Visual Communication: The Most Powerful Form of Communication

   There are multiple different forms of communication. However, when you ask most people what they think of when they hear "communication" they instantly say "talking" (verbal communication). Even though this is the most prominent form that people think of, visual communication is arguably the most important and memorable. 

    When using visual communication, effectively, you can grab the audience's attention and impact their opinions and beliefs. You can use pictures, videos, paintings, drawings, and many other mediums in order to communicate with your audience. Also, this allows you to use creative freedom to interact with others. Even though all forms of communication allow you to be creative, visual communication allows the most creative freedom, especially through the use of symbols. 

    The necessary tool for visual communication is the usage of symbols. Symbols can strongly help you create a brand for a product, band, company, etc. You can see the significance of branding among people today, especially among children. You can show them an image of the McDonald's logo, the golden arches, and most children can instantly tell you what it is associated with. Visual communication can be associated with marketing, which is a key component of branding. 

    Another brand with strong visual communication is Apple. Apple's logo is a clearly defined symbol that has been associated with their brand for years. Also, Apple uses a simple color scheme, involving black, white, and gray. Their brand is very clean and sleek. Their entire website helps to create the feeling of luxury. These are a few of the effective components that Apple uses to communicate visually with their audience. 

    An additional brand that uses strong visual communication is Target. Target's signature red and white 'bullseye' logo is very well known. The simplistic design of their logo and the color scheme has been etched into people's brains. Also, they tie their image together with their Target dog that is all white and has the red bullseye on him. He is said to bring life to the store as he is characterized as being joyful, playful, curious,  and adventurous.  He is meant to greet the customer at the store and welcome them. Target uses these components to communicate visually with their audience. 

    A third brand that uses strong visual communication is Nike. Nike's signature 'checkmark' symbol helps to clearly define their brand. That, along with their "Just Do It" tagline, has helped to make their product recognizable worldwide. With the use of their simple black and white checkmark logo, they can get people to think about their products instantly, whether it be their sneakers, clothing, backpacks, etc. Nike is able to communicate visually with their audience with the use of these components.

    All four forms (verbal, visual, audio, and written) of communication are used in branding, They each bring fourth an important piece to get the message across, or in the case of branding, 'sell' the product. However, visual communication can reach people of all ages and educational backgrounds. Also, it can cross language barriers.