This project aims to explore how to create a working concept-based flower shop visual identity, with focus on brandig, eco-branding and visual communication.My main question is:How do I create effective visual communication for an ecological flower shop?The results of this thesis are that there are things to consider when creating a visual identity with an ecological concept. The most important question is if there is any benefit for your company to go green, otherwise positioning of your company will be hard. What I realized during the design part of my project was that if I use the methods described in this thesis and consequently applying my choices after the flower shops identifying words, a working concept-based visual identity will be possible to create.

This essay explores how a brand’s image affects consumers’ self-image through acase study of the lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret in order to reflect over the role ofgraphic designers as visual communicators in society. The study conducts a semioticanalysis of the brand and a qualitative research consisting of interviews and a focusgroup of a selection of women within the brand’s target audience. The conclusion isthat Victoria’s Secret, through its models, contributes to an unrealistic feminineideal that the study participants’ self-image was perceptibly affected by. Whileperception is personal and signs are context reliant, semiotics is not only useful foranalyzing visual communication but also as a tool that graphic designers can use forcreating ads with the consumer’s needs in mind.

The study explored how the use of Emojis – beyond being used just as playful joke markers and tone-setters – shape culture and identity within a community of practice. Through the means of two qualitative Focus Group interviews involving ten members from a local soccer team, the purpose was to examine in-depth participants’ motivations for using Emojis, and their feelings about the Emojis that they receive both within and outside their community. Results showed that Emojis – irrespective of shape – are understood as signs representing an individual’s inner positive energy and good will; when such signs are used regularly within a community, this contributes to that the community culture emerge as positive and friendly. Expanding on these findings, results also illustrated that Emojis are perceived as symbols of likeness towards the group and that they contribute to the shaping of open and permissive culture in which emotions are allowed to flow freely – an effect which seem to be transferred to their offline environment too. Drawing from theories of Cultural Psychology and Cultural Semiotics, the thesis presents an innovative view of Emojis as both products as well as producers of culture; products because they are graphic representations of emotions which become meaningful cultural signs when posted online, and producers because they affect members’ perception of reality within the community of practice. The thesis also conclude that the use of Emojis is closely linked to personality and identity; as identities are continuously shaped through the symbolic association of Emojis, this affect not only how members of a community perceive the individuals using them, but also how we perceive the community in which these identities circulate and operate. This finding paved the way for interesting future studies on personal identity building through Emoji use.

År 2009 upphörde apoteksmonpolet i Sverige och Apoteket AB blev därmed mer konkurrensutsatt än någonsin. Det resulterade även i att deras behov av att särskilja sig från de nystartade kedjorna och butikerna ökade rejält och därför fick företagets varumärke, kommunikationsstrategier och val av kommunikationskanaler mycket stor betydelse. Syftet med denna studie har varit att undersöka hur Apoteket AB arbetar med visuell och digital kommunikation i butik och på webben för att stärka kundens uppfattning om företaget och varumärket. Studien ämnar även att undersöka hur Apoteket AB’s konsumenter upplever och påverkas av deras kommunikation samt om det finns mönster och möjliga strategier mellan val av mediekanaler och framgångsfaktorer hos Apoteket AB.För att besvara frågeställningarna genomfördes en kvalitativ studie som bestod av intervjuer med utvalda personer inom Apoteket AB som har god kunskap inom områdena visuell och digital kommunikation både i butik och på webben. För att få in ett konsumentperspektiv i studien genomfördes även en fokusgrupp med fem utvalda kunder som regelbundet handlar på Apoteket AB. Det empiriska materialet diskuterades och analyserades sedan tillsammans med den litteraturstudie som gjordes för att följa upp syftet och ge svar på studiens problemformulering.Studiens resultat visade att Apoteket AB arbetar mycket med differentierad marknadsföring utifrån utvalda kundsegment, vilket har visat sig vara en mycket framgångsrik strategi. Ytterligare en viktig del i deras kommunikationsstrategi har varit att vara synliga och tillgängliga på de flesta plattformar där deras kunder befinner sig. Eftersom Apoteket AB’s kundkrets sträcker sig över många generationer har de därför valt att både använda sig av traditionella och digitala medier. Denna mediemix fungerar för Apoteket AB då kommunikationen når ut till de utvalda kundsegmenten och utifrån det empiriska resultatet framkom det även att respondenterna upplever kommunikationen som intressant, trovärdig och transparent. Men det som framförallt har fått respondenterna att känna igen Apoteket AB’s varumärke och dess produkter har varit enhetligheten i deras kommunikation. Apoteket AB har en tydlig grafisk identitet med utvalda typsnitt, färger och former som genomsyrar all deras kommunikation och allt deras marknadsmaterial. Detta har visat sig vara den största anledningen till att konsumentupplevelsen har stärkts både i butik och på webben. / The Swedish pharmacy market was deregulated in 2009 after a state-run monopoly of 40 years. This meant that Apoteket AB had to adapt both its business and market share to the new pharmacy market. The market competition increased Apoteket AB’s need to differentiate themselves from the other chains and pharmacies and therefore the company's brand, communications strategies and choice of communication channels became very important.The purpose of this study has been to examine how Apoteket AB works with visual and digital communication both in stores and on the Web to enhance the customer's perception of the company, the brand and the store. The study also intends to explore how Apoteket AB’s consumers perceive and are affected by their communication, and if there are patterns and possible strategies between the choice of media channels and success factors of Apoteket AB.To answer these questions a qualitative study was conducted, consisting of interviews with selected individuals within Apoteket AB who have good knowledge in the areas of visual and digital communication both in stores and online. A focusgroup was conducted to get the consumer perspective in to the study. It consisted of five selected customers who regularly purchased at Apoteket AB. The empirical material was later discussed and analyzed together with the literature study that had been performed to answer the purpose of the study.The results showed that Apoteket AB works extensively with differentiated marketing, based on selected customer segments. This has proven to be a very successful strategy. Another important part of their communication strategy has been to be visible and accessible on most platforms where their customers are present. Since Apoteket AB’s customer base spans many generations, they have chosen to use both traditional and digital media. This media mix works well for Apoteket AB because their communication reaches out to the selected customer segments. The empirical results also revealed that the consumer perceive Apoteket AB’s communication as interesting, credible and transparent. The most important reason that the respondents recognize the Apoteket AB brand and its products is the consistency in their communications. Apoteket AB has a distinct visual identity with selected fonts, colors and shapes that permeates all their communication and their marketing materials. This has proven to be the major reason that the consumer experience has been strengthened, both in stores and on the web.

Jag har studerat och försökt att undersöka varför förpackningar av sexleksaker ser ut som de gör och i processen har jag också undersökt hur deras visuella kommunikation uppfattas och vad som eventuellt skulle kunna göras bättre. Anledningen till denna uppsats är att min uppfattning av förpackningari sexleksaksindustrin är sexistisk, kränkandeoch framför allt består av dålig design. Jag redogör för litteratur som jag anser vara intressant för uppdraget och den behandlar både byggandet av varumärken och förpackningsdesign. En undersökning ochintervjuer med experter kommer också att presenteras. Slutligen gerdesignarbetet ett exempel på hur enstilren förpackningsdesign kan vara svaret påfrågan om hur man bäst kommunicerarförpackningen till en sexleksak.Uppsatsen är inte avgörande i den aspekten att den inte ger ett svar på varför paketenär utformade som de är, dockutvecklar jag vad några av möjligheternaskulle kunna vara. Till slut diskuterar jag varför det är viktigt att en förändring sker detta område av förpackningsdesign. / I’ve studied and tried to investigate why thepackaging of sex toys look like they do, andin the process I’ve also researched how theirvisual communication is perceived and whatcould possibly be made better. The reasonfor this thesis is that my opinion of packagingin the sex toy industry is sexistic, offensiveand mainly consistent of bad design. I reviewliterature that I consider to be interesting forthe mission and it treats both the building ofbrands and packaging design. A survey andexpert interviews will also be presented. Finallythe design work gives an example of how aclean package design can be the answer forthe question of how one best communicatethe packaging of a sex toy.The study is not conclusive in the aspect that itdoesn’t provide an answer to why the packagesare designed the way they are, I do howeverelaborate on what some of the possibilitiesmight be. In the end I discuss the importanceof why a change must be made in this area ofpackaging design.

Food media such as cookbooks, magazines, and television programs have become enormously popular in the last 15 to 20 years, but they have remained relatively unexamined in empirical media research. The focus of this project is the audience's perception of visual food media, specifically the capacity for critical evaluation of such media by adult women. `Food-media literacy' is the term coined in this work to describe such critical competence. The first phase of this project began to conceptualize food-media literacy with a pair of focus groups in which participants examined a series of print food advertisements. Discussion in the groups was guided by several of the core questions of media literacy. In the second phase, an experiment was conducted to examine the influence of a slick, professionally styled photo on an adult woman's interpretation of the recipe it illustrated. The primary hypothesis was that such an image would make the subject less likely to respond with confidence that she could follow the recipe and produce a similar result - a self-efficacious response. Other data collected in the experiment were the subjects' food-media literacy, cooking experience, food media use, experience using digital imaging technology, and cognitive style. The primary statistical analysis did not detect a significant relationship between the quality of the photo illustration and the subjects' self-efficacious response. Secondary analysis revealed that cooking experience was the only factor that influenced self-efficacy. Additional analyses confirmed the validity of the food-media literacy scale, and revealed important insights regarding the role of experience with digital imaging technology, and subjects' perception of food media as a genre. / Mass Media and Communication

No description available.

I denna uppsats undersöks hur kommunikativa marknadsföringsstrategier som utelämnar centrala produkter eller nyckelelement kan användas för att effektivt nå och engagera publiken. Genom att analysera reklamfilmer från Barncancerfonden och Sverige för UNHCR, fokuserar studien på att förstå hur frånvaro av element kan spela en kommunikativ roll och hur detta kan tillämpas i kommersiell marknadsföring. I studien har en multimodal visuell analys använts för att granska hur olika semiotiska resurser såsom bilder, symboler och andra visuella tecken bidrar till att skapa mening när det centrala i budskapet saknas. Studiens syfte är att utforska hur ideella organisationer tillämpar dessa strategier i sina marknadsföringskampanjer och hur det går att applicera i reklam för kommersiella företag. Genom tidigare forskning och teoretiska ramverk som socialsemiotik och visuell retorik, samt en detaljerad metodologisk ansats, ger uppsatsen insikter i hur utelämnande av element kan användas för att framkalla starka emotionella reaktioner och engagemang hos publiken. Detta arbete bidrar med värdefulla perspektiv till det breda fältet av marknadsföringskommunikation, särskilt i hur emotionell marknadsföring kan förstärka budskap och skapa djupare band mellan varumärken och deras målgrupper. / In this thesis, we explore how marketing strategies that omit central products or key elements can be used effectively to reach and engage the audience. By analyzing advertisements from Barncancerfonden and Sverige för UNHCR, the study focuses on understanding how the absence of elements can play a communicative role and how this can be applied in commercial marketing. The study has used a multimodal visual analysis to examine how various semiotic resources such as images, symbols, and other visual signs contribute to creating meaning when the main object is missing.  The purpose of the study is to explore how organizations apply these strategies in their marketing campaigns and how they can be applied in advertising for commercial companies. Through previous research and theoretical frameworks such as social semiotics and visual rhetoric, and a detailed methodological approach, the thesis provides insights into how the omission of elements can be used to evoke strong emotional reactions and engagement from the audience. This work contributes valuable perspectives to the broader field of marketing communication, especially in how emotional marketing can strengthen messages and create deeper bonds between brands and their target groups.

The design from the counterculture of the 1960 and 1970s USA is an often overlooked or forgotten part of design and art history (Auther & Lerner 2011, s.XXIX) with the graphic designers of the movement often being portrayed as nothing more than drug influenced amateurs (Kaplan 2013, s.80). This is an all too simple and reductive view on design from this era with its undeniably politically charged and radical messages. This paper therefore aims to examine design from this movement, specifically from the alternative press, to give the reader a deeper understanding of the methods and rhetorical devices used to communicate their messages of resistance and counter cultural values. This is done through a visual rhetorical analysis focusing on the use of tropes as well as a critical discourse analysis examining the messages being created and the subsequent discourses they produce. This results in a conclusion and discussion centered around what tropes are represented in the material as well as how graphic design was used to communicate their countercultural values.

Thesis (MA (General Linguistics))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / According to Nattrass (2007:138), the denial and questioning of the science of HIV/AIDS at government level by, amongst others, Thabo Mbeki (former State President) and Manto Tshabalala-Msimang (former Minister of Health) resulted in an estimated 343 000 preventable AIDS deaths in South Africa by 2007. Such governmental discourse of AIDS denialism has been the target of criticism in the media and by activist groups such as the Treatment Action Campaign. This study investigates the nature of this criticism, specifically considering the critical use of metaphor in visual texts such as the political cartoons of Jonathan Shapiro, who works under the pen name of “Zapiro”. The purpose is to determine whether the nature of the criticism in visual newspaper texts differs from that of corresponding verbal newspaper texts, possibly providing means of criticism not available to the verbal mode alone. A corpus of texts published between August 1999 and December 2007 that topicalise HIV/AIDS was investigated. This includes 119 cartoons by Zapiro, and 91 verbal articles in the weekly newspaper Mail & Guardian. The main theoretical approach used in the analyses is Conceptual Metaphor Theory, developed by Lakoff and Johnson (1981), and its extension to poetic metaphor, developed by Lakoff and Turner (1989). Because of the socio-political nature of the problem of HIV/AIDS, the study also draws on Critical Discourse Analysis, including complementary concepts from Systemic Functional Linguistics. The study reveals that visual and verbal texts make use of similar sets of conventional conceptual metaphors at similar frequencies, which confirms the predictions of Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The study further reveals that the cartoons enrich these metaphors through four specific mechanisms of poetic metaphor, which the verbal articles do not. This indicates a significant difference between the two types of texts. Furthermore, it is found that the use of such poetic metaphors directly contributes to the critical power of the political cartoons. The study indicates that multi-modality in cartoons, which triggers single metaphoric mappings, adds a dimension to the critical function of the text that is absent in the verbal equivalent. The finding that the visual texts enable a form of cognition that is not available to verbal texts, poses one of the most significant avenues for future research. Thus, cartoons apparently achieve a type of criticism that is not found, and may not be possible, in the verbal texts alone. This makes the political cartoon a text type with an important and unique ability to articulate political criticism.