Persuade: the mandate of persuasion

The last layer of communication is persuasion, in which the change of behavior or attitude is believed possible with an effective design solution. One way of creating effective communication is to brand communication in the audience’s perception. Branding is known as a process to build awareness, and it is done by using every opportunity to communicate with people about the brand (or message) (Wheeler, 2009, p. 6). The idea of branding through graphic design is also a followup from the notion of graphic design as a visual representation. Through consistent and comprehensive representation, the audience can relate and be branded with an image. To achieve effective branding, graphic designers had to understand their audiences well. Only after they understand their audience can graphic designers set their targets and goals of communication.

Assignments in the final stage of design study are complex and comprehensive design projects that simulate real project which includes various stakeholders. In this class, students are introduced to various context and variables that require the student to be adaptable in various situations. The object of design tasked within the class is also often connected, hence creating a long term project for the students that tests their consistency while challenging their creativity.

The final element yet to be included within the discussion is the audience. All design is said to serve a purpose, and one of the main purposes of communication design is to communicate to the audience. The understanding of the audience in a design work enrichens the designer to a deeper understanding of what the design can and maybe. The audience sometimes had a certain language that had to be understood by the designers so that the communication may arrive at a similar frequency with the audience. After understanding the final aspect of the communication model, the students are expected to understand the whole visual communication process taught in the department.