Reading Response #8: Stage 6: Communication pg. 141-168

The "Communication" stage has been the most enjoyable chapter to read thus far.  Communication is an extremely important aspect of design.  According to Aspelund, "designing is the art of communicating an idea, and communication is therefore a key issue throughout the whole design process."  Presentations and discussions, whether they are large or small, take place from the very beginning of the design process.  Communicating a message has 3 basic phases or moments:

1. The encoding phase, in which the message is created using professional and medium-related conventions of language and image use
2. The message itself, the form and content of what is shown; a product or construct that is created through skill and technical practices
3. The moment of reception (decoding by audiences), in which the audience makes sense of the message and places it in context

A designer's responsibility to the audience is to make certain that they get the message by presenting the designs clearly and without ambiguity.  It is very important for designers to understand their audience, what their perspectives are, what they need, and how best to deliver these needs to them.  There are different kinds of audiences:  clients, corporate officers, manufacturing/production staff, and associates/team members.  Each one of these groups have different needs and expectations, and it is up to the designer to know how to effectively communicate with each type of audience.

Other aspects of communication include the information that is to be presented, the venue of the presentation, organization and quality of the information, and language (either emotional or informational).  When making a presentation, a designer must be aware of structure, illustration techniques, and graphic design.  A presentation usually follows one of three basic patterns:  andante, crescendo, and forte-piano.  There are various illustration techniques that a designer can use when presenting a project, such as pencil, colored pencils, pens and inks, markers, pastels and crayons, and watercolors.  CAD programs, books and boards, PowerPoint, web pages, CDs, and models are methods that a designer should consider when presenting his or her project.

Aspelund compares a presentation to a performance in which a designer can prepare in the manner of an actor preparing for a role.  To prepare, a designer must be familiar with the lines, the props and setting, the direction, and the motivation behind the presentation.  Communication and presentation are areas that I really need to improve on as a graphic design student.  I always feel that I do a crappy job at presenting my projects, which is mostly due to lack of preparation.  I would put in all my time and effort into the project itself, without giving much thought to the actual presentation.  More often than not, I would either stay up late or pull an all-nighter while trying to finish up a project.  When the time came for me to present in class, I would be so brain-dead that I wouldn't know what the heck I was supposed to say about my project.  I really need to learn how to manage my time wisely to prevent situations like this.  After reading this chapter and realizing how important communication is, I know that I need to prepare ahead of time in order to make an effective presentation.  I need to put in time and effort so that I can give good presentations on my future projects.  It makes no sense to come up with a really awesome project when you can't even make a decent presentation about it.