70% of communication now happens visually!

The sixth of the Communication Training Seminars for Society, organized by Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication with the aim of sharing scientific knowledge with the public, was held. Prof. And Algül, Head of the Visual Communication Design Department, stated that today, communication is largely established through visual elements, adding, “Approximately 70% of communication now happens visually. Social media, advertising, and civil society campaigns are the areas where visual communication is most intensely used.”

Üsküdar University Faculty of Communication held the sixth of its Communication Training Seminars for Society, organized within the scope of its social contribution and science communication mission. The online seminar, titled “Design Readings: Creating Awareness Through Case Analyses in Visual Communication,” saw high participation.

The speaker of the seminar was Prof. And Algül, Head of the Visual Communication Design Department at Üsküdar University. Prof. Algül, drawing attention to the decisive role of visual communication in today's social life, emphasized that visuals are not only an aesthetic element but also a powerful tool for meaning production.

70% of Communication is Established Through Visuals… 

Prof. Algül stated that today, communication is largely established through visual elements, adding, “Approximately 70% of communication now happens visually. Social media, advertising, and civil society campaigns are the areas where visual communication is most intensely used. Therefore, individuals need to be not only literate but also visually literate.”

Theory and Case Analysis Addressed Together

In the seminar, Prof. Algül, who evaluated visual communication through the theoretical approaches of Roland Barthes, Marshall McLuhan, and Stuart Hall, explained his reasons for choosing these three names as follows:

“While Barthes and Stuart Hall offer a more critical perspective, McLuhan represents a more traditional media approach. My aim is to demonstrate visual meaning production from both traditional and digital media perspectives simultaneously.”

'Invisible Advertising' in Digital Media

Prof. Algül stated that advertisements are no longer presented in a classical format on digital platforms, saying, “On a social media platform, for instance, a shared beverage doesn't appear as an advertisement. It's presented as if it were a natural part of daily life.”

Prof. Algül stated that the same content can produce completely different meanings across various platforms, adding, “Seeing the same beverage brand on television is not the same as seeing it on digital platforms. While television involves a passive audience and one-way communication, social media offers interaction and reproduction. Therefore, the message also transforms.”

Prof. Algül also stated that the same visual is not interpreted by everyone in the same way, saying, “The audience deciphers the message according to their own cultural and social position.”  

Social Awareness with UNICEF and WWF Examples

Prof. Algül, evaluating UNICEF and WWF campaigns from a visual communication perspective, emphasized that elements such as minimalist design, visual metaphor, use of negative space, and a limited color palette strengthen the social message.

Speaking about WWF's panda logo, Prof. Algül said, “In a denotative sense, we see a black-and-white panda. Connotatively, there is innocence and vulnerability. At the mythical level, the idea that protecting nature is a human responsibility is produced.”

Visual Communication Is Not Just an Aesthetic Choice

Prof. Algül stated, “Visual communication is not only an aesthetic choice but also an ethical and social responsibility. Design exists to create awareness, rather than merely to adorn.”

Emphasizing that the images used in visuals are not limited to their apparent meaning, Prof. Algül used the following expressions:

“Melting animal silhouettes, nature images transforming into human bodies, vanishing forests… These do not carry only denotative meanings; they also generate connotative meanings and myths. Denotatively, nature symbolizes innocence, while humans appear as a destructive force. These contrasts are very important in design. These antagonisms trigger feelings of guilt, responsibility, and empathy in the viewer, thereby creating awareness.”

What Do Visual Myths Produced in Environment-Themed Posters and Campaigns Convey?

Prof. Algül, drawing attention to the visual myths produced in environment-themed posters and campaigns, stated, “Through visual myths, environmental destruction is presented not as a natural process but as a crisis created by human hands. Nature is not an element that destroys itself; it is coded as an entity devastated by human intervention.”

In evaluations made through the encoding–decoding model, Prof. Algül emphasized that visual messages do not produce a single meaning, stating, “A message encoded by the producer as ‘If forests are cut, life ends’ can be deciphered by the viewer in different ways. Some perceive it as a threat, some as a call, and some as a moral responsibility.”

Prof. Algül noted that some viewers see the message as an institutional problem rather than individual responsibility, or find the visuals “abnormally exaggerated and emotional,” adding, “Awareness is not a one-way process. Meaning varies according to the viewer's social and cultural position.”

Campaigns Produce Meaning Not Only Through Their Content But Also Through the Mediums Used

Prof. And Algül emphasized that the same environmental message produces different effects across various mediums, stating, “Presenting the message in poster form provides direct visibility in the public sphere. When the same message is shared on social media, it transforms into a rapid and global wave of awareness. Campaigns produce meaning not only through their content but also through the mediums used.”

Prof. Algül cited events based on global participation, such as Earth Hour, as examples, saying, “The message integrates with the nature of the medium, directly intervening in the viewer's daily life. The impact of the environmental message increases more with the experiential power of the communication tool than with the content itself.” 

Visual Communication: A Transformative Power

Making a general assessment, Prof. Algül stated that visual communication should not be seen merely as an aesthetic production area, and added, “Visual communication tools enable the understanding and visibility of social problems, and create awareness regarding these issues. Through case analyses, individuals' critical thinking skills develop, and their sense of social responsibility strengthens.”

Stating that augmented reality, virtual reality, and digital activism will play a greater role in creating awareness in the future, Prof. Algül concluded by saying, “Visual communication design is a powerful communication tool that raises awareness, transforms, and creates impact.”