The impulse to resolve and interpret messages drives creativity and understanding. As graphic designers, we may try to communicate familiar ideas in an unfamiliar way - unfamiliar, but unique, memorable, and engaging. By utilizing the theory and practice of psychology and the cognitive processes involved in assigning influence, importance, recognition and associations with signifiers in the mind, we can strengthen visual communication. Theoretical and applied psychological techniques and models will provide the basis for an exploration and development of new methodologies and tools that will enhance the creative process for graphic designers.

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Tomando o design gráfico como eixo de observação, foram analisados os caminhos traçados na profissionalização dessa atividade e os fatores que levaram a mensagem a alcançar a forma gráfica atual. Nessa análise, foram consideradas as mudanças decorrentes não só da introdução da tecnologia digital, mas também das transformações de tendências e padrões culturais que determinaram o período estudado. Como ponto de partida foram utilizados os princípios modernistas, sistematizados pela Bauhaus e seqüenciados pelas diretrizes da Escola Suíça, que determinaram o papel do design gráfico como um transmissor neutro e cuja proposta era a claridade, a objetividade e a funcionalidade, por meio de formas universais e livres de valores regionais. O objetivo central foi analisar a perda da supremacia desses valores, acompanhada pela introdução da tecnologia digital, com novos equipamentos oferecendo novas ferramentas, possibilitando novos enfoques para a idealização dos projetos. / Taking graphic design as an observation axis, the course followed in the professionalization of this activity and the factors that led the message to take its current graphical form were analyzed. In this investigation, not only the changes brought about by the introduction of digital technology were considered, but also the transformation of cultural trends and patterns which determined the period studied. Modernist principles were used as a starting point, as systemized by Bauhaus and arranged by the guidelines established by the Swiss School, which determined the role of the graphic design as a neutral transmitter and whose proposal was clarity, objectivity and functionality, through universal forms and freed of regional values. The main objective was to analyze the loss of supremacy of these values, accompanied by the introduction of the digital technology, with new equipments offering new tools, which enabled new approaches in the conceptualization of projects.

Esta dissertação é uma reflexão crítica a respeito da formação e do desenvolvimento profissional da autora, a designer gráfica Ruth Klotzel, arquiteta formada pela FAUUSP em 1982. Trata de recuperar e apresentar seu percurso intelectual/profissional desde o contexto familiar, social e político de sua formação e expõe e comenta alguns de seus projetos gráficos e de comunicação visual. Contém também um relato sobre a formação da ADG (Associação dos Designers Gráficos), da qual foi uma das fundadoras e diretora, e uma compilação de eventos ligados ao Icograda (International Council of Graphic Design Associations), do qual é vice-presidente nas gestões 2003-2005 e 2005-2007. / This dissertation consists of critical reflection on the professional training and development of its author, Ruth Klotzel, graphic designer and BS in Architecture (1982) from the School of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo-FAUUSP. The purpose is to recall and disclose the family, social and political context of her chosen intellectual/professional course, and to show and comment on some of her graphics and visual communication projects. The dissertation also includes the history of the Association of Graphic Designers-ADG of which Ms. Klotzel was a founding member and director, as well as a compilation of events linked to the International Council of Graphic Design Associations-Icograda, to which she was elected vice president for the 2003-2005 and 2005-2007 terms.

Este estudo aborda grafismos e conteúdos gráficos da comunicação visual na arquitetura e na cidade, estruturado em sistemas de códigos cromáticos, tipográficos e morfológicos na elaboração de linguagens projetuais, e a partir de pesquisas de projetos gráficos e experimentos desenvolvidos nas disciplinas configurar processos na elaboração de linguagens e metodologias, com ênfase nas necessidades didático-pedagógicas no ensino da Comunicação Visual. / This study it approaches drawings and graphical contents of the visual communication in the architecture and the city, structuralized in systems of chromatic codes, typographical and morphologic in the elaboration of project languages, on the basis of the research of graphical projects and experiments developed to disciplines, configuring processes in the elaboration of languages and methodologies with emphasis in the didactic-pedagogical necessities in the education of the Visual Communication.

A presente pesquisa tem como objetivo principal, o estudo de possibilidades sinestésicas no design gráfico. Analisar diferentes técnicas gráficas e estímulos visuais que remetam ou estimulem os diferentes sentidos humanos. Compreender melhor as relações entre os signos visuais com os signos dos demais sentidos: sonoros, táteis, olfativos e gustativos, observando possíveis relações de correspondência entre os mesmos e refletindo sobre sua contribuição no processo de comunicação. Dentro de cada relação, são apresentadas as relações sinestésicas encontradas por pesquisadores diversos, resultantes de estudos relacionados principalmente a psicodinâmica das cores, psicologia da forma e gestalt, agrupados por suas relações com cores, formas, texturas e relações espaciais. As relações sinestésicas encontradas servem como parâmetros principais para a análise de diferentes peças gráficas de produção recente, como: cartazes, embalagens e capas de livro, entre outros. Tendo em vista o grande crescimento de informações a que somos submetidos, das mídias disponíveis, do mercado e da população em geral, nota-se a necessidade de projetos cada vez mais instigantes, eficientes e preocupados com as necessidades de cada mercado. Esta pesquisa visa contribuir na determinação de recursos que permitam suprir tais necessidades, potencializando os resultados do design gráfico na função de identificar, informar, instruir, apresentar e promover, através de uma idéia gráfica. / This research has the aim to study synesthesia in graphic design, analyzing different graphical techniques and visual stimulations that forward or stimulate the different human beings feelings. To better understanding the relation among the visual signs and the others human being feelings, as smell, flavor, touch, sound and also observing the possible relation correspondence among them reflecting on its contribution on the communication process. Inside of each relation are presented synesthesia relation found by many researchers due to studies mainly related to psychodynamics of the colors, form psychology and gestalt, grouped by its relation by color, form, space form and texture. The found synesthesia relations serve as the main parameters to analyze different graphic parts of a recent production such as book covers, posters, packing among others. Considering the great growth of the information that we are submitted, the available medias, the market and the population in general, it is observed the necessity of projects each time more interesting, efficient and worried about the necessities of each market. This research aims to contribute to the determination of the resources which will permit to supply these necessities empowering the graphic design on the function to identify, to inform, to instruct, to present and to promote through a graphic idea.

Many people view climate change as one of the top issues facing the world today. As a result, a better understanding of how climate change messages are communicated has become increasingly important. Additionally, with the progression of today’s society into that of highly-visual culture, opportunities for the investigation at the intersection of climate change and visual content would be of great benefit to academia and society, as a whole. More specifically, providing insight into how climate change visuals are framed and what their relationship is to emotions would support visual framing theory and present opportunities to strengthen climate change messaging in the future. Taking a quantitative approach, this research deploys experimental design to test hypotheses and answer research questions on the relationships among three climate change visual frames (causes, impacts, solutions), emotional experience, and climate change salience. In addition, to attempt to provide further insight into these relationships, the personality traits neuroticism and extraversion are tested as moderators. A sample provided from Amazon Mechanical Turk (n = 289) was evenly disturbed between three experimental conditions, each representative of one of the climate change visual frames. Statistical analysis was then utilized to generate results in response to hypotheses one thru eleven and research questions one and two. The findings from this study show that climate change visual frames each generate specific emotional experiences upon viewing. The causes and impacts climate change visual frames result in a negative emotional experience, while the solutions climate change visual frame generates a positive emotional experience. However, this research found no support for the personality traits neuroticism or extraversion playing a role in that response. Similarly, there was no connection found between emotional experience and climate change salience. The findings of this research, however, ultimately support the effectiveness of climate change visual frames without their traditional accompanying text, in the form of a caption or story, and contribute to visual framing theory. Considering the effectiveness of stand-alone climate change visual frames in generating positive and negative emotional experiences can prove useful for practitioners in the creation of future climate change content.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Katie (Mary Catherine) Kingery-Page / Landscape architecture lacks evidence-based theory for the communicative effectiveness of graphics used in representing design ideas to stakeholders. For the purpose of this study, communicative effectiveness is operationalized as visual communication that expresses accurately the design in a way that the receiver understands the intentions — programmatic, experiential or otherwise — of the design. People need graphic representation to grasp abstract concepts, and drawings can help one imagine what a place can look like years down the road (Hester 2007). Graphics inform the viewer about essential elements of the design and the broader impact that design has on future experiences (Coe 1981). Knowing how people perceive and understand design graphics is key to communicating effectively to clients and other stakeholders. Graphic communication is complex, and no formula exists for communication in landscape architecture (Kingery-Page and Hahn 2012; Ware 2014). The questions guiding this study are: What graphic representation styles increase the non-designers’ understanding of design proposals? Do degrees of abstraction or realism affect understanding of the design drawing? I identified three research phases to adequately answer the questions: Phase One: Site Design Development — I designed a site plan for the Manhattan Arts Center (MAC), a community arts center in Manhattan, Kansas. Design intentions were carefully outlined based on stakeholder input. Phase Two: Graphics Production — Visual representations of the site design were developed in styles ranging from formal abstract to more realistic, based on review of precedent images in academic and professional architectural publications. Phase Three: Evaluation of Graphics Through Focus Groups— The communicative effectiveness of the representations were tested through three focus groups of stakeholders. Content analysis of the recorded focus group sessions revealed patterns of understanding the graphics. Overall, participants revealed that the more real the abstraction, the less understanding takes place. Formal Abstraction communicates the physical dimensions of the design most effectively, and Formal Abstraction has relatively the same communicative effectiveness regarding experience of place. Quantitative and qualitative data informed the creation of theories and a framework practitioners may use for selecting the most effective graphic communication options appropriate to project and audience. Key Words: Effective visual representation, visual communication, graphic style, Formal Abstraction, Semi-Realistic Abstraction, Realistic Abstraction, drawings, design intent, design ideas, accurate, perception, understanding, stakeholders, non-designer, landscape architecture.

This thesis seeks to shed some light on the study and practice of visual communication across cultural boundaries, Using a semiotic approach, it examines how a selected range of Western brand images that are promoted in the People's Republic of China are 'read' and interpreted by the local urban population. The case studies include symbolic images, such as logomarks and logotypes, as well as iconic images such as photographic material in advertisements. The political, economic and social context, and cultural aspects, such as attitudes, values and various cultural codes, are considered as influencing factors tha t affect the decoding of the meaning of visual unages. The research indicates that the intended and perceived meanings of a branding image rarely match when there is a significant difference between the cultures in which the image is encoded and decoded. While in a few instances the local population interprets the Western brand images in the manner intended by the Western communicator, most are interpreted differently. Some images are interpreted with a positive, albeit different, connotation, others are seen as rather negative. In the worst-case scenario, the messages are severely misunderstood and totally rejected by the readers due to cultural incompatibility. Rather unexpectedly, symbolic images, acknowledged as arbitrary and culture-specific in nature, are more readily interpreted in a positive way and close to the intended meaning than are the iconic images. The latter tend to be interpreted almost exclusively in the reader's (rather than the author's) cultural context and thus may be prone to misunderstanding or even rejection. The thesis concludes that the challenge in communicating visually across cultural boundaries is to recognise cultural differences, and draw on cultural compatibility to generate shared meaning and avoid cultural clashes that cause negative interpretation

This study documents the evolution of a unique body of ceramic work which straddles the areas of science and art. The author establishes the framework and context for the development of a range of ceramics incorporating crystalline glazes and forms. A personal aesthetic sensibility for the work is defined with reference to ceramics in general and specifically to the historical and contemporary development of glazes within this genre. The study articulates the stages of contemplation, design and development in the creation of a unique body of work which is cognisant of the decorative qualities of crystalline glazes. The forms are simple and uncomplicated, and the work is concerned with the pinnacle of the craft of ceramics at every level. / Doctor of Creative Arts (DCA)