communication inquiry

formerly known as applied communication theory

kansas city art institute // sophomore 2 // 2013–14, 2017–2021 [applied comm theory]
2022–present [communication inquiry, under our new curriculum]

course description as of 2022: we are in near-constant communication every day, yet most people have no idea of the underlying processes and concepts that govern how and why communication works in the ways it does. understanding the fundamentals of a range of communication theories is vital for graphic designers to practice effectively with a deep understanding of the “why” and “how” of what we do. through active and exploratory questioning, we will dig in to theories such as semiotics, rhetoric, modes of persuasion, narrative, communication theory and similar ideas to understand what they are, how they work, and their impacts on graphic design and society at large in both commercial and social/civic contexts.

view online course documents: course syllabus // umbrella prompt for the semester // idea generation lecture

course notes
in terms of subject matter, the designers are asked to identify a social issue about which they feel strongly [subject to some basic criteria for usability as a subject], that will serve as the basis for a large conference. they then have to use that social issue as content for projects during the semester. while most of our study is focused on the various communication theories, using this particular content teaches designers that their work can also serve the social good and/or contribute to a critical dialogue about important topics.

objectives

you will be graded on how much/well you…]
70% of the course:

  1. through projects and presentations, demonstrate a basic understanding of semiotics, rhetoric, modes of persuasion, communication theory and/or other theories of perception.

  2. develop projects that visually show how those theories work.

  3. through design work or writing, illuminate the impacts of these theories on graphic design and society at large, particularly on bipoc, underrepresented, underresourced and/or non-western populations.

  4. ask quality questions of all types, and do so with frequency and energy through your project work.

  5. show attention to detail and high level of craft in presentations of work and the work itself, including the level of clarity, quality and refinement achieved in final presentation design.

30% of the course

  1. demonstrate an ability to present and articulate written and verbal ideas and methods, to cultivate effective listening skills, and to participate in intercultural and intersectional discourse, in multiple formal and informal settings, with peers and professors. [engagement through dialogue of all types]

  2. “show up” and give focused attention to the task at hand – active project work time, lectures, workshops, field trips, and all other class-time activities. [engagement through class-based attention and activities]

  3. demonstrate a strong work ethic, curiosity, and motivation for self-teaching; consistent level of effort from concept through refinement to completion. [engagement with your design process]

connotation workshop: to create a concrete link between the semiotic terms “connotation” and “denotation” and the act of making, students select an icon to draw and have to change the connotation of that same icon multiple times through selections of various modifiers like materials or adjectives like “chubby” or “geometric”.

anchorage and relay workshop / forced connections: as a way to test our desire to make meaning out of most anything, students are asked to play with various simple 1-1 combinations of image/text, text/text, and image/image to see what new meanings might be made.

olivia scheible

adam lock

adam lock

adam lock

adam lock

maddy dreyer

georgia harrell

applied communication theory

course materials and student outcomes

project 1: visual language creation – semiotics
project brief
semiotics lecture 1 | semiotics lecture 2 | organizational strategies lecture
semiotics reading 1 | semiotics reading 2 | semiotics reading 3 | semiotics reading 4

project 4: the social poster and beyond
view project brief
rhetoric lecture
graphic wit reading

2013 – gun violence awareness posters as part of a national aiga initiative

recognition – cal desmith [cloud/umbrella], brittany hand [not pictured], monica roesner [not pictured]: endgunviolence.aiga.org posters included in the [now defunct] national online poster gallery including professional and student work. [national] 

2014 – partnered with bike walk kc for a special edition silkscreen promotional poster. chris meier’s poster was selected.