Perception, Meaning, and Design. An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Visual Communication Design Theory

Visual communication designers strive to create effective visual messages that are perceivable and meaningful, but communication design inefficiencies may compromise the perception- and meaning-creation potential of their designs. Disciplines outside visual communication design may offer perspective and practical theory, useful to visual communication design practice and research. A literature review of theories from visual communication-related disciplines is undertaken to explore the viability of an interdisciplinary approach in developing visual communication design theory. Concepts from the perspective of data visualization research are examined, as well as psychology, and its insight into how the brain understands shape, form and text, through visual stimuli. Theories of linguistics, semiotics, and cognitive science, which examine the establishment of meaning, are also explored. The research aims to inform the development and unification of visual communication design theory based on fundamental, interdisciplinary concepts that, through further research, could offer visual communication designers improved science-based design theory, terminology and research tools.