Communication Design Career: Everything You Need to Know Before You Start

Why are some advertisements attractive while others are not? How can you describe a particular brand without naming it or mentioning its trademark? It is important to have answers to these questions when working in the field of communication design.

Students who want to work in advertising, design, publishing companies, the printing industry, or for a famous brand or agency should consider the Communication Design career path. At the IVS School of Art & Design, we teach students to not only see the design but to understand what it communicates to them.

What Is Communication Design?

Combining such areas as graphic design, typography, illustration, photography, branding, advertising, digital media, and visual storytelling, communication design is the art of conveying specific messages to a target audience with the help of visual expressions.

The communication designer works on the brief, explores the audience, thinks through ideas, develops language and concepts, and works on the final image.

What Will you Learn?

At IVS, the Communication Design or Applied Arts course will allow you to develop a set of skills that will be vital in the job market and applicable in the modern workplace. The following areas are included in the curriculum:

Graphic Design and Typography
Illustration and Photography
Branding and Visual Identity
Advertising and Digital Media
Publication and Packaging Design
Visual Storytelling
Creative Concept Development

The BFA degree in Applied Arts at IVS allows one to develop a concept, conduct research, explore various materials and techniques, experiment with modern technology, and fully realize an idea from paper to an object or image.

Do you Need Drawing Skills?

Students without formal art training can enroll in the course since knowledge of the basic elements of art and design language, such as line, shape, color, composition, and form, is helpful but not obligatory. Moreover, drawing is only a part of a broader design thinking process that includes observation, idea generation and development, research, communication, and problem-solving. In communication design, technology is part of the process, but it is not the main element. Technology and software applications are tools, and one cannot overestimate the importance of the idea and the thought process behind it.

What Jobs Can you Land As a Communication Designer?

Careers in Communication Design are found in graphic design, branding and visual identity, advertising and marketing communications, digital and social media design, publications, packaging, and exhibition design. The following professions are also available: Graphic designer, brand identity designer, visual communication designer, advertising designer, art director, illustrator, digital content designer, packaging designer, publication designer, social media designer, creative strategist, and freelance designer.

Ar. Chanchal

Ar. Chanchal is an architect and educator with experience in architecture, Project Management Consultancy (PMC), interior architecture, and construction technology. She has worked with Deloitte in PMC and holds a Bachelor’s in Architecture and a Master’s in Construction Technology and Management. Her teaching focuses on practical, industry-oriented design education.