a UX Design/Product Design track, and communication design plays a large role in creating products, experiences, and effective storytelling.
Effective Example
I find it interesting to evaluate not just print/signage, but physical objects and the way people navigate through spaces. The way people behave within a space is especially important in current times, given social distancing, which is why I chose the following effective example.
In this case, it is not just the signage that is communicating and serving a purpose, but the arrows and set up of the floor space as well. These work together to guide an important process (social distanced COVID test-kit pickup).
The goal is to get a large number of students (thousands) to pick up their testing kit within a week or two, but to do so in an organized and safe way. The more narrow goal is for each student to enter, arrive at one of the tables, scan a QR code that registers them, pickup a kit and then exit out the other side. The arrows serve as a guided one-way walkway that is very clear to read. The sign and arrows being adjacent ties the two together. If someone notices the sign first, they then immediately follow the arrows. On the other hand, if someone notices the arrows first, they will then surely notice the sign. This may seem like common sense, although it is strategical and an important step in creating an effective and clearly guided experience.
More specifically, the colors within the sign are well-contrasted, the font is bold, and the negative space provides balance. The height of the sign is closer to eye-level, rather than on the floor or at knee-height, which helps with readability and flow. The simple illustration of the phone effectively shows (without words) how the mobile phone will be needed (QR code read).
Ineffective Example
Contrastly, this example does not provide as positive of an experience. Below is the back of the package of Command Hooks, which is meant to show how to apply and use these damage-free wall adhesives.
As a whole, the page is very cluttered, busy, and not easy to follow along with. There is a general lack of visual hierarchy. Even without using color, font size, negative space, and contrast could create hierarchy, but in this, most titles and text are similar. There is no clear grid or structure, as some graphics are in boxes, and others have dividing lines. Even the “caution” is not easy to find, which isn’t effective because warnings should be clear.
The idea of putting the two languages together is okay, but it is done in a cluttered, unorganized way. The goal to be helpful for Spanish and English speaking people is somewhat achieved, although it does crowd the space and detracts from the goal of showing how simple using their product is. In this case, the two languages work against each other. The images are a little overbearing, as the actual text describing what the picture is showing is very small. Some of the illustrations combine words and images in a playful and helpful way, such as illustrating that the strips should “click” together. Overall, the lack of hierarchy and overcrowdedness does not make these directions very easy to navigate.
